Educational Advocacy and the Foster Child PDF
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2017 Educational Advocacy and the Foster Child Jennifer Loetzerich Walden University Follow this and additional works at:https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of theEducation Policy Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please [email protected]. Walden University COLLEGE OF EDUCATION This is to certify that the doctoral study by Jennifer Loetzerich has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Mitchell Olson, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. David Falvo, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Michael Raffanti, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2017 Abstract Educational Advocacy and the Foster Child by Jennifer Loetzerich MS, Walden University, 2010 Post Bac Certification, Mercer University, 2008 BS, State University of West Georgia, 2004 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University July 2017 Abstract In Georgia, there are high rates of instability in foster care, and each time a child changes placement, his or her support networks are gone until he or she can rebuild them. The purpose of this case study was to explore if current stakeholders provide effective support and assistance to professionals and others who assist foster students with their educational needs. This case study used a conceptual framework based on Rankism, in which students move up and down the rungs of the ladder of their social system. Data were collected via interviews with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) worker, a Department Division of Family and Child Services (DFCS) caseworker, a former foster parent, a teacher, a school social worker, a school administrator, and a school counselor, all of whom were involved with foster children. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then open coded using constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed a need for greater support, and illuminated the repercussions that may occur when students are moved from their homes and/or schools: They may lose their support networks, community supports, school supports, and recognition they had previously until these are rebuilt in their new placement. The major themes that emerged were (a) a need for data sharing, (b) effect of trauma on children, and (c) the need for improved educational advocacy. These findings, along with a review of the literature, led to the development of a policy change recommendation and the creation of a data system to enable collaboration amongst all agencies. The project that emerged was the creation of a data system that affords real-time transfer of educational records, allowing for appropriate educational plans to be put in place. Educational Advocacy and the Foster Child by Jennifer Loetzerich MS, Walden University, 2010 Post Bac Certification, Mercer University, 2008 BS, State University of West Georgia, 2004 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University July 2017 Dedication I dedicate all of the work I have done on this study to the three students who changed my life’s work during my first year of teaching. My three J’s as I call them were three foster children who came into my life during that year, changing my entire outlook on life. I wasn’t able to save them from the system, and to this day I don’t know what became of those innocent souls. It is because of them that my work began and will continue, to save other children from a fractured system. Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to dedicate my dissertation to my father who passed away in November 2013 and my mother who has struggled through his death and still remained my rock. I know it I has not always been a smooth road, but it has brought me to this point. I also want to thank and acknowledge my friends and church members who have been so instrumental in helping me through rocky points in my research and development. I would also like to thank my advisor and mentor Dr. Mitch Olson. From the time I spoke with him about my topic at residency to this point I have felt supported every step of the way. I would also like to thank my secondary committee member Dr. David Falvo. Both Dr. Falvo and Dr. Olson have been my teachers on this journey and have brought me to this point in my studies. Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Definition of the Problem ....................................................................................................1 Rationale ..............................................................................................................................2 Evidence of the Problem from the Professional Literature ..........................................3 Definitions............................................................................................................................4 Content Terms .....................................................................................................................5 Significance..........................................................................................................................7 Guiding/Research Questions ................................................................................................9 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................9 Nobodies ....................................................................................................................10 Somebodies ................................................................................................................11 Transitioning ..............................................................................................................11 Dignity .......................................................................................................................12 According to ..............................................................................................................12 Literature Review...............................................................................................................12 Historical Foundations of the Social Welfare System .......................................................13 Institutional Shift ...............................................................................................................17 White House Conferences for Dependent Children...........................................................17 United States Children’s Bureau ........................................................................................18 Juvenile Court System Formation ......................................................................................18 Child Welfare League ........................................................................................................20 i Children’s Defense Fund ...................................................................................................20 Historical Foundations of Common Grounds for Education and Human Services ...........21 Foster Care by the Numbers ..............................................................................................24 Placement Models ..............................................................................................................26 Systemic Barriers ...............................................................................................................28 Stability ..............................................................................................................................29 Attachment and Separation ................................................................................................33 School Readiness ...............................................................................................................36 School Success ...................................................................................................................37 Hierarchy of Needs ............................................................................................................39 Rankism .............................................................................................................................40 Special Education Placement .............................................................................................42 Support Services ................................................................................................................44 Mental Health.....................................................................................................................44 Health Care ........................................................................................................................48 Advocacy ...........................................................................................................................49 Foster Care Perspectives ....................................................................................................50 Pathway to College ............................................................................................................53 Implications........................................................................................................................55 Summary ............................................................................................................................56 Section 2: The Methodology ..............................................................................................58 Introduction ........................................................................................................................58 ii Qualitative Research Design and Approach ......................................................................58 Participants .........................................................................................................................60 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................61 Interviews ...........................................................................................................................62 Interview Questions ...........................................................................................................63 Documentation ...................................................................................................................64 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................64 Coding ................................................................................................................................65 Types of Validity ...............................................................................................................66 Triangulation ......................................................................................................................66 Data Analysis Results ........................................................................................................67 Themes from the study.......................................................................................................68 Interpretation of Findings ..................................................................................................71 Claire ..................................................................................................................................71 Louise .................................................................................................................................76 Sarah ..................................................................................................................................79 Lauren ................................................................................................................................83 Riley ...................................................................................................................................85 Erin .....................................................................................................................................87 Carah ..................................................................................................................................91 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................93 Section 3: The Project ........................................................................................................95 iii
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