Transcript McKinney Vento Homeless Education Act

The McKinney-Vento
Homeless Education Act
Effective Education Regarding
Homeless Children and Youth in
Tennessee
Shelby County Schools
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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.
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EXTRA:
Finding Strength While Homeless
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A Brief History Regarding the McKinneyVento Act
1987
The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act is signed into law,
requiring states to review and revise residency requirements for the
enrollment of homeless children and youth.
1990
The McKinney Act is amended, requiring states to eliminate all enrollment
barriers, and provide school access and support for academic success for
students experiencing homelessness; McKinney funds may now be used to
provide direct educational services for eligible students.
1994
The education portion of the McKinney Act is included in the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), adding preschool services, greater
parental input, and emphasis on interagency collaboration.
2002
The Act is reauthorized as the McKinney-Vento Act (Title X, Part C of
ESEA), strengthening legislative requirements and requiring all school
districts to appoint a local liaison to ensure the law is implemented
effectively at the local level.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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Identifying Homeless Children and Youth:
Best Practices
Two ways to identify displaced students:
1.
2.
School identification
Information provided by parent or guardian
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Common Signals of Displacement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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How Do We “Get It Right” Regarding
Identification and Enrollment?
Step
Responsible
1. Identify the student and enroll the
student in PowerSchool.
School
2. Confirm Federal Programs’
awareness of the identified student.
School and/or Federal Programs
3. Determine eligibility of the identified Federal Programs
student (see Affidavit).
4. Deliver services to the eligible
student.
Federal Programs
5. In cases of eligibility dispute, refer
the case to Student Services.
Parent/guardian and/or School
6. In cases of eligibility dispute, finalize Student Services
eligibility determination.
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For More Information
National Center for Homeless Education
(NCHE)
http://center.serve.org/nche/
800-308-2145 / [email protected]
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
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State Contact Information
Paula Gaddis
Migrant, Homeless & Private Schools Project Director
Tennessee Department of Education
[email protected]
615-751-3262
http://www.tn.gov/education/fedprog/fphomeless.shtml
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Contact Information for
Federal Programs, Grants & Compliance
3782 Jackson Ave
Memphis, TN 38108
LOC 8097
Manager of Grants & Special Populations
Theresa Utley – [email protected]
Federal Program Specialists
Kevin Potts – [email protected] / 416-4205
Clarence Bayes – [email protected] / 416-4189
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Questions/Comments
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