Inhofe Praises Passage of ECAA Amendment to Aid Foster Kids, Homeless Youth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 15, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U. S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the passage of Senate amendment #2169 to the Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), which would add a separate reporting requirement on graduation rates for homeless and foster youth to state and district report cards. Inhofe was the lead Republican cosponsor of the amendment introduced on July 8 by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The amendment passed 56-40.

“Those in foster care and homeless youth are some of the most overlooked students in our nation’s education system,” said Inhofe. “Due to the lack of a consistent, stable family unit at home, these children are often navigating the education system without adult guidance or support. This amendment empowers educators, policy makers and the general public with information to better help those in foster care and the homeless youth benefit and successfully progress in our education system.”

The ECAA legislation would update reporting requirements to include foster and homeless youth as a subgroup but information on graduation rates would not be reported separately. By requiring separate reporting, the Booker-Inhofe amendment would ensure that educators and the public are aware of how foster and homeless children and youth are performing on critical elements compared to their peers. It would also help in providing essential information for educators, policy makers and the public in improving educational outcomes for the students.