College Access and Success: From Survivor to Completer

1. For Highly Mobile and Homeless Students: College Access and Success: From Survivor to Completer

2. Further information • Texas Homeless Education Office: • Dr. Vicky Dill (512-475-9715) • vickydill@austin.utexas.edu • Mr. Ken Martin (512-471-7145) • ken.martin@austin.utexas.edu • Texas Homeless Education Office • http://www.theotx.org/

3. Your Task Could Not Be More Important • For all youth, and especially homeless youth and youth aging out of foster care, now more than ever, getting an education beyond high school is a matter of life and death. • Without a high school diploma or further education, no student has a reasonable, fair shot at the American Dream, and • Without adequate education, housing and employment is much harder to achieve

4. Our Goal is to Explore: • Background: Homeless Teens in Texas • How to Create a Seamless Path from High School to College for Highly Mobile Youth • Barriers a Highly Mobile Student May Face • How to Transform Street Resiliency to Completer Persistence • How Radical Curriculum Reform Can Create a Path to College

5. What Counselors Should Know • Everything you need to know about how to help “couch-surfers” or unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) enroll in college is described in “College Access and Success” – or there is information on where to find the answers: http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/he-toolkit* • *Document not yet updated for ESSA

6. The Number of Homeless Students is Growing Numbers for 15-16 unofficially total 120,850

7. Fully Understand the Size and Severity of the Problem of Homeless Students in Texas

8. Who is Homeless? Identification • We used to think of the homeless as single men on street corners begging for change; • Especially since the Great Recession of 2007-2009, children and families have not recovered economically • http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/09/the-american-middle-class-is-losing-ground/. • About 50% of the homeless population in the United States is composed of parents with children of school age.

9. HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE HOMELESS IN TEXAS? In 2014-2015, TEA identified 113,000 homeless students. The latest data, 2015-2016, there were 120,850+ homeless students, a growth of 18,000 in 3 years. The Texas “miracle” has not benefitted all Texans; in fact, many Texans need 2-3 fulltime low-wage jobs to pay for an apartment.

10. Increasingly, People Realize that Homelessness is a Family Affair • A Caricature Fades • Children Live in Cars, in the Woods, in Shelters, Doubled-Up, anywhere. • https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-003&hsimp=yhs-003&hspart=mozilla&p=you+tube+worn+out+welcome+mat#id=5&vid=d08d96ffc60107c793f4128862c988fa&action=view

11. Homeless in the U.S. and TX. • In the United States, about 2.5 million children in grades K-12 are homeless; • In Texas, in 2015-2016 120,850 students are homeless. • Under-identification is widespread; • Child poverty in Texas increases every year: 26.2 percent of Texas children are currently living in poverty. • To give you a better idea, that's more than one-in four children; 1 in 30 is homeless.

12. Texas: One of the Poorest States • Texas has the 6th highest poverty rate in the nation; one in every 6 Texans or 4.4 million Texans live in poverty. • While the unemployment rate is low, many Texans need two or three low-paying jobs to avoid being homeless. • 1 in 4 Texans is without health care

13. What is McKinney-Vento? • The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act first went into effect in 1987. Prior to that act, 50% of homeless students dropped out of school. • The law requires that all students must be assessed for housing status and, if they are homeless, they must receive help. • Help includes free nutrition, school supplies, several school uniforms, and assistance in tutoring, FAFSA applications, fee waivers and college choice.

14. UNDER-IDENTIFICATION IS WIDESPREAD One reliable group estimates that there are about 300,000 children in Texas who are homeless. This is why we are trying to ensure that all teachers and administrators are familiar with the McKinney-Vento laws.

15. HOW MANY ARE HOMELESS IN THE U.S.? Across the nation, about 3.5 million individuals are homeless About 1.5 million of these are children

16. THE REAL FACE OF HOMELESSNESS IS A CHILD. 40-70% of all homeless people are children, and they are in our schools

17. WHERE DO THESE CHILDREN SLEEP?THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW SAYS THESE GROUPS ARE HOMELESS: • Children living in shelters. • Families or youth living in campgrounds or parks, living in cars or abandoned buildings. • Families or youth living in airports, bus stations, or train stations.

18. Part I Who are the homeless children and youth the McKinney-Vento Act seeks to assist? HOMELESS = lacks a fixed… regular… and adequate nighttime residence

19. Children Living in Shelters

20. CHILDREN LIVING IN CAMPGROUNDS, SUBSTANDARD MOTELS, OR CARS

21. SLEEPING IN INADEQUATE HOUSING

22. Who is homeless? Families living in doubled-up situations because they have lost their housing.

23. LIVING DOUBLED-UP BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, OR OTHER CAUSE

24. IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLEES WHO ARE NO LONGER “SPONSORED”

25. Abandoned in Hospitals

26. WHO IS HOMELESS? Anyone with aprimary night time residence not designed for ordinary use as a regular sleeping accommodation

27. Why Are Some Kids On Their Own? • Called “Unaccompanied Homeless Youth,” young people may not have the support of an adult because they experienced: • Sexual, physical, mental or parental substance abuse in the home; • Conflict due to blended families, pregnancy, or gender difference; • Crowded conditions in a shelter or doubled-up situation; as a male, being separated from family; • Aging out of foster care or other reasons

28. Why Do Kids Leave Home? • Gender Different • Pregnant • Sexually abused • Addictions in the home • Crowded conditions; • Inadequate food

29. Homeless Kids Do Get to College • At least57,000 collegestudents in the US are homeless in 2017 • This is an under-estimate. Does not include: • Attending college, but still with parents/guardian • Foster youth who have aged out and lost housing • Those who are married • Those in graduate school • Active duty military/veteran • Emancipated minors • Those who were at one time orphans

30. How Do They Do That? • Researchers have explored the characteristics of homeless students who succeed in clearing the many barriers to college that they face • What are the keys to this success? • We know they cannot do it on their own • We know they can learn to transform hardship into energy

31. How to Create a Seamless Path from High School to College for Highly Mobile Youth • People are the bridge over barriers. These are often counselors and homeless liaisons who provide basic survival resources, psychological survival tools, and safety nets in times of high risk. • Stability (staying in the same school: lack of transfers) and • Excellent attendance are several of the most reliable predictors of success

32. Escaping Poverty Requires Social Emotional Skills • Pro-social and emotional skills such as • time management • conscientiousness • self-efficacy • cooperative behavior • openness to new ideas

33. Barriers a Highly Mobile Student May Face It helps highly mobile students to be able to envision a stable future

34. Barriers to Educational Success • Barriers to good attendance created by poverty include the need for nutrition, adequate clothes, school supplies, transportation from wherever they’re staying to school, and access to ways to meet hygiene needs; • Barriers to high school graduation and college readiness for highly mobile students include • 1) loss of credits upon transfer from school to school, • 2) the tendency of counselors to direct these students into less rigorous graduation plans and • 3) lack of access to tutoring and/or help to complete highly challenging math and science coursework

35. More Barriers to Success • Psychological barriers resulting from the post-traumatic stress caused by homelessness; • focus, interest, commitment and follow-through despite frustration, uncertainty, and level of risk-taking; these factors predict success but are particularly challenging to highly mobile students • Even one school transfer doubles the chance of dropping out http://www.ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/CCRS%20Center_Predictors%20of%20Postsecondary%20Success_final_0.pdf (p. 7)

36. Barriers to Academic Accomplishments • Accomplishing these tasks, which are reliable predictors of post-secondary success, pose many challenges: • less than 10% absenteeism • failing no more than one 9th grade subject • dual enrollment success • completion of the FAFSA and more* • *See “Predictors of Post-Secondary Success”p. 8 • http://www.ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/CCRS%20Center_Predictors%20of%20Postsecondary%20Success_final_0.pd

37. Why Is Going to College Hard for Highly Mobile Youth? • General Barriers: • poor nutrition • lack of healthcare • unsafe/overcrowded living conditions • financial strain and lack of funds

38. Why Is Going to College Hard for Highly Mobile Youth? • Specific Barriers: • Lack of tuition funding • lack of documentation • funds for school supplies • Lack of a quiet place to study or adequate materials may make homework completion challenging

39. So, How Can We Bridge Highly Mobile Students to College Completion? • There is a continued need for training and technical assistance to help school personnel understand and deal with the enormity of the problem • signs of homelessness • dynamics of high mobility • need to move homeless students through challenging coursework and beyond high school graduation • Overcoming school bureaucracies • Silos (Special Programs, C&I, Transportation, Admin) make it difficult for school personnel to: • Understand homeless student needs • Comprehend full-range of their challenges • Fewer highly mobile students tend to reach Advanced Placement

40. So, How Can We Bridge Highly Mobile Students to College Completion? • Overcoming school bureaucracies • Silos (Special Programs, C&I, Transportation, Admin) make it difficult for school personnel to: • Understand homeless students’ needs • Comprehend the fullrange of their challenges • Place highly mobile students in Advanced Placement courses

41. “Worn Out Welcome Mat” • Ira’s Story: one of 18,104 Texas students without parents • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7LRxYfKnGc • What is an unaccompanied homeless youth? (UHY) • https://vimeo.com/region10/review/195322555/e0dd559115

42. With the Guidance of School Personnel and Friends, Highly Mobile Youth Can: • Translate Hardships and Fears into Resilience • Learn how to move from “rock bottom” to feeling the joy of overcoming barriers • Use “street cred” to see other ways of solving problems • Learn where to get targeted resources to help overcome barriers

43. FAFSA IS OFTEN A BARRIER • GAO reported in May of 2016 that burdensome program rules hinder many homeless applicants. • Extensive documentation requests impede access to financial aid; • Annual verification requirements pose many barriers; See DOE Guidance • For youth 22 or 23 years old, identifying as homeless often requires “special circumstances,” which are seldom approved.

44. What If I Don’t Have an Address? • The FAFSA application indicates that an UHY may use a college’s address as their own • If an IHE has no conflicting information about the MV status, they should refrain from requesting any further information.

45. Early Application Advised • FAFSA applications are due in October; • The adviser must ascertain if the homeless student is accompanied or unaccompanied; • This designation determines how the student will complete the FAFSA

46. Degree Completion • Low income youth have many more challenges in completing college; only about 12% graduate. • Risk factors for non-completion: • Part-time enrollment; • Delayed entry after high school; • Lack a regular or distinguished high school diploma; • Presence of dependent children or single parent; • Being financially independent of parents, and • working full-time while enrolled

47. Yearly Status Certification • Unaccompanied homeless youth must prove independent status every year they apply for aid; • Decide which path to independent status may be the most reliable. For example, if a student age 13 or older was in foster care and also, subsequently, experienced an episode of homelessness, it might be best to use the foster care route to ensure independent status. • Suggest putting letter of verification on a flash drive so students always have a copy.

48. Barriers to College: Students Lack • An adult mentor most of their lives; • Fees for ACT, SAT, AP exams, etc. • Adequate financial aid package; • Housing deposits and other required fees prior to funds becoming available. • Child care

49. SOME COLLEGES DO NOT REQUIRE SAT/ACT SCORES • Many students in poverty are understandably intimidated by SAT/ACT tests. To encourage applications and avoid having to go through the fee waiver process, consider suggesting one the 900 or so institutions that do not require or prioritize these scores: • http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

50. Risks for Highly Mobile (HM) Students • As absenteeism increases (to 20% in the middle grades), the chances of dropping out increase • Gaps in literacy and numeracy due to constant changes in curriculum predict low achievement for HM students • Each move costs 4-6 months in academic progress • Trauma-induced behavior issues erode social competence and confidence