Students who are in foster care—compared to all other student groups in California—drop out of school at much higher rates and graduate at much lower rates, with only about 58 percent of 12th-grade students earning a high school diploma.

These and other findings on California students in foster care are documented in The Invisible Achievement Gap, a 2013 study conducted by the Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd.

This issue of CenterView draws on The Invisible Achievement Gap study, providing background on the topic and summarizing the research findings.

The policy brief also suggests some possible next steps toward better meeting the education needs of this particularly vulnerable group, with the overall goal of ensuring that students in foster care thrive in school—with services and supports they need, stable school placements, and preparation to succeed in college and a career.