Project Activities
Research activities include quantitative analyses of administrative and text data, qualitative analyses of case study data, and quantitative analyses of student-level longitudinal data. Weekly meetings will ensure that the findings are accessible, actionable, and relevant to the CDE's needs. The project team will support CDE with training, workshops, and technical assistance about how to connect research to its decision making.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This study takes place in California public schools.
Sample
The sample includes all foster youth students enrolled in California's public schools from 2014-15 through 2025-26 school years.
Key factors under investigation are school mobility and learning recovery for foster youth students. Students in foster care have the least stable education experiences of California students and they represent one of the student groups with the most acute academic and social emotional needs. They are one of the most vulnerable and academically at-risk student groups enrolled in California schools. These students are disproportionately Black (16 percent compared to 5 percent overall), and students with disabilities (31 percent compared to 13 percent overall). Compared to other at-risk student groups (e.g., homeless youth, English learners, students with disabilities), foster youth students have the highest rates of chronic absence (47 percent), suspension (13 percent), and drop-out (22 percent) and the lowest rates of math/reading/science proficiency (10 percent, 21 percent, and 9 percent respectively), high school graduation (61 percent). They also have the lowest A–G course (15 high school courses for meeting California college admission requirement) completion rate (17 percent) and college-going rate (44 percent).
Because the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated educational disruption for all students, the California Department of Education (CDE) is concerned about the educational stability and learning recovery for all students and especially those in foster care. In addition, because federal and state law prioritize foster youths' rights to remain in their school of origin, CDE wants to learn whether and how this "right to remain" is being implemented and improving the educational stability of students in foster care.
Research design and methods
This project team will use a mixed-method design approach with three phases. In phase 1, the researchers will determine which of the quantitative data to examine (e.g., changes in school mobility and educational outcomes for foster youth students). They will also determine which counties and districts will be selected for the case study sample and design qualitative data collection protocols . In phase 2, the researchers will collect qualitative data with protocols informed by the quantitative results generated in phase 1. Results from qualitative data will describe the process through which the pandemic is related to the educational experiences and outcomes of foster youth students, illustrate the extent to which major federal and state policies geared towards educational stability were implemented at county and district level, and provide contextual understanding of the relationship (or lack thereof) between district recovery activities and foster student outcomes. In phase 3, the researchers will perform regression analyses informed by qualitative findings in phase 2. The analyses of phase 3 will show the changes in foster youth outcomes after the pandemic began in 2020.
Control condition
The researchers will compare school mobility and learning outcomes for foster youth students and compare that to non-foster youth groups such as economically disadvantaged students, English learners and students with disabilities.
Key measures
Key educational outcomes include school mobility, enrollment, test scores in math, English and science, chronic absenteeism, enrollment and completion of Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate/A-G courses, high school graduation, college readiness, college enrollment, and reclassification of English learners.
Data analytic strategy
The project team will use Google Maps data to calculate and visualize school mobility. Panel data methods will be used to estimate learning outcomes for foster youth students and compare that to other student groups. The researchers will also code district plans to identify their recovery programs and use an event study design to explore the association between district programs and foster student outcomes. Case studies of five counties will provide in-depth information on foster youth enrollment and school mobility.
State decision making
The project team will address the CDE's critical needs and support its decision making on
- Refining its stability rate measures
- Developing a statewide school mobility measure
- Assessing the impact of its efforts to implement federal and state policies to help foster youth remain in their schools of origin
- Setting school mobility targets and using that to measure and evaluate its efforts to help foster youth remain in their schools of origin, and
- Allocating state resources to support an equitable education recovery
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Partner institutions
California Department of Education
Products and publications
Products: The project team will produce publications throughout the project, with a final report and at least one peer-reviewed journal article at the conclusion of the project. The project team will host workshops (in-person, or online webinars) with state and local policymakers, practitioners, foster youth organizations to inform their ongoing work. The researchers will present at academic and practitioner conferences and prepare manuscript(s) for academic and practitioner journals.
Related projects
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator(s): Casanova, Diana; Isler, Jonathan; Johnson, Hans; Semykina, Anastasia
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
