CASA EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY TRAINING CASA of New Jersey, Inc. Whole-System Learning Engaging Head, Heart & Hands
Agenda • Educational Advocacy Overview and Role of the CASA Volunteer • Discovery Learning Stations – Accessing Education – Interventions Short of Special Education – Early Intervention and Special Education – Student Discipline • Report Writing Exercise
GOAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY To ensure that children’s educational needs are met while they are in out-of- home placement, and that they receive the education to which they are entitled. This includes regular educational needs and any Special Education needs that children may have.
TO HELP ENSURE A CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ARE MET • Gather information • Monitor the child’s educational progress • Advocate to help ensure that the child’s educational needs are being met • Report to the Court System
EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY INITIATIVE GOALS • Provide CASA volunteers with the ability to take an active role in ensuring that the educational needs of children in placement are met. • Enable CASA volunteers to identify potential issues with regard to the child’s education, and to know where to find appropriate professional support . • Ensure that CASA volunteers are able to provide the Court with information regarding the child’s educational progress and needs, as well as recommendations to help ensure that those needs are met.
EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY INITIATIVE GOALS • CASA Programs and Volunteer should ultimately be able to take an active role in: – Maintaining educational stability for the child – Eliminating or overcoming barriers to registration, attendance, and information sharing – Ensuring access to an education that will maximize the child’s potential – Improving educational outcomes by making sure that the child’s needs are being met
Why is EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY Important? • Focus on education as part of the Federal Adoption and Safe Families Act • Children in placement are at greater risk for educational issues – Because of placement changes – Because of what they experience • State of NJ is held to a higher standard for the education of children in out-of- home placement.
Why is EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY Important? • While all New Jersey children have a constitutional right to a “thorough and efficient education,” children in placement have special rights: – Under the State Administrative Code and Regulations, DCP&P/DYFS must make every reasonable effort to assure that every child in out-of-home placement receives an education appropriate to his/her abilities. – The Child Placement Bill of Rights states that children in out-of-home placement have the right to receive an education that will maximize the child’s potential.
NATIONAL STATISTICS • 68% of foster care alumni reported attending 3+ elementary schools – 33% attended 5+ elementary schools • Students who change schools >4 times before grade 6 lose ~ 1 year of educational growth • More than 1 in 3 foster care alumni report having had to repeat a grade • Only 1.8% of foster care alumni completed a bachelor’s degree • Foster children/youth are up to 3.5 times more likely to be in Special Education than their non- foster care peers
THE VOLUNTEER’S ROLE • In order to effectively advocate for all of the child’s educational needs, the CASA volunteer will need to: – Work in close collaboration with both the school and child welfare systems, as well as individuals involved in the child’s life • Remember, there are 2 systems to access to get the child’s needs met (educational system and child welfare system) – Have a good understanding of the child’s educational progress, what the child needs, and what the child is already receiving • this will entail gathering as much information as possible about the child’s education
VOLUNTEER ROLE AND INFORMATION GATHERING • CASA should gather information about: – the child’s educational progress and needs – the services being provided to meet those needs – any additional concerns/issues regarding the child’s education • Information Sources: – Education records compiled by DYFS/DCP&P – School Records – Meetings with teachers, aides, and other school personnel • FERPA (Family Education Rights & Privacy Act) does not bar access to school records because of Order of Appointment
INFORMATION GATHERING – SCHOOL RECORDS • Mandated School records include: – Grades – Student identifying information – Standardized Assessments – Attendance – Health Record – Special Education Record • School records often contain other critical and/ or helpful information
Discovery Learning HEAD HEART HANDS
Why Discovery Learning? • When both the emotional mind and rational mind are engaged, learning has more impact and lasts longer. • When learners discover concepts and insights for themselves, as opposed to "being taught", they are more motivated to learn and more likely to apply what they have learned. • Effective training programs allow learners go deeper in fewer areas, rather than shallower in more.
Overview of Your Manual • Chapter 1: Introduction & Educational Advocacy Overview • Chapter 2: Getting in the Door – Ensuring Educational Access for Children in Placement • Chapter 3: Educational Interventions Short of Special Education • Chapter 4: Early Intervention and Special Education • Chapter 5: Student Discipline • Chapter 6: Pulling it All Together – Information Gathering, Advocacy, and Report Writing
Preparing for the Learning Stations • Form 4 teams and move to your assigned Learning Station – Remember to take your manual with you • Introduce yourself to your team • Agree on a team name
Learning Stations: ROUND 1 1. Individually read the assigned chapter at your station – Focus on the colored pages in the manual, and particularly the Points of Advocacy 2. Working as a team, discuss and agree on 5 ‘Key Insights’ for the subject areas covered in that chapter 3. Write your 5 Key Insights on the flipchart at your station 4. Assign a facilitator and scribe
Characteristics of a `Key Insight’ • Describes a rule or truth. • States an important point or information critical to a CASA volunteer. • Clear and simple, yet accurate. • Applies consistently to all children in the same situation.
Learning Stations: ROUND 1 1. Individually read the assigned chapter at your station – Focus on the colored pages in the manual, and particularly the Points of Advocacy 2. Working as a team, discuss and agree on 5 ‘Key Insights’ for the subject areas covered in that chapter 3. Write your 5 Key Insights on the flipchart at your station 4. Assign a facilitator and scribe
Learning Stations: ROUNDS 2 & 3 1. Read case study in the envelope at your station 2. As a team, answer the 3 case study questions – Use the assigned manual chapter and 5 Key Insights to guide you – Write your answers on your answer sheet – Write your team name on your answer sheet 3. As a team, add 1 Key Insight to the flipchart 4. When time is called: • fold your answer sheet and place it in the envelope • rotate as a team to the next station
Learning Stations: ROUND 4 1. Remove 2 answer sheets from envelope 2. As a group, review responses from the two teams – Use the assigned manual chapter and Key Insights to guide your assessment of the responses 3. Evaluate each answer in turn; compare the 2 answers: – Divide 5 points between the 2 responses – Score on relative correctness • 3-2, 4-1 or 5-0 are the ONLY allowable scores – After scoring, return answer sheets to respective teams – As a team, tally your total score from 2 answer sheets
LEARNING STATION QUESTIONS DEBRIEF • We will debrief those questions where any team scored a 4 or 5 • These are the questions with differing opinions, and we want to ensure we have a common understanding • As we discuss a question, please open your manual to appropriate chapter
A BIG HAND FOR THE WINNERS! ...and the winners are… the children
Draft a Court Report Section • Work in new teams, each with a unique marker color • Use Chapter 6 of your manual • Assign a scribe to write on your flipchart: – For your child(ren), prepare bullet points for the Education Section of a Court Report • status update and recommendations regarding the child’s educational needs • Timing: 15 minutes
Court Report – Part 2 • Working as a team, review the flipchart of the other team • As a team agree: – What is the ONE important question we still have about this information? – What is ONE important item that is missing from this Court Report?
Court Report Debrief • For each team flipchart in turn: – The team that wrote the flipchart information initially will answer the questions posed by the other team – Short large group discussion regarding these questions and items added
CASAs Play an Important Role • You are critical in facilitating communication and ensuring that a child’s educational needs are met. • You gather important information, monitor the provision of education services, and advocate for the child’s educational needs. • With your new skills and tools, you can make a bigger difference than ever!
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