Search Resources Search By Category Data-informed reports State legislation Dashboards & Report Cards MOUs & Interagency Agreements Staff resources Data Sharing State Snapshots Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Transforming Education Data Sharing for Nebraska’s Court-Involved Students 2025 report by Bellwether detailing the educational challenges faced by court-involved youth in Nebraska. The report focuses on challenges with Nebraska’s previous education data-sharing practices and recommendations for improvement. In March 2025, Nebraska passed LB 296, which enacted several of the report’s recommended changes. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 3/26/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Nebraska Legislation- LB 296 (2025) This bill requires the State Dept. of Ed. to create a centralized education records system for students under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. The system shall allow for the immediate transfer of education records as appropriate, and each school shall share education records with the department for inclusion in the system immediately upon request for any student under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. The law also requires department registrars to ensure those students’ education records are promptly and appropriately shared, their education services aren’t disrupted, and they receive appropriate credit hours for completed coursework. Read More Data-informed reports, Dashboards & Report Cards Sneha Barve 3/24/25 Data-informed reports, Dashboards & Report Cards Sneha Barve 3/24/25 Oregon 2023 Key Data Points for Students Experiencing Foster Placement Report detailing educational data for Oregon students in foster care in 2023 compiled by the OR Dept. of Ed. Includes data specific to students in foster care regarding enrollment, student demographics, grade level, county, special education, attendance, timely graduation progress, graduation rates, discipline, alternative school attendance, incarceration, and homelessness. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Washington Legislation- RCW 74.13.632 Requires a university-based child welfare research entity to submit an annual report to the legislature with data about the educational experiences and progress of students in out-of-home care with the department. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Tennessee Legislation- SB 496 (2013) Tennessee bill that added §49-6-902(c), which requires LEAs to provide DCS with all school records for a child who is in custody of DCS or receiving foster care services within 5 business days of receiving the records request. Read More MOUs & Interagency Agreements Sneha Barve 3/6/25 MOUs & Interagency Agreements Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Rhode Island Data Sharing Agreement 2021 data sharing agreement between Rhode Island’s Departments of Children, Youth, and Families (RIDCYF) and Education (RIDE). Outlines data to be shared between the departments, requirements for protecting data privacy, and more. Read More Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Fostering Opportunities: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial 2024 report by the Colorado Evaluation & Action Lab at Denver University evaluating the Jefferson County Fostering Opportunities program. That program engages middle and high school students who have experienced foster care. This study found that Fostering Opportunities significantly improved educational outcomes for students who experienced foster care. Read More Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Project Wrap Around Evaluation Report Executive summary of a 2020 report evaluating Project Wrap Around- a joint project between the Tennessee Court Improvement Program (CIP) and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Davidson County Juvenile Court as collaborative partners. The project addresses barriers to secondary education success of MNPS high school students in DCS custody and Extension of Foster Care by providing early collaboration and intervention between MNPS and DCS. Read More Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Why Data Matters for New York Students in the Foster System 2022 report by The Next 100 outlining data that is available for students in New York City & State, what that data shows, and how data collection and reporting should be improved to support students in foster care. Read More Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Educational Success of Colorado Students in Foster Care 2018 report by the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab at the University of Denver summarizing the results of the ongoing Colorado Study of Students in Foster Care. Includes data related to school stability, graduation and dropout, the connection between Medicaid usage and academic success, labor market gains from investing in students in foster care, education as a tool to break cyclical child welfare involvement, and more. Read More Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Georgia Data for Students in Foster Care Overview This resource provides a brief overview of data-sharing practices and available data for students in foster care in Georgia, as well as listing additional resources to learn more. Read More Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/13/25 Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/13/25 Foster Care and Education Data Guide: A Process and Tools for Collection, Analysis, and Collaboration Children in foster care often face poorer educational outcomes compared to their peers, making collaboration between education, child welfare systems, and those with lived experience essential. Effective data practices are key to identifying successes and addressing areas in need of improvement. This Guide supports child welfare agencies, education systems, and third-party partners in improving educational outcomes for youth in foster care through effective data collection, sharing, and reporting. It provides actionable steps to assess data capacity, address gaps, and foster cross-system collaboration, offering practical tools, examples, and strategies tailored to diverse contexts and goals. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- ORS 326.575 For students in substitute care programs, their new school/facility must request educational records from their previous school/facility within 5 days of them seeking enrollment, and the previous school/facility must send those records within 5 days. Additionally, each educational institution that has custody of the student’s education records shall annually notify parents and eligible students of their right to review and propose amendments to the records. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- SB 279 (2021) Requires the state Dept. of Human Services to collect and report data regarding school absences for foster youth because of visitations scheduled by the department. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- SB 395 (2017) Requires the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Department of Human Services to work together with public universities and community colleges to annually determine and report the number of and graduation rates for current and former foster children enrolled in each institution. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 New Mexico Legislation- SB 130 (2020) Among other provisions, requires that, when a student in foster care experiences transfers to a new public school or district, the new school must contact the previous school within two days of the student's enrollment. The previous school must then send any requested records to the new school within two days of receiving the request. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 Nevada Legislation- NRS 388E.145 Requires the school board to prepare an annual report about the academic progress of children in foster care in the state that must include federally required data. Also requires agencies that provide child welfare services to a child in public school to provide any information requested by the local education agency as soon as practicable. Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 Kansas Legislation- K.S.A § 38-2212 Outlines who can access the information of child in foster care, including educational records and history. Those entitled include "any educational institution to the extent necessary to enable the educational institution to provide the safest possible environment for its pupils and employees, and any educator to the extent necessary to enable the educator to protect the personal safety of the educator and the educator's pupils." Read More State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 California Legislation- WIC § 16010 California statute that requires certain education information to be included in a child’s case plan through a "health and education passport.” Includes measures such as the child’s grade level performance, school transfer history, credits earned, and contact information for their educational decisionmaker. Also clarifies when this information may be shared with potential caregivers. Read More Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/4/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/4/25 Supporting California’s Students in Foster Care: Research and Tools for Increasing Outcomes 2021 report created by the Los Angeles County Office of Education and ABA Center on Children and the Law. The report includes a comprehensive review of current research findings; a summary of national and California student outcome data; a summary of federal and California laws supporting improved education outcomes for students in foster care; a compilation of promising programs impacting the educational success of children in foster care, and a comprehensive review of ten topic areas related to students in foster care. Read More Older Posts
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Transforming Education Data Sharing for Nebraska’s Court-Involved Students 2025 report by Bellwether detailing the educational challenges faced by court-involved youth in Nebraska. The report focuses on challenges with Nebraska’s previous education data-sharing practices and recommendations for improvement. In March 2025, Nebraska passed LB 296, which enacted several of the report’s recommended changes. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 3/26/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/26/25 Nebraska Legislation- LB 296 (2025) This bill requires the State Dept. of Ed. to create a centralized education records system for students under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. The system shall allow for the immediate transfer of education records as appropriate, and each school shall share education records with the department for inclusion in the system immediately upon request for any student under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. The law also requires department registrars to ensure those students’ education records are promptly and appropriately shared, their education services aren’t disrupted, and they receive appropriate credit hours for completed coursework. Read More
Data-informed reports, Dashboards & Report Cards Sneha Barve 3/24/25 Data-informed reports, Dashboards & Report Cards Sneha Barve 3/24/25 Oregon 2023 Key Data Points for Students Experiencing Foster Placement Report detailing educational data for Oregon students in foster care in 2023 compiled by the OR Dept. of Ed. Includes data specific to students in foster care regarding enrollment, student demographics, grade level, county, special education, attendance, timely graduation progress, graduation rates, discipline, alternative school attendance, incarceration, and homelessness. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Washington Legislation- RCW 74.13.632 Requires a university-based child welfare research entity to submit an annual report to the legislature with data about the educational experiences and progress of students in out-of-home care with the department. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Tennessee Legislation- SB 496 (2013) Tennessee bill that added §49-6-902(c), which requires LEAs to provide DCS with all school records for a child who is in custody of DCS or receiving foster care services within 5 business days of receiving the records request. Read More
MOUs & Interagency Agreements Sneha Barve 3/6/25 MOUs & Interagency Agreements Sneha Barve 3/6/25 Rhode Island Data Sharing Agreement 2021 data sharing agreement between Rhode Island’s Departments of Children, Youth, and Families (RIDCYF) and Education (RIDE). Outlines data to be shared between the departments, requirements for protecting data privacy, and more. Read More
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Fostering Opportunities: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial 2024 report by the Colorado Evaluation & Action Lab at Denver University evaluating the Jefferson County Fostering Opportunities program. That program engages middle and high school students who have experienced foster care. This study found that Fostering Opportunities significantly improved educational outcomes for students who experienced foster care. Read More
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Project Wrap Around Evaluation Report Executive summary of a 2020 report evaluating Project Wrap Around- a joint project between the Tennessee Court Improvement Program (CIP) and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Davidson County Juvenile Court as collaborative partners. The project addresses barriers to secondary education success of MNPS high school students in DCS custody and Extension of Foster Care by providing early collaboration and intervention between MNPS and DCS. Read More
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Why Data Matters for New York Students in the Foster System 2022 report by The Next 100 outlining data that is available for students in New York City & State, what that data shows, and how data collection and reporting should be improved to support students in foster care. Read More
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Educational Success of Colorado Students in Foster Care 2018 report by the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab at the University of Denver summarizing the results of the ongoing Colorado Study of Students in Foster Care. Includes data related to school stability, graduation and dropout, the connection between Medicaid usage and academic success, labor market gains from investing in students in foster care, education as a tool to break cyclical child welfare involvement, and more. Read More
Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/18/25 Georgia Data for Students in Foster Care Overview This resource provides a brief overview of data-sharing practices and available data for students in foster care in Georgia, as well as listing additional resources to learn more. Read More
Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/13/25 Staff resources Sneha Barve 2/13/25 Foster Care and Education Data Guide: A Process and Tools for Collection, Analysis, and Collaboration Children in foster care often face poorer educational outcomes compared to their peers, making collaboration between education, child welfare systems, and those with lived experience essential. Effective data practices are key to identifying successes and addressing areas in need of improvement. This Guide supports child welfare agencies, education systems, and third-party partners in improving educational outcomes for youth in foster care through effective data collection, sharing, and reporting. It provides actionable steps to assess data capacity, address gaps, and foster cross-system collaboration, offering practical tools, examples, and strategies tailored to diverse contexts and goals. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- ORS 326.575 For students in substitute care programs, their new school/facility must request educational records from their previous school/facility within 5 days of them seeking enrollment, and the previous school/facility must send those records within 5 days. Additionally, each educational institution that has custody of the student’s education records shall annually notify parents and eligible students of their right to review and propose amendments to the records. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- SB 279 (2021) Requires the state Dept. of Human Services to collect and report data regarding school absences for foster youth because of visitations scheduled by the department. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 Oregon Legislation- SB 395 (2017) Requires the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Department of Human Services to work together with public universities and community colleges to annually determine and report the number of and graduation rates for current and former foster children enrolled in each institution. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/10/25 New Mexico Legislation- SB 130 (2020) Among other provisions, requires that, when a student in foster care experiences transfers to a new public school or district, the new school must contact the previous school within two days of the student's enrollment. The previous school must then send any requested records to the new school within two days of receiving the request. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 Nevada Legislation- NRS 388E.145 Requires the school board to prepare an annual report about the academic progress of children in foster care in the state that must include federally required data. Also requires agencies that provide child welfare services to a child in public school to provide any information requested by the local education agency as soon as practicable. Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 Kansas Legislation- K.S.A § 38-2212 Outlines who can access the information of child in foster care, including educational records and history. Those entitled include "any educational institution to the extent necessary to enable the educational institution to provide the safest possible environment for its pupils and employees, and any educator to the extent necessary to enable the educator to protect the personal safety of the educator and the educator's pupils." Read More
State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 State legislation Sneha Barve 2/6/25 California Legislation- WIC § 16010 California statute that requires certain education information to be included in a child’s case plan through a "health and education passport.” Includes measures such as the child’s grade level performance, school transfer history, credits earned, and contact information for their educational decisionmaker. Also clarifies when this information may be shared with potential caregivers. Read More
Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/4/25 Data-informed reports Sneha Barve 2/4/25 Supporting California’s Students in Foster Care: Research and Tools for Increasing Outcomes 2021 report created by the Los Angeles County Office of Education and ABA Center on Children and the Law. The report includes a comprehensive review of current research findings; a summary of national and California student outcome data; a summary of federal and California laws supporting improved education outcomes for students in foster care; a compilation of promising programs impacting the educational success of children in foster care, and a comprehensive review of ten topic areas related to students in foster care. Read More
