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Supporting Highly Mobile Students. 2018-2019. Why Educational Stability. The numerous changes and chaos experienced by highly mobile students impacts their education in many ways. It is rarely an overnight event when a student …. goes homeless, is taken into state custody,
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Supporting Highly Mobile Students 2018-2019
Why Educational Stability The numerous changes and chaos experienced by highly mobile students impacts their education in many ways. It is rarely an overnight event when a student …. goes homeless, is taken into state custody, follows a parent’s agricultural or fishing jobs, or experiences the deployment of a parent.
Why Educational Stability Being Highly mobile affects • Whole family • School attendance • Ability to focus and learn • Educational gaps • Behavior • Grade promotion • On time graduation
Why Educational Stability … including the teacher, classmates and the others in the school. • Students coming and going • Could that happen to me? • I’ve been worried about her. • Is he going to be ok? Is he safe?
Why Educational Stability By focusing on educational stability we can - • Improve school attendance • Reduce distractions from learning • Minimizes educational gaps • Provide consistency while everything else is changing • Encourage continued parent engagement • Maintain connections with relatives, peers, and community.
What else is going on for Highly mobile students? Among highly mobile students we often see • Food insecurity • Lack of medical, dental, and mental health services • Loss of connection to family, friends, community - including siblings • Disrupted adult and peer relationships Students experience a culmination of ongoing instability … and trauma.
What helps • Predictability • Daily routines • Avoid sudden changes in the classroom • Consistent rules and expectations • Mentoring, daily check ins • Engaging in group activities • Sports • community service learning • afterschool clubs, student newsletter… • Focus on student strengths
What works…. In small groups discuss: • What are you seeing as the needs of highly mobile students (perhaps a particular student comes to mind)? • What strategies or best practices have you been using? Do those strategies work for all your highly mobile students? What did not work? • Have you learned a new way(s) to support these students today?
Regional Liaisons • The Regional Liaisons are available to provide districts with technical assistance on highly mobile students, talk through cases and suggest best practices and/or local resources. • Carol Baez, Worcester Public schools 508-799-3652 • Jacob Hansen, Framingham Public Schools 508-782-6894 • Julie Mador, New Bedford Public Schools 508-997-4511 x3424 • Stacy Parsons, North Adams Public Schools 413-766-1677
Contact Information – Educational Stability Team • DESE Websites: Homeless Education http://www.doe.mass.edu/mv/ Foster Care Education http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/foster/ People Search for Liaisons/POCs http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavId=11239 Migrant Education http://www.doe.mass.edu/ssce/migrant.html Military-Connected Students http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/military.html • Staff: Christine Cowen, Migrant Education, Military Connected Students 781-338-6301 ccowen@doe.mass.edu Kristen McKinnon, Foster Care Point of Contact 781-338-6306 kmckinnon@doe.mass.edu Sarah Slautterback, State Coordinator< Homeless Education 781-338-6330 sslautterback@doe.mass.edu
THANK YOU Educational Stability, Office of Student and Family Support 781.338.3010 achievement@doe.mass.edu www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/