[Webinar] Hidden in Plain Sight

Hidden in Plain Sight

Report Briefing and Discussion on the Education of Homeless Students

Join the conversation online using #UnSeenStudents and #GradNation

Tanya TuckerVice President of Alliance Engagement

America’s Promise Alliance

| www.Gradnation.org | #GradNation

| www.GradNation.org | #GradNation

Hidden in Plain Sight Webinar Speakers

Erin Ingram Policy Advisor

Civic Enterprises

Barbara Duffield Director of Policy & Programs National Association for the

Education of Homeless Children and Youth

Patricia A. Popp, Ph. D. State Coordinator with Project HOPE-VA and

Clinical Associate Professor, School of Education The College of William and Mary

Hannah JohnsonSophomore at Virginia

Commonwealth University

Erin Ingram Policy Advisor

Civic Enterprises


Student Homelessness is Rising

2006-07 2007-08 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-140

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Rising Rates of Student Homelessness, 2006-07 to 2013-14

Total Number of Home-less of Homeless Stu-dents Enrolled in LEAs with or without McKin-ney-Vento Subgrants

Academic Year


• 82 percent said being homeless had big impact on their life overall

• 60 percent said it was hard to stay in school while they were homeless, and 68 percent it was hard to do well in school

• 42 percent said they dropped out of school at least once

• 78 percent of formerly homeless students surveyed for this report say homelessness was something they experienced more than once

• 94 percent say they stayed with other people rather than in one consistent place

• 50 percent say they slept in a car, park, abandoned building, bus station or other public place

Disruption and Trauma


Support Needed to Stay in and Succeed in School

Youth: Which was a bigger challenge for you in being able to stay in school and focus on doing well in school?

Feeling safe and a sense of stability, and getting the

emotional support I needed

Making sure I had the specific things

I needed, such as school supplies, transportation,

and help with school work

22%

54%

24%

Both were equally important


Youth: When you were homeless or in very unstable housing, were you connected with any services or programs outside school?

Frequency of Connection Beyond School

39% 61%

Not connected with outside

services/programs

Connectedwith outside services/

program


Core Challenges for LiaisonsLiaisons: Based on your experiences, which THREE of these are

your biggest obstacles in providing the students and families you work with the services and supports they need?

14%

16%

16%

24%

29%

30%

36%

57%

78%FundingTime, staff, resources to handle

caseloadCommunity awareness

about the problemAbility to find safe spaces for students before/after school

Collaborating/sharing info with outside entities/agenciesSupport from local or city

governmentSchool staff awareness

about the problemCollaborating/sharing info with

other schools/districtsLack of compassion or empathy

toward the problem


Barbara Duffield Director of Policy & Programs

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth


The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):Effective Dates for Homeless Amendments

ESSA was the vehicle for amending the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

McKinney-Vento amendments take effect October 1, 2016.• “Awaiting foster care placement” is removed December

10, 2017 in AR, DE, and NV (2016 in all other states)

Title I homeless provisions take effect for the 2017-18 school year.


• State coordinator and local liaison capacity• Identification and outreach• Professional development and training• School stability: feeder schools, pre-school, and

transportation• Credit accrual• Removing barriers caused by fees, fines, and absences• Transition to higher education• Early childhood access• Separation of homelessness and foster care provisions• Disaggregated achievement and graduation rates

ESSA Amendments on Homelessness


Patricia A. Popp, Ph. D. State Coordinator with Project HOPE-VA and

Clinical Associate Professor School of Education,

The College of William and Mary


Lessons Learned: How Virginia is Helping Homeless Students

Results• consistent with anecdotal from NAEHCY scholars• few knew about McKinney-Vento and liaisons

Invisibility and improved identification• Invisibility varies a great deal across Virginia – some very proactive

programs are in place• Using poverty data when monitoring LEAs has been a good

conversation starter about identification efforts• New starting this year – posters targeted to youth in places like

restrooms • There needs to be greater focus on counselors in high schools

knowing about our program


Lessons Learned: How Virginia is Helping Homeless Students

Main challenge• Inability to find a safe space – Virginia only has 3 RHY programs in the

entire commonwealth; there are extremely limited options for young people who need safe housing and services; recent review of our 211 systems underscored this

Best practices/essential supports• Ongoing awareness building and training in communities and schools• Sharing strategies localities have found effective

ESSA• Many changes were codification of best practice already in place in

Virginia• Hope for greatest impact – school stability for preschoolers


Virginia’s On-Time Graduation Rates


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100P

erce

nt o

f Coh

ort

9.2% increase

15.1/14.4%increase

Hannah Johnson Sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth

University


Reflections from a Student who Experienced Homelessness

• Identification • Barriers and challenges• Connections to resources

• Attendance

• Concrete support from school• Advice


Q&A


For more information on the education of homeless students, please visit: http://www.gradnation.org/report/hidden-plain-sight

To learn more about ESSA implementation resources, please visit: http://naehcy.org/educational-resources/essa

Supporting Sponsors

Lead Sponsor


http://www.gradnation.org/report/hidden-plain-sight

http://www.gradnation.org/report/hidden-plain-sight

http://naehcy.org/educational-resources/essa

http://naehcy.org/educational-resources/essa

Hidden in Plain Sight

Report Briefing and Discussion on the Education of Homeless Students

Join the conversation online using #UnSeenStudents and #GradNation

[Webinar] Hidden in Plain Sight

Education

Transcript of [Webinar] Hidden in Plain Sight