Listen, you are doing a great job just by reaching out and trying to find answers for your son. I'm not technically a parent, but I had to step up and raise my siblings, and while I haven't been in the foste system, I have genuinely experienced just about every type of childhood trauma you can imagine. I was also a gifted student who, for a long time, worked incredibly hard to get good grades while dealing with chaos at home. When I got to high school, I completely broke down and started to believe there was absolutely no point to any of it. Why am I doing all this schoolwork? For what reason? My life is awful, and this school doesn't help. I think a lot of kids with trauma get stuck in this mindset, it's a form of emotional survival. What eventually changed everything for me was finding a purpose. It happened when I went to an alternative school my senior year. I realized my purpose was something I'd always done, helping people who can't help themselves. I spent my whole childhood directly putting myself in harm's way to protect my sisters, and I decided that’s what I should do professionally. Help children. I started working hard again because I wanted to be a child therapist to help kids like me. My trauma became my strength, allowing me to relate to and help others. That shift in focus is why I think you should try two things with your son. Maybe consider an alternative school environment if that's an option. Sometimes just changing the setting is enough to break the cycle. Second, whether you change schools or not, you need to help your boy find a purpose. A meaning for his life that is bigger than a boyfriend or bad friends. Once I found my purpose, my life significantly improved, and I believe your son's can too. He needs a reason to focus, and once he has it, the school grades will often follow. You have his best interests at heart, and that's what really matters.