Homeless Education: An Overview

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Homeless Education An Overview

• Christie Lentz
• Homeless Education Project Director, TDOE
• Tennessee Attendance Conference
• Brentwood Holiday Inn
• April 19, 2007

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Presentation

• Brief Video In Their Own VoicesHomeless in
  America
• Definition of Homeless Children and Youth
• Barriers
• Key Provisions of Law
• Liaisons
• Academic Achievement
• School Selection
• Enrollment/Identification
• Transportation
• Dispute Resolution
• Resources
• Additional Questions
• Contact Information

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Definition of Homeless Children and Youth
--http//www.ed.gov/programs/homeless/legislation.
html

• Lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
  residence
• Share housing (due to loss or hardship)
• Live in hotels, motels, trailer homes,
  campgrounds, emergency or transitional shelters
  are abandoned in hospitals or are awaiting
  foster care placement
• Primary nighttime residence not designed for or
  ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
  accommodation
• Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned
  buildings, substandard housing, bus or train
  stations, or similar settings

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Definition of Homeless Children and Youth contd.

• Migratory children who qualify as homeless
  because of their living situation
• Unaccompanied youth (youth not in the physical
  custody of a parent or guardian)
• Determining Eligibility one of the Best
  Practices briefs located at http//www.serve.org/
  nche/briefs.phpbest

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Barriers to Education for Children and Youth in
Homeless Situations

• Physical and mental health consequences of
  homelessness
• Enrollment document requirements
• High mobility
• Lack of transportation
• Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc.
• Employment obligations
• Prejudice/Stereotype

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Enrollment Barriers that Homeless Students
Frequently Face

• Transportation
• Immunization requirements
• Residency requirements
• Providing of birth certificates
• Legal guardianship requirements
• U.S. Department of Educations McKinney-Vento
  Report To Congress for Fiscal Year 2000

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Unaccompanied YouthAdditional Barriers

• School attendance policies
• Credit accrual

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THE EFFECTS OF MOBILITY

• Students who switch schools frequently score
  lower on standardized tests (study found mobile
  students scored 20 points lower than non-mobile
  students).
• It takes children 4-6 months to recover
  academically after changing schools.
• Mobility during high school greatly diminishes
  likelihood of graduation (study found students
  who changed high schools even once were less than
  half as likely as stable students to graduate,
  even controlling for other factors).

-
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Key Provisions of McKinney-Vento
HomelessEducation Assistance Act-- Title X, Part
C of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001--

• Law applies to all LEAswhether or not they
  receive a formula grantmonitored during the NCLB
  Comprehensive Monitoring process
• Definitions--i.e. school of origin, unaccompanied
  youth, etc.
• LiaisonsEvery LEA must designate a liaison for
  students in homeless situations.
  722(g)(1)(J)(ii)
• Academic Achievement
• School Selection
• Enrollment
• Transportation
• Dispute Resolution
• Statewide Activities
• Federal Activities
• Funding
• Local Subgrants---subgrants awarded based on need
  and quality of applications
• 06-07--14 McKinney-Vento subgrants.
• 6 Katrina-Rita subgrants-- based on
  need number of displaced students

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Responsibilities of Homeless Liaisons

• Homeless children and youth are identified by
  school personnel and through coordination
  activities with other entities and agencies
• Homeless students enroll in, and have full and
  equal opportunity to succeed in, the schools of
  the LEA
• Homeless children and youth and their families
  receive educational services for which they are
  eligible, including Head Start, Even Start, and
  preschool programs administered by the LEA, and
  referrals to health, mental health, dental, and
  other appropriate services
• Parents or guardians of homeless children and
  youth are informed of educational and related
  opportunities available to their children, and
  are provided with meaningful opportunities to
  participate in the education of their children
• Parents and guardians and unaccompanied youth are
  fully informed of all transportation services,
  including transportation to and from the school
  of origin, and are assisted in accessing
  transportation services
• Enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance
  with the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act
  and
• Public notice of the educational rights of
  homeless students is disseminated to locations
  where they receive services under the
  McKinney-Vento Act.

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Responsibilities of Homeless Liaisons, contd.

• In meeting these responsibilities, local liaisons
  must assist homeless children and youth with such
  activities as the following
• Enrolling in school and accessing school
  services
• Obtaining immunizations or medical records
• Informing parents, school personnel, and others
  of the rights of homeless children and youth
• Working with school staff to make sure that
  homeless children and youth are immediately
  enrolled in school pending resolution of disputes
  that might arise over school enrollment or
  placement
• Helping to coordinate transportation services for
  homeless children and youth and
• Collaborating and coordinating with State
  Coordinators for the Education of Homeless
  Children and Youth and community and school
  personnel responsible for providing education and
  related support services to homeless children and
  youth.

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Academic Achievement

• Opportunity to meet the same challenging state
  academic achievement standards all students are
  expected to meet
• Access to the education and other services they
  need to ensure they have an opportunity to meet
  these standardsSpecial Ed., ELL,
  Gifted/Talented, Career/Technical, School
  Nutrition, Title I, Pre-school, Head Start.

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School Selection

• LEAs must, to the extent feasible, keep students
  in homeless situations in their school of origin
  (defined as the school attended when permanently
  housed or the school in which they were last
  enrolled), unless it is against the parent or
  guardians wishes.
• Students can stay in their school of origin the
  entire time they are homeless and until the end
  of any academic year in which they move into
  permanent housing.
• Students may also choose to enroll in any public
  school that students living in the same
  attendance area are eligible to attend.
• If a student is sent to a school other than the
  school of origin or the school requested by a
  parent/guardian, the LEA must provide a written
  explanation of its decision and the right to
  appeal, whether or not the parent/guardian
  disputes the placement.
• Homeless liaisons must help unaccompanied youth
  (youth who are not in the physical custody of a
  parent or guardian) choose and enroll in a
  school, after considering the youths wishes, and
  provide youth with notice of their right to
  appeal an enrollment choice that goes against
  their wishes.

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Enrollment

• Immediate enrollment, even if homeless students
  lack required documents. Enroll/Enrollment
  attending classes and participating fully in
  school activities
• Enrolling schools must obtain records from
  previous school, and students must be enrolled in
  school while records are obtained.
• If a student does not have immunizations or
  immunization or medical records, the liaison must
  immediately assist in obtaining them, and the
  student must be enrolled in school in the
  interim.
• Schools must maintain records for students who
  are homeless so they are available quickly.
• LEAs (and SEAs) must develop, review, and revise
  their policies to remove barriers to the
  enrollment and retention of children and youth in
  homeless situations.

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Enrollment

• State Attendance ManualSection J102, 103
• All LEAs turn in data for the Consolidated State
  Performance Report annually.
• Data for LEAs with subgrants is more extensive
  than those that do not have subgrants.

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Identification Strategies

• Awareness training/activities for school staff
• Coordination with community agencies
• Outreach materials/posters at key locations
• Identification of preschoolers by asking about
  siblings of school-age children
• Use of enrollment and withdrawal forms to inquire
  about living situations
• Avoidance of homeless in initial contacts with
  suspected homeless families
• Writing/drawing activities for elementary
  students about where they live

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Common Warning Signs--NCHE

• Note While these are considered warning signs,
  please recognize that they only offer general
  guidance. There is significant variability within
  the school-age homeless population. Individual
  students may differ significantly from the
  following general characteristics.
• Lack of Continuity in Education
• Attendance at many different schools
• Lack of personal records needed to enroll
• Inability to pay fees
• Gaps in skill development
• Mistaken diagnosis of abilities
• Poor organizational skills
• Poor ability to conceptualize
• Poor Health/Nutrition
• Lack of immunizations and/or immunization records
• Unmet medical and dental needs
• Increased vulnerability to colds flu
• Respiratory problems
• Skin rashes
• Chronic hunger (may horde food)

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Common Warning SignsNCHEcontd.

• Transportation and Attendance Problems
• Erratic attendance and tardiness
• Numerous absences
• Lack of participation in after-school activities
• Lack of participation in field trips
• Absences on days when students bring special
  treats from home
• Inability to contact parents
• Poor Hygiene
• Lack of shower facilities/washers, etc.
• Wearing same clothes for several days
• Inconsistent grooming well-groomed one day and
  poorly groomed the next

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Common Warning SignsNCHEcontd.

• Lack of Privacy/Personal Space After School
• Consistent lack of preparation for school
• Incomplete or missing homework (no place to work
  or keep supplies)
• Unable to complete special projects (no access to
  supplies)
• Lack of basic school supplies
• Loss of books and other supplies on a regular
  basis
• Concern for safety of belongings
• Refusing invitations from classmates

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Common Warning SignsNCHEcontd.

• Social and Behavioral Concerns
• A marked change in behavior
• Poor/short attention span
• Poor self esteem
• Extreme shyness
• Unwillingness to risk forming relationships with
  peers and teachers
• Difficulty socializing at recess
• Difficulty trusting people
• Aggression
• Old beyond years

• Protective of parents
• Clinging behavior
• Developmental delays
• Fear of abandonment
• School phobia (student wants to be with parent)
• Need for immediate gratification
• Anxiety late in the school day

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Common Warning SignsNCHEcontd.

• Reaction/Statements by Parent, Guardian, or Child
• Exhibiting anger or embarrassment when asked
  about current address
• Mention of staying with grandparents, other
  relatives, friends, or in a motel or comments,
  such as
• I dont remember the name of our previous
  school.
• Weve been moving around a lot.
• Our address is new I cant remember it. (may
  hide lack of permanent address)
• Were staying with relatives until we get
  settled.
• Were going through a bad time right now.
• Weve been unpacking, traveling, etc., to
  explain poor appearance and/or hygiene.
• (These warning signs were adapted from
  flyers developed by Illinois and Pennsylvania
  Departments of Education.)

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Sample Student Residency Questionnaire

• Appendix D Sample Student Residency
  Questionnaire
• Everyday Unified School District
• This form was not developed nor is it endorsed
  by the U.S. Department of Education. It is not a
  required form. It was adapted for use as an
  example.
• This questionnaire is intended to address the
  McKinney-Vento Act. Your answers will help the
  administrator determine residency documents
  necessary for enrollment of this student.
• 1. Presently, where is the student living?
  Check one box
• Section A ? in a shelter ? with more than one
  family in a house or apartment? in a motel, car
  or campsite? with friends or family members
  (other than parent/guardian)
• Section B ? Choices in Section A do not apply.
  STOP If you checked this section, you do not
  need to complete the remainder of this form.
  Submit to school personnel.
• CONTINUE If you checked a box in Section A,
  complete 2 and the remainder of this form.

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Sample Student Residency Questionnaire contd.

• 2. The student lives with
• 1 parent 2 parents 1 parent another adult
  a relative, friend(s) or other adult(s)alone
  with no adults an adult that is not the
  parent or the legal guardian
• School
• Name of Student Male ? Female ?
• Birth Date / /
  Age Social Security
  if appropriate _
• Month / Day / Year
• Name of Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s)
  
  Address
  
  ZIP Phone/Pager
  
• Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian Date
  

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Sample Student Residency Questionnaire contd.

• School Use Only - Campus Administrator's
  determination of Section A circumstances
• ? FAX to Attendance, Guidance and Counseling
  777-7777
• If the parent has checked Section B above,
  completion of form is not required. For any
  choices in Section A, this form must be completed
  and faxed to Attendance, Guidance and Counseling
  Department immediately after completion. All
  campuses must keep original forms separately from
  the Student Permanent Record for audit purposes
  during the year.
• Name and phone number of a School Contact Person
  who may know of the familys situation
• ____ Date faxed

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Transportation

• At a parent or guardians request, homeless
  students must be provided with transportation to
  and from their school of origin.
• For unaccompanied youth, transportation to and
  from the school of origin must be provided at the
  liaisons request.
• If the students temporary residence and the
  school of origin are in the same LEA, that LEA
  must provide transportation.
• If the student is living outside the school of
  origins LEA, the LEA where the student is living
  and the school of origins LEA must determine how
  to divide the responsibility and cost of
  providing transportation, or they must share the
  responsibility and cost equally.
• In addition to providing transportation to the
  school of origin, LEAs must provide students in
  homeless situations with transportation services
  comparable to those provided to other students.

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Dispute Resolution

• State procedures for prompt resolution of
  disputes regarding placement
• If disputeimmediate admission to school of
  choice while dispute is being resolved
• Written explanation of schools decisionprovided
  to parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth if
  he/she disputes the school placement or
  enrollment decision
• School must refer the parent, guardian, or
  student to the local liaison to carry out the
  dispute resolution process as expeditiously as
  possible
• Liasions--responsible that the provision is
  followed for unaccompanied youth

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Resources

• U.S. Dept. of Education, Education for Homeless
  Children and Youth Program
• Gary Rutkin, Coordinator
• http//www.ed.gov/programs/homeless/contacts.html
  -- law, guidance, etc.
• National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) at
  SERVEFunded by the U.S. Dept. of Education
  Local Homeless Education Liaison
  Toolkitincluding Posters Tips Sheets for
  Administrators, Guidance Counselors, School
  Nurses, Teachers, School Secretaries, and
  Parents EnrollmentReady Reference for
  SchoolsFoldout etc.
• Diana Bowman, Director
• Helpline 1-800-308-2145
• Email Homeless_at_serve.org
• http//www.serve.org/nche

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Resourcescontd.

• The National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)Professional
  organization
• www.naehcy.org
• National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
• www.nichp.org
• State Website http//www.state.tn.us/education/fed
  prog/fphomeless.shtml

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Additional Questions?
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Contact Information

• Tennessee Department of Education
• Christie Lentz, Project Director
• Homeless Education
• [phone]
• Email Christie.Lentz_at_state.tn.us