The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

1. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act Effective Education Regarding Homeless Children and Youth in Tennessee Shelby County Schools

2. What Is the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act? • The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act was created to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. • Under this program, State Educational Agencies (SEA) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education.

3. EXTRA: Finding Strength While Homeless

4. A Brief History Regarding the McKinney-Vento Act

5. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act • Requirements include educational access, stability, and success for homeless children and youth. • Responsibilities are outlined for local liaisons and state coordinators.

6. What Is the Definition of a Homeless Student? The McKinney-Vento Act defines “Homeless Students” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

7. What Is the Definition of a Homeless Student? The term also includes  children and youth who are: • Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as doubled-up) • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations • Living in emergency or transitional shelters • Abandoned in hospitals • Awaiting foster care placement

8. Fixed Residence Definition • “Securely placed or fastened… not subject to change or fluctuation” • “…distinguished from an occasional lodger or visitor” • “A fixed residence is one that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to change.”

9. Unaccompanied Youth Definition Homeless unaccompanied youth often face unique barriers in enrolling and succeeding in school. An unaccompanied youth is an individual who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian and who meets the criteria for homelessness.

10. Identifying Homeless Children and Youth: Best Practices Homeless children and youth are difficult to identify for many reasons, and thus often go unnoticed by school personnel. In order to identify homeless children both in and out of school, the district can coordinate with community service agencies. Note: Avoid using the word “homeless” in initial contact with school personnel, families, or youth. For many people, the word “homeless” conjures up stereotypical images.

12. Identifying Homeless Children and Youth: Best Practices Two ways to identify displaced students: • School identification • Information provided by parent or guardian

13. Common Signals of Displacement • Lack of continuity in education • Poor health/nutrition • Transportation and attendance problems • Poor hygiene • Lack of privacy/personal space after school • Social and behavioral concerns • Reaction/statement by parents, guardian, or child

14. After Identifying the Student Immediate school enrollment is required. If a dispute arises over school selection or placement, the district must admit a displaced child or youth to the school in which enrollment is sought by the parent, pending resolution of the dispute.

15. Rights of Eligible Children and Youth • The right to remain in the school of origin • The right to receive transportation to the school of origin • The right for academic success • The right to immediate enrollment in school, even if lacking documentation normally required for enrollment Kinds of documentation that may be lacking: Birth certificate Immunization records Previous academics Proof of guardianship or residency

16. Immunization • If immunizations or immunization medical records are missing, the liaison must assist in obtaining them, and the student must be enrolled in the interim. • Potential health risks are minimal. • Only students lacking immunizations are potentially at risk. • With the exception of kindergarteners, all homeless students have been in school somewhere and thus probably have had immunizations despite their current lack of records.

17. Points To Ponder and Question • When is doubled up not homeless? • Why did the family move in together? • Was the move-in because of crisis or by mutual choice? • Is the living arrangement meant to be permanent? • Where would the family live if not doubling up? • Is the living situation fixed, regular, and adequate? If there is a dispute, a referral will be made to Student Services.

18. Our Responsibility Schools are responsible for enrolling displaced children and youth. A school selected on the basis of a “best interest determination” must immediately enroll the child, even if the child is unable to produce the records normally required for enrollment. Those records consist of: • Previous academic records • Medical records • Proof of residency • Birth certificates

19. Our Responsibility If a child needs to obtain immunizations or medical/immunization records, the enrolling school must immediately refer the parent or guardian to the district’s Federal Programs office, which will guide and assist in obtaining the immunizations or records.

20. How Do We “Get It Right” Regarding Identification and Enrollment?

22. For More Information National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) http://center.serve.org/nche/ 800-308-2145 / homeless@serve.org National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) http://www.naehcy.org National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) http://www.nlchp.org

23. State Contact Information Paula Gaddis Migrant, Homeless & Private Schools Project Director Tennessee Department of Education Paula.Gaddis@tn.gov 615-751-3262 http://www.tn.gov/education/fedprog/fphomeless.shtml

24. Contact Information for Federal Programs, Grants & Compliance 3782 Jackson Ave Memphis, TN 38108 LOC 8097 Manager of Grants & Special Populations Theresa Utley – utleytb@scsk12.org Federal Program Specialists Kevin Potts – pottske@scsk12.org / 416-4205 Clarence Bayes – bayesc@scsk12.org / 416-4189

25. Questions/Comments