Research
Data and research are powerful tools in our work to bring the resources to bear needed to help foster youth succeed.
The reports listed below capture much of the leading research related to foster youth post-secondary achievement. To learn about research that can directly inform the creation of campus-based support programs, visit our Campus Support Tools page. To learn more about how CCP supports research, visit the CCP data initiative page.
Educational Outcomes
CalYOUTH Study – A series of reports designed to evaluate of the impact of the California’s extended foster care program on outcomes during the transition to adulthood for foster youth, including educational outcomes.
- Longitudinal Youth Study at Age 23 (2020)
- Longitudinal Youth Study at Age 21 (2018)
- Longitudinal Youth Study at Age 19 (2016)
- Longitudinal Youth Study at Age 17 (2014)
- Youths’ and child welfare workers’ perceptions of youths’ educational preparedness (2019)
- Early findings on the impact of extended foster care on foster youths’ postsecondary education enrollment and persistence (2019)
- Predictors of High School Completion and College Entry at Ages 19/20 (2017)
- Youth and Caseworker Perspectives on Older Adolescents in California Foster Care: Youths’ Education Status and Services (2015)
California College Pathways Data Series
These reports, created in partnership with Educational Results Partnership, use data from California’s K-12 and community college systems to examine factors that impact foster youth college success.
Other Research
The research reports below seek to evaluate foster youth post-secondary outcomes in California and across the nation.
- Characteristics and Experiences of Former Foster Youth in Postsecondary Education (2016)
- At Greater Risk: California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to College (2013)
- Foster Youth Transitions: A study of California foster youth high school and college educational outcomes (2013)
- An analysis of foster care placement history and post-secondary graduation rates (2013)
Policy Evaluations
- The Overlooked Obstacle – How Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies Impede Student Success and Equity (2021)
- California College Pathways Progress Report (2018)
- Stepping Up for Foster Youth: A Policy Playbook for California’s Universites (2017)
- No Time to Lose: A Policy Agenda to Support College Success for Foster Youth (2015)
- AB 194 in Action: A Review of Implementation of Priority Registration for Foster Youth at California’s Public Post‐Secondary Institutions (2014)
