Foster Care Success Act Annual Evaluation Report (2023-24) - Annual improvement in educational attainment of youth in foster care

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Foster Care Success Act Annual Evaluation Report (2023-24) summarizes how Colorado’s education and human services agencies use House Bill 22-1374 funding to raise educational attainment for youth in out-of-home placement. The report details goals and activities for identifying eligible students, strengthening mandated training for Child Welfare Education Liaisons and county caseworkers, and improving data sharing and access. It also presents 2023-2024 outcomes, including course pass rates, grade advancement, graduation and completion gains, and mobility trends.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

Identification and Baseline Data for Students in Out-of-Home Placement

Tracking Outcomes Related to Student Success and Educational Attainment

Local Service Delivery to Support Educational Attainment

Conclusion

Endnotes

Appendix: Helpful Definitions

Foster Care Success Act Annual Evaluation Report (2023-24) Submitted to: Colorado State Board of Education Colorado House Education Committee Colorado Senate Education Committee This report was prepared in accordance with Colorado’s Foster Care Success Act, H. B. 22-1374, by the following staff from the Colorado Department of Education’s Office of Student Support: Bonnie E. Brett, Ph.D. Research and Evaluation Principal Consultant [Brett_B@cde.state.co.us](Brett_B@cde.state.co.us) Jamie Burciaga Foster Care Education State Coordinator [Burciaga_J@cde.state.co. us](Burciaga_J@cde.state.co. us) Dana Scott Director of the Office of Student Support [Scott_D@cde.state.co.us](Scott_D@cde.state.co.us) February 2025 Office of Student Support 201 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80203 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Introduction 5 Identification and Baseline Data for Students in Out-of-Home Placement 6 Tracking Outcomes Related to Student Success and Educational Attainment 8 Local Service Delivery to Support Educational Attainment 17 Conclusion 18 Endnotes 19 Appendix: Helpful Definitions 20 Executive Summary The Foster Care Success Act (House Bill 22-1374) provides funds to both the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to improve the educational attainment of students in out-of-home placement. The Act requires CDE to identify specific goals for its Foster Care Education Program (FCEP) to achieve this aim, as well as to report to the Colorado State Board of Education, the Colorado General Assembly, and the public on annual improvement in the educational attainment of youth in foster care. The goals to be specified by CDE fall into three categories: 1) Identification of students in out-of-home placement enrolled in Colorado schools; 2) Tracking outcomes related to student success and educational attainment; and 3) Local service delivery to support educational attainment. Activities to Increase the Identification of Students in Out-of-Home Placement Enrolled in Colorado Schools In addition to tracking the number of students in out-of-home placement identified each year, CDE has set forth goals concerning process improvements for assuring mandated training of Colorado Child Welfare Education Liaisons (CWELs) in all public school districts in the state and of Colorado County Caseworkers (CCCs) . These goals include tracking mandated training of CWELs and CCCs to improve their identification and service delivery skills. To achieve this aim, CDE has created 8 learning modules concerning the educational rights of students in foster care. The department is currently tracking usage of the modules and will report on the number of CWELs engaging in the training each year. To date (as of January 16, 2025), 116 CWELs (out of 184 CWELs in school districts across the state) have completed all eight Educational Rights for Students in Foster Care modules and an additional 12 have partially completed the training. CDE is considering ways to ensure all CWELs complete the mandatory modules. Moreover, CDE has continued to increase the number of resources available to CWELs and CCCs and to refine a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between CDE and CDHS (the agency tasked with identification of students in out-of-home placement) designed to make data sharing quicker, easier, and more accurate. Finally, CDE staff implementing the department’s Foster Care Education Program are continuing work with the CDE data services team to provide in-depth training to CWELs and CCCs to be able to access data from areport pertinent to their district to identify students in out-of-home placement. Tracking Outcomes Related to Student Success and Educational Attainment This is the third year CDE is reporting on outcomes related to student success and educational attainment. Each year, data are reported from the previous three years when available,

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Foster Care Success Act Annual Evaluation Report (2023-24)?

It evaluates annual progress under Colorado’s Foster Care Success Act (House Bill 22-1374) toward improving educational attainment for youth in out-of-home placement.

What are the report’s three goal categories for Colorado’s Foster Care Education Program (FCEP)?

They cover: identifying students in out-of-home placement enrolled in Colorado schools, tracking student success and educational attainment outcomes, and providing local service delivery to support educational attainment.

What key 2023-2024 student outcome results are highlighted?

The report reports improvements in course pass rates, higher grade advancement, increased four-year graduation and completion outcomes, and discusses mobility trends compared with prior years.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum