“From White Paper to Present”West Virginia’s Effort for Improvement

Educational Success for Children in Out-of-Home Care

Rebecca Derenge, McKinney-Vento Homeless CoordinatorWest Virginia Department of Education

McKinney-VentoEducation For Homeless Children and

Youth Program

Title VII-B of The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, As Amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

•At any given time there are approximately 3,000 to 4,700 children in out-of-home care

•In 2004 a number of concerns were raised regarding the present situation of public education of children in out-of-home

care in West Virginia.

•This call to attention to this issue was based, in part, on a “white paper,”

•The Education of Children in Out-of-Home Care (2004)

•Written by the Alliance for Children

•An interdisciplinary team of practitioners and educators were charged with the

investigation and assessment of the education experience of out-of-home care students •Committee was to ascertain the nature of the remedies for disparities in performance and quality outcomes by this population.

Committee Accomplishments to Date….

• Development of interagency collaborative partnership with DHHR and its service providers.

Committee Accomplishments to Date….

• Revision of State Attendance Policy 4110 to remove barriers to full access to public education for children in out-of-home care.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Heightening awareness of the educational needs of children in out-of-home care.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Establishment of administrative responsibility and a position in the Office of Institutional Education Programs to provide leadership and coordination for the education of children in out-of-home care.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Consolidated monitoring in West Virginia counties of McKinney-Vento, Title I, Title III, Title VII and Title II

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Development and dissemination of a brochure entitled “Reaching Every Child: Educational Success for Children in Out-of-Home Care” designed to help children in out of home care receive appropriate educational services.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Development of educational standards for out-of-state education programs and educational standards for schools operated by the Office of Institutional Education Programs.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Development of a website to help parents and families of children in out-of-home care access educational resources. Go to WVDE and access the Office of Institutional Education Programs. Resources for McKinney-Vento and out-of-home care.

Committee Accomplishments to Date:

• Development of on-line course for educators to help address and improve outcomes for children and youth in foster care. The course is entitled Endless Dreams and is a ten module curriculum, 22 students are currently enrolled; most of who are children home society individuals who participate.

• Endlessdreams1.wordpress.com is the URL

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS2009-2010

1) Develop a transition plan for children returning to county school districts from out-of-state and in-state placement;

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS

2) Develop coordination and collaboration between the WVDE and DHHR regulatory and monitoring systems for children in out-of-home care, with an emphasis to improve data reporting system;

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS

3) Improve the interagency coordination and process to access needed data on the educational status of children in out-of-home care;

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS

4) Coordinate efforts to evaluate education programs and quality of care in out-of-state facilities;

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS

5) Study the involvement of education personnel in multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTs) for children in foster and kinship care;

ADVISORY COMMITTEE GOALS

AND6) Study the impact of truancy and attendance

on placements in out-of-home care.

The work of the Committee continues to make recommendations and be empowered to improve the system and resolve issues that ultimately will support children in foster care to compete and be successful in their education experience, career choice, and life skills.