Youth Functional Status and Academic Achievement in Collaborative Mental Health and Education Programs:Two California Care Systems

Abstract

This article describes the educational and functional status of youth served in joint education and mental health programs nested within two counties implementing the California System of Care Model for youth with severe emotional disturbance. The goals of the study were to (a) describe the demographic, educational, and clinical characteristics of youth served in education/mental health programs; (b) understand the relationship between functional status and academic achievement of these youth; and (c) compare these youth with matched peers involved in the broader system of care. Children and adolescents in the education/mental health programs were primarily AngloAmerican boys with low academic achievement and high levels of functional impairment. Functional status and academic achievement were not related. Youth served in the specialized programs were more functionally impaired than youth served in the broader care system. This study provides evidence that youth served in education/mental health programs have the types of multisystem needs that may warrant multiagency collaboration and services.

A Comparison of the Academic Progress of Students with EBD and Students with LD

“…Such outcomes may be associated with academic performance because the inability to acquire basic academic skills while in school can lead to adjustment difficulties in adulthood (Epstein, Kinder, & Bursuck, 1989;Jimerson, Egeland, & Teo, 1999). As Rosenblatt and Rosenblatt (1999) aptly observed, &dquo;Success in school provides the foundation for a productive future for children and adolescents&dquo; (p. 21 ). Academic achievement, which has been called the premiere outcome of schooling (Shriner, 1994), also is related to many of the experiences that children and youth have while in school.…”

A Meta-Analysis of the Academic Status of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disturbance

“…Given the concerns with overidentification of minorities and the increasing identification of girls with EBD, researchers need to provide detailed demographic information and disaggregated data that will allow analysis of subgroups. Third, researchers have practiced an overreliance on measuring academic performance by age-and grade-equivalent scores (e.g., Rosenblatt & Rosenblatt, 1999;Scruggs & Matropieri, 1986). Although age-and grade-equivalent scores may be easier to interpret, they do not provide information on whether the child's performance is within average limits, allow for normative comparisons, or allow for comparisons across studies.…”

“…Pierce, , with academic difficulties emerging at an early age and persisting throughout their schooling (Coutinho, 1986;Rosenblatt & Rosenblatt, 1999;Wagner, 1995). This should be expected, because current criteria for identification of EBD require that students show a deficit in academic achievement.…”

We CARE … for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities and Their Families

“…As Rosenblatt and Rosenblatt (1999) pointed out, "Success in school provides the foundation for a productive future for children and adolescents" (p. 21). Systemof-care approaches facilitate cross-systems collaboration, resource sharing, and working with students and families from a strengths perspective.…”