Louisiana’s Homeless Office of Education

2. Louisiana’s Homeless Office of Education McKinney-Vento Homeless 101 Presenter: Laverne Dunn State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children & Youth

3. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Title X Part C No Child Left Behind Act - 2001 "We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." Mariam Wright Edelman

4. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Reauthorized 2002 by NCLB Main themes: • School stability • School access • Support for academic success • Child-centered, best interest decision making

5. Adult and Child Homelessness Correlation Between Negative Childhood Experiences and Adult Homelessness: • Of Homeless Adults Interviewed in NSHPAC Survey: • 33% ran away from home • 27% lived in foster care, group home, institutional setting • 25% reported childhood physical or sexual abuse • 22% were force to leave home • 21% experience homelessness as a child

6. Correlation Between Stress in Childhood and Disorders Later The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child: “Frequent or sustained activation of brain systems that respond to stress in early childhood can lead to heightened vulnerability to a range of behavioral and physiological disorders over a lifetime.”

7. Education Matters • Adults age 18 and over with a high school diploma earned $28,645. Those without a high school diploma earned an average of $19,169. • People who graduate from high school on average live 6 to 9 years longer than high school drop-outs due to a variety of factors, including income, living conditions, occupational safety, and access to health insurance.

8. School as Safety Net School provides: • Structure • Routine/consistency • Meals • Caring adults • Health care/social services • Socialization and friendships • Skills needed to escape poverty and realize dreams • Freedom

9. Equity Through High Standards and Accountability Students experiencing homelessness have an opportunity to meet challenging State academic achievement standards • Closing the Achievement Gap • Focus on What Works • Increasing Accountability for Student Performance “The first and primary use of local data is to improve programs.” Joseph Johnson, Jr., CEP Director

10. Number of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Nationally • 1989 - 272,773 • 1991 - 327,416 • 1993 - 744,266 • 1997 - 841,730 • 2000 – 930,232 • 2004 – 602,568 • 2005 – 655,591 • 2006 – 907,228

11. Youth Count Report 2004 - 2007 * SIS EOY Aggregate File as of 08/16/2007, Students Flagged as Homeless Any Time during the YearDisclaimer: Homeless counts were self-reported by LEAs through the SIS database. Counts have not been verified, and discrepancies may exist. *EOY refers to end of the year data *SIS refers to Student Information System

12. Definitions of Homeless Children and Youth • Lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence • Share housing (due to loss or hardship) • Live in hotels, motels, trailer homes, campgrounds, emergency or transitional shelters, abandoned in hospitals, awaiting foster care

13. Definitions of Homeless Children and Youth • Primary nighttime residence not designed for ordinary use as a regular sleeping accommodation • Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus, or train stations

14. Definitions of Homeless Children and Youth • Unaccompanied youth (youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian) • Migratory children who qualify as homeless because of their living situation

15. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Other Definitions • Enroll and Enrollment include – right to attend classes and participate fully in school activities • School of Origin – school that child or youth attended when permanently housed or last enrolled • Comparable Services – services offered to other students in the school selected

16. Barriers to Enrollment • Lack of transportation to or from temporary residence • Lack of immunization and medical records • Lack of school records • State guardianship/residency requirements not uniformly interpreted by school • Lack of birth certificates

17. Youth ages 12 and up face additional barriers to school enrollment, for example: Attendance policies Secondary school credit accrual Barriers to Enrollment

18. Barriers to School Success • Frequent mobility • Lack of staff awareness and sensitivity • Inability to complete school assignments • Lack of psychological services • Poor health and inadequate medical care • Physical needs -- food, clothing, health care

19. Access to Special Programs and Services Children experiencing homelessness have difficulty accessing the following programs and services • Special Education • Head Start • Gifted and Talented • Even Start • Programs for English language learners

20. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Students’ Access to School • Requires schools to immediately enroll children and youth experiencing homelessness • Requires a liaison in every school district • Requires public notice of educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness disseminated in every school district

21. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Educational Stability & Continuity • Requires schools keep children in the school of origin, except where contrary to the wishes of the parent or guardian • Child or youth’s right to attend their school of origin extends to entire duration of homelessness • Requires removal of any barriers that contribute to exclusion or enrollment delay

22. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Parental Options and Involvement • Requires parents be fully informed of the enrollment options and educational opportunities available • Requires schools provide written explanations to parents regarding disputes over school selection and enrollment and referral to liaisons for dispute resolution • Requires parents be provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children

23. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Educational Rights of Unaccompanied Youth • Requires youth be fully informed of their enrollment options and available educational opportunities • No separate schools based on homelessness • Comparable services (transportation, nutrition, educational programs and services)

24. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Integration of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness • Prohibits segregation of students into separate schools or separate classrooms within schools except in exempted counties • Requires posting public notice of educational rights in every school

25. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 State Support to All School Districts • Requires Office of State Coordinator to provide technical assistance to LEAs to ensure statewide accountability, compliance, support • States must distribute at least 75% of allocation to LEAs • Increases the amount of McKinney-Vento funds for small States ($150,000) – must distribute at least 50% of allocation to LEAs

26. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 State Support to All School Districts • Develop strategies to address enrollment delays caused by immunization and medical records, residency, guardianship, other required records, uniform or dress code requirements • Continue to review and revise all policies for barriers • Provide procedures to identify homeless youth separated from public schools and to ensure equal access to secondary education and support services

27. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Role of State Coordinator Gather, validate, and report data on children and youth experiencing homelessness • Access to public preschools, elementary, and secondary schools • Special needs of students • Progress made by State and LEAs in addressing problems and difficulties • Success in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school

28. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Role of State Coordinator Service Coordination • SEA, social services, mental health, and other State agencies • Child development and preschool personnel • Service providers (e.g., shelters, domestic violence agencies, centers for runaway youth, transitional living programs, etc.) • LEA liaisons • Community organizations and groups

29. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Role of State Coordinator Technical Assistance • Technical assistance to LEAs in coordination with LEA Liaisons to ensure LEA compliance • Inform school personnel, service providers, advocates of the duties of the LEA Liaisons

30. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Assurances • SEA and LEAs must adopt policies and practices to ensure no stigmatization or segregation based on homelessness • All LEAs need to designate an appropriate Liaison (may be a coordinator of other Federal programs) • Adopt policies and practices to ensure transportation is provided, at request of parent of guardian (or Liaison on behalf of unaccompanied youth), to and from the school of origin

31. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Requirements • Serve the ‘best interests’ of the student by: • Continuing child or youth in school of origin to the extent feasible or • Enrolling child or youth in a public school in the attendance area where the child or youth temporarily resides • Provide written explanation and right of appeal if LEA places child at site other than school of origin or parent- or youth-requested school

32. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Requirements • Enroll homeless child or youth immediately even if no records are currently available • Schools must contact child’s or youth’s school last attended for academic and other records • Immediate referral to LEA Liaison if immunization or medical records are unavailable from prior school(s) • Records must be kept, maintained, and available for future school enrollment

33. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Enrollment Disputes • Admit child or youth immediately pending resolution of dispute • School must provide parent/guardian or youth with written explanation of decision including statement of rights • Referral to Liaison for dispute resolution • Liaison ensures unaccompanied youth is immediately enrolled

34. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Role of LEA Liaison • Ensure identification of students through coordination with school personnel and other agencies • Ensure enrollment with full and equal opportunity to succeed in school (e.g., Head Start, Even Start) preschool, health care, dental, mental health, etc.) • Ensure parent/guardian or youth is informed of educational rights

35. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Role of LEA Liaison • Assist unaccompanied youth with placement, enrollment, and knowing their rights • Disseminate public notices of educational rights • Inform and assist with accessing transportation • Mediate enrollment disputes • Coordinate and collaborate

36. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Sub-Grant Applications-Needs • Provide an assessment of educational needs • Description of services and programs • Assurance current fiscal effort not less than prior year • Assurance local plan complies with State plan requirements • Policies and procedures that do not isolate or stigmatize students

37. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Sub-Grant Applications-Quality • Needs assessment reflects stated needs • Types and intensity of coordination effort(s) • Involvement of parents, guardians, youth • Students integrated within regular classroom program • Evaluation plan • Coordination with other available services

38. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Sub-Grant-Use of Funds • Tutoring, supplemental instruction linked to challenging State content and achievement standards • Expedited evaluations (e.g., GATE, ELL, IDEA, etc) • Professional development to promote understanding, sensitivity, and the educational rights of students • Referral services (e.g., medical, dental, mental health)

39. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Sub-Grant-Use of Funds • Excess costs of transportation • Early childhood education • School engagement activities • Before-, after-school, and summer programs • Payment of fees and other costs related to records • Education and training for parents

40. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 LEA Sub-Grant-Use of Funds • Costs for coordinating school and agency services • Pupil services and referrals (e.g., violence prevention) • Services needed as arise from domestic violence • Supplies and adaptation of space for nonschool services • School supplies, including at temporary housing • Other emergency assistance

41. Coordination with Title I • Title I requires that districts provide services for children and youth who live in homeless situations • Children and youth experiencing homelessness are automatically eligible to receive Title I services by virtue of their homelessness

42. Title I Requirements • SEAs have to submit a Title I Part A plan coordinated with the McKinney-Vento Act - Sec. 1111 • LEAs have to submit a Title I Part A plan to SEAs that is coordinated with McKinney-Vento and describes services and set-asides – Sec. 1112

43. Title I Requirements Reservation of Title I Funds – a local education agency needs to reserve funds to provide comparable services for eligible homeless children who do not attend participating schools, including providing educationally related support services to children in shelters and other locations where children may live. - Sec. 1113

44. Technical Assistance Laverne Dunn State Coordinator- 1-800-259-8826 Office Number 225-219-0353 Fax Number 225-342-0178 E-mail Address: Laverne.Dunn@la.gov

45. Resources • National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth www.naehcy.org • National Center on Homeless Education www.serve.org/nche • National Coalition for the Homeless • www.nationalhomeless.org • National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty www.nlchp.org • National Network for Youth www.NN4Youth.org

46. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 Summary Enroll in school, Stay in school, Succeed inschool!