NCYL to Partner with Teachers to Get Needed Resources  

Through the generous support of the Stuart Foundation, NCYL Senior Attorney Leecia Welch and Skadden Fellow Jesse Hahnel have launched an exciting initiative to help teachers get the resources they need to better support the foster children in their classrooms.

NCYL’s project is closely aligned with recommendations included in a recent report on foster youth education, also funded by the Stuart Foundation.  The report, Ready to Succeed, highlights the need for teacher training on the unique needs of foster youth, including teaching and learning strategies; communication methods that bridge the gap between school and social services; and laws focused on helping foster youth succeed in school. In 2005, the Stuart Foundation granted funding to two organizations – the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, and the Mental Health Services Advocates, Inc.  – to convene a team of professionals from both public education and child welfare to do the report.

NCYL will be developing an array of training tools for teachers, with the understanding that teachers have limited time for training, high expectations in terms of content, and a need for practical and timely information.  Possible methods of delivering information to teachers include a website, a CD-rom of materials, webinars or other types of “on-demand” materials, and online forums for teachers to ask one another (or other experts) questions.

In preparing these new tools, NCYL will engage in a careful planning process, seeking substantial input from the Ready to Succeed Design Team, several counties that are implementing Report recommendations, including San Diego, Fresno, and Sacramento, and teachers themselves.

NCYL’s process for developing these tools will include:

• Review of successful school and classroom strategies to promote educational success of foster youth;
• Research into emerging technology, on-line interactive tools, webinars, blogs, e-forums, etc. to support professionals working with youth;  
• On-going consultation with Design Team members about development of teacher surveys, focus groups, action plan, etc.;
• Consultation with original foster youth services programs in various counties to learn more about promising practices throughout the state;
• Development of a teacher survey and focus group protocols aimed at developing tools for teachers;
• Formation of teacher and caseworker focus groups to determine the information and resources needed by educators and how best to provide them; and
• Development of an action plan for educating and supporting teachers based on data collected during the planning process.

NCYL’s development process will conclude in early 2009.  NCYL anticipates that a first version of the teacher resource will become available in late 2009.