Homeless Liaison Training 2015

Tennessee Department of Education

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WelcomeState Homeless Coordinator Update

Introductions Name District you represent Job as it relates to homeless education How long on that job One topic you would like discussed today

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AgendaMorning Get to know colleagues Legislative Background Definitions District Obligations/Barriers Homeless Liaison Duties (Video & Sharing) Break Scenarios Open Discussion and Questions

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Stewart B. McKinney Act, 1987 (1990, 1994)

2001, reauthorization and name change to McKinney-Vento Act

Provides states with funding to support local grants and statewide initiatives

Requires educational access, attendance, and success for homeless children and youth

Outlines responsibilities for local liaisons and state coordinators

McKinney-VentoHomeless Assistance Act

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; reauthorized by Title X, Part C of NCLB (1987)

Lacks “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” [725(2)(A)]

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6 [725(2)(A-B)(i-iv)]

Doubled-up: sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (economic hardship – not by choice) 75 percent

Motels, hotels, campgrounds, trailer parks due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations) 6 percent

Emergency or transitional shelters 16 percent

Homeless Definition

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Public or private place not designated for human living such as

cars, parks, substandard housing, abandoned buildings, bus/train stations 3 percent Awaiting foster care Abandon in hospitals Migratory children living in circumstances described

above.

[725(2)(A-B)(i-iv)]

Homeless Definition

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“not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian”

Living situation meets homeless definition Eligible for services regardless of reason for

separation- Ran away- Forced to leave home

All protections and rights including immediate enrollment apply

Unaccompanied Youth

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“A fixed residence is one that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to change.”

“A regular residence is one which is used on a regular (i.e., nightly) basis.”

“An adequate residence is one that is sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments.”

What is a residence?

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Common Signs of Homelessness

Skim handout Share with your neighbor the signs you

see most frequently in your school

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District ObligationsAll local educational agencies in Tennessee must:

Appoint a Local Homeless Education Liaison

Remove barriers, including revising district policy

Ensure compliance with Title X, Part C Immediate enrollment

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Barriers Enrollment requirements (lack of school

records, immunizations, proof of residence and guardianship)

High mobility (lack of school stability and educational continuity)

School supplies, clothing, etc. Access to programs Transportation Poor health, fatigue, hunger Prejudice and misunderstanding

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Local Liaisons Identify homeless students Ensure enrollment, attendance, and full

and equal opportunity for success Ensure families, children, and youth

receive educational services for which they are eligible

Head Start, Even Start, referrals to health, mental health, dental, and other appropriate services

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Local Liaisons con’t. Provide parents or guardians with

meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children

Disseminate public notice of the educational rights where children and youth receive services

Enrollment disputes Inform parents of all transportation

services available

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First Step is Identification

Outreach is key –posters, key contacts (schools, shelters, hotels, motels, campgrounds, churches, social services, law enforcement, food banks, medical clinics, laundromats)

Make schools welcoming environments School staff awareness Residency enrollment form – In Transition School/district parent handbook(s)

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Video

Watch “McKinney-Vento Liaisons: Supporting Students, Schools & Communities”

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Student Rights Immediate enrollment, even if lacking

paperwork School selection• School of origin (if feasible) or local

school Transportation to/from school of origin Comparable services Prohibition of segregation Public posting of rights Free school meals Title I, Part A support Special Education, where deemed necessary

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Scenarios

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Stumpers

Individually review stumper handout Use these concepts as you discuss the

scenarios with a colleague

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With Grandmother #1Three children living with grandmother and step-grandfather. Grandmother has power-of-attorney. The grandparents have insufficient financial resources to take care of the kids. Their home is also too small for a family of 5. No information was available on the exact size and configuration of the home.

Do the children qualify?

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Must the District Transport?

Family moved into the district a couple of weeks after the start of the school year. Subsequently, the family moved out of zone for adequate housing. After the move, the mother reached out to the district so that she could send her child back to his “school of origin.” In the new apartment, the family classifies as permanently housed.

District had already indicated that the mother could send child back to original school under a transfer policy that the district has, but that they were not going to provide transportation.

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Must the District Transport?

Is the district obligated to provide transportation to claimed school of origin?

Mother insists that they were homeless “before” and is refusing to send child to school of zone.

Was the family MV prior to this move? Was the family MV eligible in the prior district?

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With Grandmother #2

Child living some with grandmother in adequate housing. She also moves backs and forth to stay with father and girlfriend. Dad will be going to jail soon.

Does the child qualify?

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Living with AuntThe Aunt indicates that her job pays 15K and that her husband’s job pays 140K. She further indicates that they are not able to provide for school lunches for the children on this amount of money. The family recently purchased a 5 bedroom home, bigger than the prior home, so that each of the kids could have a bedroom. There are a total of 6 people living in the household. The Aunt would like to get MV funds to pay for the breakfast and lunch at school until the government checks from the father begin coming to her address.

Should MV pay for these meals? (Do the children qualify?)

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Qualifies from SCFamily moved from SC to TN. Family is relocating because father was laid off and mother was able to get a job interview in TN. They are staying at a motel until the mother, and/or father, can secure a job. The mother could not determine from the district web site who she should call for assistance as a homeless individual so she called a school board member. The school board member told her that they could not register without proof of permanent residence in the district. The mother then called the State Commissioner of Education’s office and was then forwarded to the State Director.

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Qualifies from SC

Did the mother take the right steps?

What could the district have done differently to make enrollment easier for the mother?

What do other states say?

According to state education agencies, the three most frequently reported educational needs of homeless children are

1. remediation/tutoring, 2. school materials and clothes, and 3. support services such as counselors.

What do other states say?

Additional needs are

4. After school/extended day/summer programs to provide basic needs for food, shelter and recreation 5. Transportation6. Educational program continuity and stability 7. Sensitivity and awareness training for school personnel and students

Afternoon Session

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WelcomeState Homeless Coordinator Update

Introductions Name District you represent Job as it relates to homeless education How long on that job One topic you would like discussed today

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Agenda for Afternoon

Numbers in TN Video from a student viewpoint Reminders Needs Assessment District Data Scenarios Open Discussion and Questions

TN 2013 Report Card and CSPR data reporting; http://www.tn.gov/education/data/download_data.shtml 2014

How Many? Federal Estimate – 10 percent of those on Free and

Reduced Lunch (FRL) will be homeless.

576,435 = actual FRL for Tennessee (2012-13) 579,236 = actual FRL for Tennessee (2013-14)

57,643 = federal estimate for homeless count (2012-13) 57,923 = federal estimate for homeless count (2013-14)

14,319 = TN homeless count in (2012-13) 25% 17,272 = TN homeless count in (2013-14) 30%tacenter.kidscount.org

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Homeless versus Transitional Housing

Consider students in transitional housing versus only those identified as homeless

Do you provide different services and resources to those in need versus those only identified as homeless?

How can you use current and new district structures for services such as RTI2?

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Video

Watch “You will Get Through It”

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Litigation – Lampkin VS D.C. McKinney-Vento has enforceable rights (Can sue under MV. District pays fees if they lose.) Refusal to enroll Failure to grant automatic enrollment while dispute

is being resolved Failure to provide transportation Failure to recognize and accommodate

unaccompanied youth Failure to accept appeals of enrollment decisions

(“You’re not homeless, so you’re not entitled to appeal.”)

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Student Rights Reminder

Immediate enrollment, even if lacking paperwork Transportation to/from school of origin Public posting of rights NCHE Educational Rights Posters are available at

www.serve.org/nche/products.php School selection (school of origin/local school) Comparable services Prohibition of segregation Free school meals Title I support Appropriate special services (ESL, Special Education)

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System Coding Reminder Homeless McKinney-Vento: A homeless student

served by federal McKinney-Vento funds any time during the school year Y/N

You only mark “yes” if you are receiving a competitive homeless subgrant.

Homeless: All students identified in district

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System Coding Reminder 01 = Shelters, transitional housing, awaiting foster care 02 = Doubled up (living with another person or family) 03 = Unsheltered (cars, parks, abandoned building,

campgrounds, trailer) 04 = Hotels/motels

Please notice that there is no 00 code.Night time residency codes 01-04 are used for official federal reports.

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Immunization Report Reminder

Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-5001(g)

LEAs report homeless numbers by school of students who, at the time of enrollment, were without immunization records.

The average time to be immunized or obtain immunization records. Example, 6 days.

A youth can be eligible regardless of whether he/she was asked to leave the home or “chose” to leave.

Sometimes there is “more than meets the eye” for youth’s home life situations.

The school’s primary responsibility and goal is to enroll and educate, in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act (federal); federal law supersedes state and local law

Schools do not need to understand and/or agree with all aspects of a student’s home life to educate him/her.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Reminders

Enrollment without proof of guardianship (can never be required)

Can initiate the dispute resolution process for himself/herself

Local liaison can assist in resolving any disputes that arise

Provisions of McKinney-Vento Specific to Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

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Dispute Resolution Reminders

Whenever a dispute arises, the parent, guardian, or youth must be provided with a written explanation of the school’s decision, including the right to appeal.

While a dispute is being resolved, the student must be admitted immediately into the requested school and provided with services.

Identification Strategies Reminders

Use enrollment and withdrawal forms to inquire about living situations.

Make special efforts to identify preschool children, including asking about the siblings of school-aged children.

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Liaison Toolkit

NCHE at SERVEhttp://ftp.serve.org/nche/

NCHE Products and Resources http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/liaison_toolkit.php

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Title I Set-Aside Funding Reminder Title I, Part A (Title I) of NCLB requires Title I funds to be set

aside to serve homeless students in non-Title I schools.

No federally mandated amount/method of calculation

Homeless students are automatically eligible for Title I services, even if they don’t attend a Title I school or meet the academic standards required of other students for eligibility.

Homeless students are eligible to receive Title I support for the rest of any academic year in which they become permanently housed.

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Is it allowable? Reminder

Title I set-aside may not use funds for

X RentX UtilitiesX Clothing for parentsX Supplanting other available fundsX Programs or services that state laws or

policies require districts to provide

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Frequent Services Provided

Share with your neighbor the types of services your district is providing to homeless students

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Allowable Types of Services Reminders

Clothing: daily dress/uniform/PE requirement Student fees necessary to participate in the general education program (lab, AP, IB, SAT/ACT) School supplies Enrollment necessities: birth certificates, immunizations Medical and dental services Eyeglasses and hearing aids

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Counseling and Outreach services Extended learning time (before/after school,

Saturday classes, summer school to compensate for lack of quiet time for homework in shelters or other overcrowded living conditions)

Tutoring services - especially in shelters or other locations where homeless students live

Parental involvement GED testing for school-age students Food

Allowable Types of Services Reminders

Transportation Reminders

May use Title I funds or McKinney-Vento subgrant

If crossing LEA lines, they must determine how to divide the responsibility and share the cost or they must share the cost equally.

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Parental Involvement Reminder Provide homeless parents with meaningful

opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

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Homeless Persons You May Know

http://www.kcra.com/entertainment/25-celebrities-who-were-once-homeless/21536564

Homeless Sensitivity Survey

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Needs Assessment and Planning

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Needs Assessment

Ensures that decisions are based on data Creates a cross-program view of the needs of

homeless children and youth Helps identify gaps between needs and services Reinforces collective responsibility Creates a foundation for collaboration Provides a basis for the Title IA homeless set aside

amount

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Needs Assessment Worksheet (Review LEA data)

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Manageability

Select a subset of questions from the Needs Assessment Worksheet for which you already have data available; analyze available data to determine most pressing needs.

Consider the questions on the Needs Assessment Work Sheet to be guiding questions; adopt/adapt/customize in ways that make the most sense for your program.

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Manageability

Select one or two indicators from the Sample Program Evaluation Matrices (Appendix E: Sample Program Evaluation Matrices Standards 1-8 and 10, District Level) that seem most appropriate for study during one year; conduct in-depth analysis of a small number of program areas, prioritizing others for study next year.

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Manageability

LEAs with subgrants should align their program evaluation activities with the goals and objectives identified and outlined in their grant proposal; results on these measures allow data-based decision making to inform program changes needed, and will support stronger rationale for future grant proposals.

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Steps

Step 1: Involve key personnel – Who are they in your district?

An essential ingredient in making these decisions is the acknowledgement that this is a shared responsibility. Get as many key program personnel to the table as possible.

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Steps Step 2: Collecting the Information

- What data are we already collecting? (e.g. student achievement, enrollment, Title I set-asides, free school meals, etc.)

- What additional data elements are needed to capture the full picture?

- What data collection instruments that are suitable to our needs are available?

- What other forms of data collection are needed?- Who will collect the needed data and how?

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Steps Step 2: Collecting the Information

- How can we combine resources to accomplish data collection tasks?

- Do we have the needed access to the data storage system in our district/state?

- Do we have data from state or federal monitoring reports?- Do we have data from our “customers” (parents, youth)?- Do we have data on costs related to educating homeless

children and youth?

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Cause and Consequence Analysis Worksheet

for Step 3

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Steps Step 3: Organizing and Analyzing Information- What do these data tell us about the success of homeless

students in our state/district/school?- Are we addressing all the legal requirements (McKinney-

Vento, Title IA, and other relevant legislation) in implementing our program? Are there any findings, recommendations, or corrective actions resulting from any monitoring reports?

- How can we be sure that we are drawing accurate conclusions and making credible statements regarding proficiency data for our highly mobile student population?

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Steps Step 3: Organizing and Analyzing Information- What is the strength of our collaboration among programs

within the LEA?- What is the strength of our collaboration within the network

of organizations and individuals who address homelessness in our state or community?

- Are we missing any important connections?

Analysis of results will help to identify what is in place and working well in each category and where gaps still exist.

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Needs Assessment Summary

http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/needs_assess_eval.doc

NCHE’s Needs Assessment Worksheets Choose the questions most suitable for your district Be strategic -collect all the data you need, but only

the data you need Identify strengths, gaps, areas to build your program

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Plan for Future

Focus – Establish a limited set of goals, measurable objectives, strategies, activities

Determine who will carry out the plan; clarify roles and responsibilities

Decide how you will measure success Determine whether this should be an LEA goal in the

district strategic plan

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Summary Needs Assessment and Plan Exercise

Review your data and situation. Write one area that you would like to

have as a goal. What possible action steps are

needed to accomplish this goal. Share with your neighbor

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Consolidated Application

ESEA, Section 1112(b)(E)(ii)

Program Detail Page for Title IDescribe how services for homeless children and youth will be coordinated and integrated with the Title IA program in order to increase program effectiveness, eliminate duplications, and reduce fragmentation of the instructional program.

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Scenarios

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Bouncing Zones

Family became homeless last year mid-year and moved from school (A) to school (B) within the same district. (B) is the school of zone where the family ended up as homeless. The family subsequently became permanently housed in school zone (A) during the same school year and lived there in August. The students remained in (B) for the duration of the school year. They are back this year registering at school (B) as homeless students but living in zone (A). Can they remain in school B, their choice of schools?

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Transport?Mother last year had one of her children classified as homeless but not the other. The non-homeless student attends the school of zone (A). Mother was not being honest with the district about living situation in order to get the homeless identified student into a school that was not the school of zone (B).

This year - Mother has now been arrested, stopped for traffic offense and is now no longer able to drive. She wants the district to come to district (A) and transport her kids to the school in district (B) where she has them registered, not her school of zone, and neither child qualifies this year for MV.

Is the district obligated this year to transport the child from District A to District B?

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Audience Scenarios

Write a scenario on an index card. Select a recorder Meet with a small group and share your

scenarios What are the solutions? Be prepared to share one scenario with the

full group

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Living with Aunt

Aunt has taken in two children. The Aunt requested custody of the children. Mom drops off children with the Aunt during school year but takes them back in the summer. In conversation with the homeless liaison in the district, the Aunt indicated that she has begun the procedures with DCS to get permanent custody of the children and to adopt them. The father is deceased. The children get a government check for this.

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth #1High school girl leaves her home because of a bad environment. She is living with her boyfriend at his grandmother’s home. The boyfriend is also a high school student, not living at his parent’s home due to a bad environment. The boy’s grandmother is trying to provide what she can for both students. The grandmother has power of attorney over the high school boy but not legal guardianship.

Would the high school girl be considered UHY? Would the high school boy be considered UHY?

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth #2

A high school boy lives with his grandmother. The boy's father is in prison. The boy's mother is not in his life and has no contact, very little if any through the years. The boy’s grandmother has power of attorney, the father signed the form. The father still has legal guardianship (although he is in prison).

Does the boy qualify? What all needs to be considered?

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DistanceMother and child have moved from an abusive situation into a doubled up setting in the district. The new school is on the far opposite side of the county from the school of origin, the parent’s choice of schools. The length of time the student would be on a school bus if one were to be rerouted to pick up the student is not reasonable based on the age of the student.

What are the district’s other options for getting the child to the school of origin? Explain in details of how to make each of the options considered possible for the parent and for the district.

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Pressure from Staff

As the liaison, certain school level staff are pressing you to do home visits for each family that comes to them professing to be homeless because “We know that they are lying to us.”

As district liaison, what actions should you take?

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Expecting at 17

Unaccompanied Youth, pregnant, 17, living with the baby’s father and his family. Girl elected to move out and live with father of baby and his family. Living situation is adequate. Girl’s mother knows where she is. Girl could come home any time. The new arrangement is meant to be long term and is O.K. at present with new family and girl’s mother.

What else do you need to know or consider? Does the girl qualify?

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With Grandma #3Female high school student enrolls in District A last year using her Grandmother’s address in the district. She subsequently got into discipline trouble and was assigned to the alternative school. At that time the mother moved her to District B school as, according to the mother, it would have been a hardship to get the girl to the alternative school in District A. The girl finished school in District B. There was no mention at any time during this year of being homeless or qualifying for homeless status under McKinney Vento.

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With Grandma #3

This year, the girl returned to District A, once again using her Grandmother’s address. Again, no mention of homeless. Once again, the girl gets into discipline trouble. At the disciplinary hearing it is discovered that that the girl has two brothers who are living with Mom in District B. The principal determines that the girl must leave District A and enroll in District B.

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With Grandma #3The mother threatened to get an attorney because they were homeless. When the homeless liaison spoke with the mother, the mother indicated that the girl was going to District A because they had a cosmetology program that was not offered in District B. Mother indicated that the program would be over in two weeks.

What should the liaison do? Is the girl eligible for McKinney Vento in District A? What additional, if any, advice would you suggest for

District A? What additional information do you need to know?

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National Center for Homeless Education

NCHE - U.S. Department of Education’s homeless education technical assistance and information center

NCHE has• A comprehensive website: www.serve.org/nche• A toll-free helpline: Call 800-308-2145 or e-mail

homeless@serve.org

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A listserv: www.serve.org/nche/listserv.php for subscription

Free resources:www.serve.org/nche/products.php

Homeless Liaison Toolkit (2013 edition): http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/liaison_toolkit.php

National Center for Homeless Education

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Contact Information

Please contact Valerie.Starks@tn.gov and she will route the questions.