ERIC Number: EJ1090358
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1536-3031
EISSN: N/A
Building Resilience in Students at the Intersection of Special Education and Foster Care: Challenges, Strategies, and Resources for Educators
Parker, Parker; Folkman, Jessica
Issues in Teacher Education, v24 n2 p43-62 Fall 2015
The purpose of this article is to inform educators (general educators, special educators, teacher educators, and administrators) about ways to teach, advocate for, and empower students with disabilities who are also engaged in the foster care system. The conclusion includes authors' suggestions for how teacher educators might incorporate the information presented here into their programs. Taking cues from the literature in the fields of special education, resiliency, school psychology, social work, and school leadership, the authors offer myriad strategies to educators who may have the following questions: (1) What can I do in my "classroom" to support students who receive special education services and who are in foster care? How can I be a good mentor? What should I teach to foment protective factors within students who are part of this particular population?; (2) What are some things I could do at a "school level" to ensure that stakeholders and educators use time and resources efficiently and effectively to serve youth standing at this intersection? What are some systems I could put into place or refine to improve outcomes?; (3) What can I do to create opportunities for students in foster care who have identified disabilities "to engage with and serve in their own communities?"; (4) How do I begin to navigate my way through the labyrinth of possible actions? What are some salient issues I should consider? Where can I learn more? What are some good resources for me, my students, my colleagues, and other stakeholders with respect to these issues?; and (5) How can teacher educators incorporate information on this topic into teacher education programs? Special education teachers and other educators have both a privilege and a responsibility to meet the unique, and often pressing needs of their students who are in foster care. While this paper provides an overview of some key challenges, successes, and strength-based approaches that teachers can utilize to support the needs of their students in foster care who receive special education services, a wealth of additional information exists. It is recommended that readers continue to explore these valuable resources to further their understanding and familiarity with strength-based approaches and resiliency frameworks, intersections between foster care and special education systems, and successful approaches for teaching, mentorship, and advocacy. Table 1 includes resource information on books, reports, websites, and articles that educators can access to further their research and understanding of these critical topics.
Descriptors: Foster Care, Special Education, Resilience (Psychology), Teacher Educators, Disabilities, Student Empowerment, Mentors, Teacher Education Programs, Outcomes of Education, Academic Achievement, Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A