IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v113y2020ics0190740919311430.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Students connected to foster care: An overview of high school experiences

Author

Listed:
  • Sandh, Simon
  • Donaldson, Vernisa M.
  • Katz, Colleen C.

Abstract

Youth in foster care aspire to attend college but enrollment and graduation rates remain low. High school experiences such as academic difficulties, low participation in college readiness courses, and residential or academic instability may impact youth’s postsecondary enrollment and success. This study examines the path from high school to college among a sample of 500 youth in care enrolled at a large, urban Northeastern public university system, focusing on residential and academic stability and academic outcomes. Univariable analyses were conducted to describe student data on number of Zip Code changes, high school transfers, SAT scores, AP exams, dual enrollment program participation, and on-time high school graduation. A one-sample Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test was used to determine if students in this sample spent significantly more time in high school than the anticipated four-year high school tenure. State and city averages were used as descriptive comparisons where applicable. Youth in the sample were slightly less mobile than they were in previous studies, with at least one ZIP Code change and one high school change. Compared to the city average, youth in the sample faced academic challenges in important college admissions predictors such as SAT scores, AP course and exam participation and performance, and four-year graduation rates credentials/diploma types. These findings reflect the instability experienced by youth in foster care as well as their subsequent under-preparedness for college-level work, and highlight the need for measures to understand the relationship between psychosocial factors, such as motivation, self-efficacy, supportive relationships, and postsecondary access and success.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandh, Simon & Donaldson, Vernisa M. & Katz, Colleen C., 2020. "Students connected to foster care: An overview of high school experiences," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:113:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919311430
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104905
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740919311430
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104905?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sullivan, Melissa J. & Jones, Loring & Mathiesen, Sally, 2010. "School change, academic progress, and behavior problems in a sample of foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 164-170, February.
    2. Geiser, Saul, 2015. "THE GROWING CORRELATION BETWEEN RACE AND SAT SCORES: New Findings from California," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt9gs5v3pv, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    3. Pecora, Peter J., 2012. "Maximizing educational achievement of youth in foster care and alumni: Factors associated with success," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1121-1129.
    4. Weinberg, Lois A. & Oshiro, Michael & Shea, Nancy, 2014. "Education liaisons work to improve educational outcomes of foster youth: A mixed methods case study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 45-52.
    5. George Bulman, 2015. "The Effect of Access to College Assessments on Enrollment and Attainment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 1-36, October.
    6. Clemens, Elysia V. & Lalonde, Trent L. & Sheesley, Alison Phillips, 2016. "The relationship between school mobility and students in foster care earning a high school credential," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 193-201.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Goulet, Julie & Maltais, Christine & Archambault, Isabelle & Noël, Véronique & Guériton, Muriel, 2024. "Supporting academic achievement of children in out-of-home care through effective interventions: results of a systematic review and meta-analyses," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    2. Lindner, Abigail Rose & Hanlon, Ryan, 2024. "Outcomes of youth with foster care experiences based on permanency outcome – Adoption, aging out, long-term foster care, and reunification: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    3. Camuñas, Nuria & Vaíllo, María & Mavrou, Irini & Brígido, María & Poole Quintana, Miriam, 2020. "Cognitive and behavioural profile of minors in residential care: The role of executive functions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Okpych, Nathanael J. & Courtney, Mark E., 2018. "The role of avoidant attachment on college persistence and completion among youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 106-117.
    2. Cheatham, Leah P. & Randolph, Karen A. & Boltz, Laura D., 2020. "Youth with disabilities transitioning from foster care: Examining prevalence and predicting positive outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. Opsal, Tara & Eman, Rebecca, 2018. "Invisible vulnerability: Participant perceptions of a campus-based program for students without caregivers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 617-627.
    4. Olsen, Rikke Fuglsang & de Montgomery, Christopher J., 2018. "Revisiting out-of-home placed children's poor educational outcomes—Is school change part of the explanation?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 103-113.
    5. Kothari, Brianne H. & Godlewski, Bethany & McBeath, Bowen & McGee, Marjorie & Waid, Jeff & Lipscomb, Shannon & Bank, Lew, 2018. "A longitudinal analysis of school discipline events among youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 117-125.
    6. Lamb, Brittani A. & Lee, Knoo & Espinoza, Sarah M. & McMorris, Barbara J., 2022. "The power of connectedness: Associations between caring non-parental adult relationships, school attendance, and discipline among foster-involved youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    7. McGuire, Austen & Gabrielli, Joy & Hambrick, Erin & Abel, Madelaine R. & Guler, Jessy & Jackson, Yo, 2021. "Academic functioning of youth in foster care: The influence of unique sources of social support," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    8. Goulet, Julie & Maltais, Christine & Archambault, Isabelle & Noël, Véronique & Guériton, Muriel, 2024. "Supporting academic achievement of children in out-of-home care through effective interventions: results of a systematic review and meta-analyses," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    9. Olson, Annika & Scherer, David G. & Cohen, Andrew L., 2017. "Decision-making skills of emerging adults aging out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 81-86.
    10. White, Tony & Scott, Lionel D. & Munson, Michelle R., 2018. "Extracurricular activity participation and educational outcomes among older youth transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1-8.
    11. Marion, Élodie & Mann-Feder, Varda, 2020. "Supporting the educational attainment of youth in residential care: From issues to controversies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    12. Scott Carrell & Bruce Sacerdote, 2017. "Why Do College-Going Interventions Work?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 124-151, July.
    13. Sheerin, Kaitlin M. & Modrowski, Crosby A. & Williamson, Shannon & Kemp, Kathleen A., 2022. "The effect of sexual concerns on placement changes and school transfers for youth in the child welfare system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. George B. Bulman & Caroline M. Hoxby, 2015. "The Returns to the Federal Tax Credits for Higher Education," Tax Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(1), pages 13-88.
    15. Joshua Goodman & Oded Gurantz & Jonathan Smith, 2020. "Take Two! SAT Retaking and College Enrollment Gaps," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 115-158, May.
    16. Dominick, Gregory M. & Saunders, Ruth P. & Friedman, Daniela B. & Hussey, James R. & Watkins, Ken W., 2015. "Factors associated with provision of instrumental social support for physical activity in a foster parent population," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-7.
    17. Laura Giuliano, 2022. "A Comment on: “Goals and Gaps: Educational Careers of Immigrant Children” by Michela Carlana, Eliana La Ferrara, Paolo Pinotti," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 39-42, January.
    18. Johannes S. Kunz & Kevin E. Staub, 2016. "Subjective Completion Beliefs and the Demand for Post-Secondary Education," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 878, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    19. Timothy N. Bond & George Bulman & Xiaoxiao Li & Jonathan Smith, 2018. "Updating Human Capital Decisions: Evidence from SAT Score Shocks and College Applications," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(3), pages 807-839.
    20. Clara Belitz & Jaclyn Ocumpaugh & Steven Ritter & Ryan S. Baker & Stephen E. Fancsali & Nigel Bosch, 2023. "Constructing categories: Moving beyond protected classes in algorithmic fairness," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(6), pages 663-668, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:113:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919311430. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.