School-Related Experiences of Adolescents in Foster Care: A Comparison with Their High-School Peers

Background and Purpose:.

Adolescents in foster care are one of the most vulnerable and academically at-risk populations in the United States.  Compared to 70% of peers who are not in care, it is estimated that only half of adolescents in care complete high school, and by the age of 25 only 11.8% complete an undergraduate degree compared to 28% of their non-foster peers. While there is ample documentation on low academic achievement among adolescents in foster care, there is little research on their school-related experiences, such as victimization and relationships with teachers, compared with their same-age peers not in care. 

Multiple factors can place adolescents in care at-risk for delays in the academic arena. The purpose of this study is to compare foster care adolescents with same-aged peers within the same schools in California. Overall, it is hypothesized that compared to their same-aged peers, adolescents in foster care will report higher levels of victimization and discrimination-based victimization, weapons-use and gang involvement as well as lower levels of perceived safety, participation, support from adults, as well as lower academic achievements. Furthermore, the study explores whether background variables and negative school experiences explain differences in academic performances between foster care students and their peers.

Methods

Data for this study was drawn from the 2011-2013 administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) in districts across California.  The present analyses focused on 165,815 students in the 9^th and 11^thgrades (706 foster youth, estimated 85% response rate) representing every county and almost all school districts in California.

The CHKS self report questionnaire consists of a series of structured scales with acceptable to high internal consistencies. The following indices were measured: Victimization, Discrimination-based harassment or bullying, Involvement with guns and gangs, school climate (Adult Support, Participation, and Belongingness), and academic behaviors and achievements (cutting classes and grades).

Results

Findings indicate a consistent pattern: After controlling for age, gender and race, adolescents in foster care have lower (self-reported) academic achievements and experiences that are more negative in school compared with their peers.  Hierarchical regression equations indicate that after controlling for background and school experiences, there were no significant differences in academic achievements between foster care youth and their high school peers. There are indications that cutting classes is mediating between negative school experiences and low grades.

Conclusions and Implications:

The findings may reflect that in-school experiences are responsible for some negative academic outcomes reported for foster youth. This is significant as positive school experiences could arguably serve as an important protective role for foster care students facing a host of risk factors. One approach to improving school experiences for foster youth is to increase awareness among educators and improve coordination between the education and child welfare systems. Adolescents in care can benefit from working with educational advocates in school who can assist them to secure the resources needed to succeed in and graduate from high school, and ideally enter college.