SCHOOL-RELATED PROBLEMS OF SPECIAL-EDUCATION FOSTER-CARE STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS - A COMPARISON TO OTHER GROUPS

A high percentage of children in foster care receive special education services, hut little is known about the academic and social problems found in this: population. Searches of school archival records and bri ef interviews with school personnel were used to obtain measures of th e school-related problems of four groups of students: chose receiving both foster care and special education for emotional or behavioral dis orders (FCED), foster care only (FC), special education only (ED), or neither (N). Group FCED was found to exhibit more school-related probl ems and Group N to exhibit fewer problems than the comparison groups; Groups FC and ED did not differ significantly. Suggestions for further research and implications for developing comprehensive, collaborative systems of care are discussed.