Enrolling Homeless Children and Youth - PowerPoint Presentation

1. Enrolling HomelessChildren and YouthSeptember 2022California department of education

2. Barriers Faced (1)The McKinney-Vento Act addresses educational barriers and challenges that children and youth experiencing homelessness face when it relates their right to enroll in and attend school, and provides supports needed for school success. Some of the barriers these children and youth face are:Lack of identification Enrollment requirementsLack of school supplies and transportation2

3. Barriers Faced (2)Poor health, fatigue, hunger, anxiety, and traumaPrejudice and misunderstandingLack of awarenessParents not wanting to get involved due to fearCredit deficiencyLack of legal guardian for an unaccompanied homeless youth3

4. McKinney-Vento Act (1)The McKinney-Vento Act requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. Homeless students must have access to the educational and related services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging State academic standards to which all students are held. 4

5. McKinney-Vento Act (2)LEAs are also required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the identification, enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.LEAs must collaborate and coordinate with other federal and state educational programs, including Title I.It is also important to note that homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment.5

6. McKinney-Vento Act (3)The Education for Homeless Children and Youth program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 United States Code 11431 et seq.) (McKinney-Vento Act). The McKinney-Vento Act was originally authorized in 1987 and most recently re-authorized in December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act.The complete legislation can be found at https://nche.ed.gov/legislation/mckinney-vento/.6

7. California Education CodesOver the years, California Education Codes (EC) have been amended to align to federal McKinney-Vento Act statute. Throughout the presentation, some California EC sections are cited, but here are other sections that are pertinent to homeless education.Sections 48412, 48850, 48852.5, 48852.7, 48859, 48915.5, 48918.1, 49073, 49076, 51421, 51421.5, 51225.1, 51225.2, and 520527

8. Homeless Definition (1)Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Fixed, regular, and adequate are defined as:A fixed residence is one that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to changeA regular residence is one that is used on a normal, standard, and consistent basisAn adequate residence is one that is sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments8

9. Homeless Definition (2)Examples of homelessness include children and youth living in:Shared housing due to economic hardship, loss of housing, natural disasters, or similar reasonsMotels or hotelsPublic or private places not designed for sleepingTrailer parks or campgrounds9

10. Homeless Definition (3)Cars, parks, and abandoned buildings All shelters, including emergency or transitional sheltersAdditional examples of homelessness include children and youth who are:Migratory children who qualify as homelessAbandoned in hospitalsUnaccompanied youth10

11. Homeless Definition (4)To determine if a homeless child or youth lives in substandard living conditions consider:Health and safety concerns Number of occupants per square footAge of occupantsState and local building codes11

12. Unaccompanied Homeless Youth“Unaccompanied homeless youth” is defined as a child or youth who meets the McKinney-Vento definition and is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.There is not an age range for an unaccompanied youth.Liaisons must help unaccompanied youth choose and enroll in a school, give priority to the youth’s wishes, and inform the youth of his or her appeal rights.12

13. Immediate Enrollment (1)In order to provide equal access, LEAs must remove all barriers that could result in homeless students missing critical learning opportunities, and this includes immediate enrollment.The next nine slides will address the LEA’s requirements and the importance of immediate enrollment, school of origin, and school stability.The last set of slides then will provide strategies for meeting these requirements, including reporting requirements and immunization strategies.13

14. Immediate Enrollment (2)Homeless students are entitled to immediate enrollment in any public school that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to attend; even ifStudents have missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessnessStudents do not have required documents, such as school records, records of immunization and other required health records, proof of residency, guardianship, or other documents14

15. Immediate Enrollment (3)LEAs must develop, review, and revise policies to remove barriers to the identification, enrollment, and retention of children and youth, including unaccompanied youth, in homeless situationsEnroll and enrollment means attending classes and participating fully in school activitiesCalifornia EC Section 48850 is aligned to the same provisions relating to immediate enrollment of homeless children and youth15

16. Immediate Enrollment (4)School records for students experiencing homelessness transferring from one LEA to another should be transferred promptly and in a manner consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This will ensure that the records are made available in a timely manner when a child or youth enters the new LEA.Typically, homeless students tend to move from one area to the next, and it is important to note that they have the right either to continue attending the school of origin, or to enroll immediately in the local school, according to each student’s best interest. 16

17. School of Origin (1)“School of origin” is defined as the school the child/youth attended when permanently housed, the school last enrolled in, or a school that the homeless child/youth has a connection to in the last 15 months.Students can stay in their school of origin the entire time they are homeless and until the end of any academic year in which they move into permanent housing.17

18. School of Origin (2)California EC Section 48852.7 aligns to this provision and allows a homeless youth, now permanently housed, to remain in their high school through graduation, if:It is in the best interest of the student; and, It is parent/guardian requestedSchool attended when permanently housed or school in which last enrolled, including a preschool.18

19. School of Origin (3)The designated receiving school at the next grade level for feeder school patterns, when the student completes the final grade level served by the school of origin.If a student is sent to a school other than that requested by a parent or guardian, the LEA must provide a written explanation to the parent or guardian of its decision and their right to appeal. California’s Homeless Education Dispute Resolution Process is located at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/documents/disputeresolutionletter2020.docx.19

20. School Stability (1)In determining best interest, the LEA shall:Presume that keeping the student in the school of origin is in the student’s best interest, unless contrary to the request of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youthConsider student-centered factors, including the impact of mobility on achievement, education, health, and safetyGive priority to the request of the parent/guardian or the homeless unaccompanied youth’s request20

21. School Stability (2)If the LEA determines that it is not in the student’s best interest, the LEA, in conjunction with the liaison, must provide a written explanation of the reasons for its determination, in a manner and form understandable to such parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth, including the right to appeal.21

22. Enrollment Strategies (1)Take the family to a private place to fill out enrollment forms and accept school records directly from families and youth. Make sure parents/guardians and youth understand the right to remain in their school of origin, the right to transportation, and the harmful effects of school transfer.Work with them to make good decisions about which school is in the student’s best interest.Enroll and enrollment means attending classes and participating fully in school activities.22

23. Enrollment Strategies (2)Contact the last school of attendance and request student records, accept a verbal verification of immunizations, and any other pertinent information. This will assist with the student’s history and current needs, as well as any services and/or interventions they have received.Allow unaccompanied youth to enroll themselves, and allow the liaison to sign for the unaccompanied youth, if necessary.Develop alternative caretaker forms, enrollment forms for unaccompanied youth, and other forms to replace typical proof of guardianship.23

24. Enrollment Strategies (3)Establish immunization databases, school-based immunization clinics, or mobile health units.Review and implement the LEA’s enrollment policies and procedures and include unaccompanied youth into those policies and procedures.Remember that all school enrollment staff, including administrative assistants, secretaries, school counselors, school social workers, and principals should be trained on the legal requirements for identification and enrollment. 24

25. Enrollment Strategies (4)Collaborate with local public, private, and faith-based partners for services and support.Establish policies and procedures to address:Paying for fees and fines that students might haveTransferring appropriate credit for full or partial courseworkReferring parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youthMany doubled-up families might have a difficult time providing proof of residence, so be open-minded.25

26. Enrollment Strategies (5)Prepare a parent pack with resources offered by the LEA, as well as resources from the community.Post homeless educational rights in locations frequented by families, including on the LEA’s website, food lockers, clothes closets, faith-based organizations, laundry mats, etc.Be calm, patient, and reassuring: you can make a differenceBe sensitive about smoothly integrating new students into classroom and school community 26

27. Reporting Requirements (1)Once an LEA has identified and enrolled homeless students, it is really important to make sure that the LEA tracks them in their student-level data system.All LEAs are required to annually report the number of homeless students enrolled during a school year through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), which is the longitudinal data system used to maintain individual-level data including student demographics, course data, discipline, assessments, staff assignments, and other data for state and federal reporting.27

28. Reporting Requirements (2)InputCensus Day DataCumulative DataTime-FrameFirst Wednesday in OctoberJuly 1 – June 30Collection TypePoint-in-TimeCumulativeCollection NameCensus DayEOY 3Resulting ReportCALPADS Report 1.17 and 1.18CALPADS Reports 5.4 and 5.5Data ReleaseMarch-AprilDecember-JanuaryFinancial ImpactLCFF and FRPMAll Other Funding28

29. Immunization Strategies (1)Some homeless students, upon enrollment, will not have the necessary immunization and/or medical documentation that is required. The LEA needs to enroll them, and then work with the homeless liaison and the homeless family with obtaining their documentation and/or actual immunizations. Here are some immunization strategies:Reach out the local homeless liaisonConsider establishing a school-based immunization clinic29

30. Immunization Strategies (2)Collaborate with schools and health clinics that offer immunizations to streamline the process to either obtain the records or the shots.Collaborate with state and local public health agencies.Communicate directly with school nurses or other health care providers.30

31. ResourcesGeneral Homeless Education information can be found on the California Department of Education’s Homeless Education web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/. This page includes the homeless definition, legislation, resources, sample documents, additional training opportunities and other web sites to visit.National Center for Homeless Education, which is the technical assistance center for the United States Department of Education, web site at http://nche.ed.gov/.31

32. Contact InformationHomeless Education ProgramIntegrated Student Support and Programs OfficeCalifornia Department of EducationToll-free Number 1-866-856-8214Email: HomelessED@cde.ca.gov 32