Integrated student supports can help close education achievement gaps for at-risk children

The report comes as states and school districts begin to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which explicitly encourages the use of ISS models. It finds that students’ participation in effective ISS interventions can have long-term benefits and provides an overview of effective models for policymakers, funders, and practitioners to examine as they try to build high-quality programs.

To better understand the benefits of ISS programs, the study’s authors recommend investing in research to determine the essential components of successful ISS implementation. They also encourage studies that measure nonacademic outcomes to grow the evidence base for these programs.

Crucial disparities exist in the economic well-being of youth transitioning out of foster care

Key findings from the report highlight important disparities in the economic well-being of youth who complete the program. For example, the researchers found that, by age 24, young parents did not achieve the same level of economic progression (e.g., moving from unemployment to a part-time job, or increases in hourly pay) as their non-parent peers. Young people who had more foster care placements or experienced care in a facility that housed six or more children also had less economic progression, compared to peers with fewer foster care placements or those who had never experienced group care.