Research and Publications
I Needed to Aim Higher:” Former Foster Youths’ Pathways to College Success
Although youth with foster care experience desire to pursue higher education, childhood trauma and educational instability, among other experiences, contribute to low college enrollment and completion rates. Through the lens of the ecological systems model, the researchers found that youth with foster care experience relied on caregivers, high school counselors, social workers, and child welfare staff who prepared them for college and helped make decisions to apply. They also reported internal motivations to attend college. In college, they relied on campus resources (e.g., extra-curricular activities, faculty) to navigate college life. They reported lingering family problems, lack of family support, and racial/ethnic stereotyping on campus that impacted their college experiences. To learn more about the results of this study, see the link below for the open access article: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
FAYS I and II reports
- Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Youth in Foster Care
- Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former and Current Foster Youth-Final Report
- ISSUES BRIEF: Youth and Young Adults from Foster Care: Why Education Matters
- Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former and Current Foster Youth-Highlights
Refereed Publications and Professional Monographs
Houston, D., (2024). Program Review Self Study and Outcome Assessment. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State University.
Houston, D. (2024). Annual Report: Central Region Permanency Enhancement Project Local Action Team Initiative
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Central Region Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Champaign County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Coles County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Macon County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: McLean County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Peoria County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Rock Island County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Sangamon County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Vermillion County Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2024). Program Plan FY 2025: Central Region Permanency Enhancement Project Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State University
Stipp, K. S., Avant, D. W. (2024). In Sandra Kopels (Ed.), School Social Work: Engaging Social Justice and Racial Equity from Practitioners’ Perspectives by Robert Ayasse et al. (2nd ed., vol. 48, pp. 77-78). Lombard, IL: School Social Work Journal. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iassw/sswj/2024/00000048/00000002/art00009#
Stipp, K. S., Avant, D. W. (2024). In Sandra Kopels (Ed.), School Social Work: A Skills-Based Competency Approach by Keller and Grumbach (1st ed., vol. 49, pp. 68-70). Lombard, IL: School Social Work Journal. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iassw/sswj/2024/00000049/00000001/art00008
Miller, K. & Stipp, K. (2024). The unintended consequences of integrating trauma-informed teaching into teacher education. Teaching Education, 35(4), 424-442. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2024.2307360
Avant, D., and Wiggins, S. (2023). First Star Academy FY20 Annual Report. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2023). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Central Region Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Miller K. E., Stipp, K. F. & Bazemore-Bertrand, S. (2022). Student trauma, trauma-informed teaching and self-care in preservice teachers’ clinical experiences. Teacher Development, 27(1), 55-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2022.2146180
Avant, D., and Wiggins, S. (2022). First Star Academy FY20 Annual Report. Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Houston, D. (2021). Permanency and Well-Being in the Context of Community: Central Region Data Report. Normal, IL: Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies.
Avant, D.W., Miller-Ott, A.E. & Houston, D.M. (2021). “I needed to aim higher”: Former foster youths’ pathways to college success. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30, 1043–1058. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01892-1
Avant, D., Houston, D., & Nesbitt, L. (2020). Educators as the Gatekeepers: Promoting a Race Informed, Culturally Competent Pedagogy for Human Service Professionals. Cultural Competence in Higher Education. Emerald Publishing.
Miller, K. & Stipp, K. (2020). Building teacher resilience: Examining a self-care curriculum with preservice teachers. Critical Issues in Teacher Education, 27, 60 – 73. https://www.iate1.org/journal-cite.html
Avant, D. W. (2019). Fostering Success: Meeting the academic and social-emotional needs faced by youth in foster care. Proceedings of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE) 2019 Conference. https://www.aabhe.education/2019-conference-proceedings
Miller, K. & Stipp, K. (2019). Preservice teacher burnout: Secondary trauma and self-care issues in teacher education. Issues in Teacher Education, 28(2), 28 – 45. www.itejournal.org
Avant, D. W. (2019). Fostering Success: Meeting the academic and social-emotional needs faced by youth in foster care. Proceedings of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE) 2019 Conference. https://www.aabhe.education/2019-conference-proceedings
Houston, D., Gjesfjeld, C., Avant, D., Miller-Ott, A., & Gholson, T. (2017). Final Report: Higher Education as the Lifeline to Social Mobility for Former Foster Youth: A Comprehensive Needs and Assets Assessment. Chicago, IL: The Spencer Foundation.
Avant, D. W. & Swerdlik, M. (2016). A collaborative endeavor: The roles and functions of school social workers and school psychologists implementing multi-tiered system of supports/response to intervention. School Social Work Journal, 41(1), 56-72.
Avant, D. W. (2016). Using Response to intervention/ multi-tiered systems of supports to promote social justice in schools. Journal for Multicultural Education, 10(4), 507-520. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-06-2015-0019
Avant, D., Nesbitt, L., & Houston, D. (2015). Cultural Competence: Enhancing Social Work Students’ Competence to Practice with Diverse Populations. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work (manuscript under review).