“Not Every Student Has a Residence”

Knowing and Using the McKinney-Vento

Law to Mitigate the Effects of

Homelessness and Mobility on Student

Achievement

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THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW: CRUCIAL

COMPONENT OF EDUCATOR

CERTIFICATION

ENSURING THAT CERTIFIED EDUCATORS

KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE LAWS

REGARDING HOMELESS STUDENTS and are

PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT THE LAW

PRESENTER

Vicky S. Dill, Ph.D. Program Coordinator

Texas Homeless Education Office

vickydill@austin.utexas.edu

Call 512-475-9715 Or 1-800-446-3142

“GOOGLE” TEXAS HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE;

THERE IS A DIRECTORY OF PERSONNEL

THEO PROVIDES PRESENTATIONS FOR

INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

FULL PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR CERTIFICATION CANDIDATES AT ALL LEVELS;

ALL PRESENTATIONS AND MATERIALS ARE FREE OF CHARGE

CONTACT VICKY DILL @ vickydill@austin.utexas.edu or

512-475-9715

THE TEXAS HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE IS

GLAD TO HELP

MOST AMERICANS THINK “THE HOMELESS”

ARE SINGLE MALES WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES

AND ADDICTIONS

THE REAL FACE OF HOMELESSNESS IS A

CHILD.

40-70% of all

homeless people

are children, and

they are in our

schools

• Across the nation, about 3.5 million individuals are homeless

• About 1.5 million of these are children

HOW MANY ARE HOMELESS IN THE U.S.?

HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE HOMELESS

IN TEXAS?

95, 868 homeless students identified by schools

reported to TEA in 2011-12;only two-thirds of

districts reported any homeless students.

Reliable sources estimate there are probably

about 200,000 if reporting was accurate.

UNDER-IDENTIFICATION IS WIDESPREAD

1/3 of TEXAS districts report “0” homeless students! These include districts that are Title One districts – the whole district is in poverty.

This is why we are trying to ensure that

all school personnel are familiar with the McKinney-Vento laws.

NEW IN THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR

• As of 2012-2013, the PEIMS information system has a “homeless” indicator;

• This initiative culminates 18 years of efforts to get the state to collect this data. You can ignore what you don’t count;

• Numbers will rise as administrators realize that identifying homeless students is now a federal law.

WHERE DO HOMELESS STUDENTS SLEEP?

THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW SAYS THESE

GROUPS ARE HOMELESS:

• Children living in shelters awaiting

placement in foster care.

• 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.

CHILDREN LIVING IN SHELTERS

CHILDREN LIVING IN CAMPGROUNDS,

SUBSTANDARD MOTELS, OR CARS

SLEEPING IN INADEQUATE HOUSING

Who is

homeless?

Families living in

doubled-up

situations because

they have

lost their housing.

MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES DOUBLED UP

In 2008, there were an estimated 13.9 million

households comprised of two or more families.

By 2010, the number of multifamily households

increased to 15.5 million, accounting for 13.2

percent of all households The Effects of Recession on Household Composition: “Doubling Up” and

Economic Well-Being. Laryssa Mykyta and Suzanne Macartney, U.S. Census

Bureau SEHSD Working Paper Number 2011-4 (2011).

COUCH-SURFING BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC

HARDSHIP, OR OTHER CAUSE

IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLEES

WHO IS HOMELESS?

Children and youth in temporary

foster care while “awaiting placement.”

Requires that principals, social workers,

counselors, and teachers know which

students are homeless and which are CPS-

related.

DISTRICTS MUST HAVE A FOSTER CARE

LIAISON AS WELL AS A HOMELESS LIAISON

Sec. 33.904. OF THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: LIAISON FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN IN CONSERVATORSHIP OF STATE. Requires each school district to appoint at least one employee to act as a liaison officer to facilitate the enrollment in or transfer to a public school of a child in the district who is in the conservatorship of the state.

SECTION 2. Requires each school district, not later than December 1, 2011, to appoint the liaison officer required under Section 33.904, Education Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2011.

Abandoned in Hospitals

Awaiting Foster Care

WHO IS HOMELESS?

Anyone with a primary night

time residence not designed

for ordinary use as a regular

sleeping accommodation

WHAT IS THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT?

A LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE TO NATIONAL

NEED

• This law was enacted in 1987 in response to the growing number of homeless families in the United States, a number which has exploded since 2007. Homeless families now number 3.5 million; 1.5 million are children.

• Prior to enactment of the law, some 50% of homeless students were unable to attend public schools because of the various requirements for enrollment: proof of residency, utility bills, birth certificates, immunization records, etc.

THE MCKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS

ASSISTANCE ACT: A FEDERAL LAW

• Knowledge of the McKinney-Vento laws helps educators know how crucial it is to identify homeless students.

• Reauthorized in 2002, this law is part of NCLB.

10/14/2013 CSOTTE 2012 DR. VICKY DILL 26

THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT: A FEDERAL LAW

Most districts have policies that detail how to

follow the McKinney-Vento laws; however,

many districts do not follow that policy.

Principals are responsible for ensuring the

registrar is trained in McKinney-Vento law.

HOW DOES THIS LAW HELP STUDENTS?

• Provides school stability so that homeless

students can attend the same school for a

whole year;

• Supports student attendance, academic

achievement and test scores, promotion in

grade, and graduation rates by drastically

reducing school mobility.

“For almost all of my life, I have never

had a place to call home. I have

questioned why I have to struggle so

hard to succeed while others do not

have to question whether they will go

to college. However, there is one thing

I have never questioned: My

education….My life and circumstances

have given me life skills, that in turn,

have helped make me into the driven

and passionate student I am today.” Khadijah Williams

Harvard University Class of 2014

HOW MANY KHADIJAH’S ARE

IN THE SCHOOL WHERE YOU SERVE?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ADMINISTRATORS AND

TEACHERS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS LAW?

• Students are excluded from enrolling in

school;

• Students become highly mobile and their

academics suffer; schools lose ADA;

• For each move a student makes from school

to school, they lose an average of 4-6 months

of academic progress.

MCKINNEY-VENTO LAWS FACILITATE ENROLLMENT

AND STABILITY OF HOMELESS STUDENTS

Ignorance of the law or failure to follow it

exacerbates all of the challenges poor

students face and increases the chances

both students and schools will fail to

serve all students. Our office hears from

victims of this lack of knowledge daily.

• How do you define

“homeless”?

• What resources are available

to homeless students?

• Which personnel help the

homeless families?

• How can I keep my students

in the same building all

year?

WHAT DO ALL EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW?

COMPLIANCE

EVERY SCHOOL MUST POST HOMELESS

STUDENTS’ RIGHTS IN THE FRONT OFFICE

POSTERS ARE

AVAILABLE FREE FROM

THE TEXAS HOMELESS

EDUCATION OFFICE. GO

TO OUR WEBSITE

UNDER “WHAT’S NEW”

EACH DISTRICT APPOINTS A LIAISON

• THE LOCAL LIAISON IS CHARGED WITH IMPLEMENTING THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW.

• CONTACTS AT EACH CAMPUS ASSIST THE LIAISON IN IDENTIFYING WHO IS HOMELESS

• BUT ALL DISTRICT PERSONNEL NEED TO IDENTIFY HOMELESS STUDENTS, UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS THEY FACE, AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

PROGRAMS SHOULD ENSURE THAT:

• Every principal and teacher knows the

name of the district’s homeless liaison

and the “signs” of homelessness;

• The word “homeless” is never used. It is

always safe to say a student is “McKinney

Vento eligible.”

SIGNS OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE

CLASSROOM

Students may be:

•lethargic, sleepy, and/or hungry;

•angry, rude, depressed, or “acting out”;

•displaying poor hygiene;

•frequently truant.

“SCHOOL OF ORIGIN” TRANSPORTATION

ENSURES CONTINUITY

• Administrators, teachers, counselors,

parents, registrars and all school

personnel should know about “school

of origin” transportation.

• This provision of the Mckinney-Vento

law provides district transportation to

and from the school the child

attended when s/he became

homeless.

UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING FOR

HOMELESS STUDENT SUCCESS

If principals, counselors, and teachers

know about and understand the

magnitude of change and stress

homelessness brings to students,

modifications can be made for the

students’ success.

MODIFYING FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

This may also include modifying arrival (tardy)

times so that students can attend the school of

origin. It may signal a need for modifying

curriculum for students who have no place to

study, no electricity, no materials, or no access

to a computer.

MODIFYING FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

It may also mean going the extra mile to ensure

that a homeless student can attend field trips,

participate in extracurricular activities, wear a

cap and gown, and have food over the

weekend.

CONSIDER USING THE “FLIPPED” CLASSROOM

• IF STUDENTS ARE FREQUENTLY ABSENT DUE TO

HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY HOMELESSNESS, THE

“FLIPPED” CLASSROOM MAY HELP. HOWEVER,

AVAILABILITY TO THE INTERNET AT HOME MUST

BE ENSURED

• WHILE DEFINITIONS OF “FLIPPED” VARY, THE

METHOD OFTEN INVOLVES USES OF VIDEOS OR

DVDS TO HELP STUDENTS CAPTURE WHAT THEY

MAY HAVE MISSED IN CLASS

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH

STUDENTS: A CRUCIAL STEP

• Do you remember a teacher who said

something to you or hurt your feelings and

you remember their words until today

verbatim?

• Teachers who build relationships with

students are the “stars” whose students

really achieve and thrive.

ENSURE THAT NEW TEACHERS DO NOT CONTRIBUTE

TO THE “SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE”

MOVING IS TRAUMATIC; POVERTY

JEOPARDIZES EVEN THE MOST

DETERMINED STUDENTS;

TEACHERS SHOULD REMEMBER THAT

SENDING A STUDENT TO THE OFFICE IS

ALWAYS A LAST RESORT – USE RTI

STRATEGIES.

CHARACTERISTICS OF “STAR TEACHERS”

OF CHILDREN IN POVERTY

• PERSISTENCE

• PROTECTING STUDENT LEARNING

• ABILITY TO PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE

• UNDERSTANDING “AT-RISK” STUDENTS

• PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO STUDENTS

• ABILITY TO FIGHT BURNOUT

• EXHIBITING FALLIBILITY

READING SUGGESTIONS

• JENSEN, ERIC: TEACHING WITH POVERTY

IN MIND. WWW.ASCD.ORG

• HABERMAN, MARTIN: STAR TEACHERS:

THE IDEOLOGY AND BEST PRACTICE OF

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS.

WWW.HABERMANFOUNDATION.ORG

School is often, if not always, the most stable anchor in the life of a child in a homeless

situation.

HOMELESS: NOT HOPELESS

WEB AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth www.naehcy.org

• National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) www.serve.org/nche

• National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty www.nlchp.org

• United States Department of Education; McKinney-Vento Program www.ed.gov/OFFICES/CEP

• National Coalition for the Homeless www.nationalhomeless.org

• The Haberman Educational Foundation. www.habermanfoundation.org; 1-800-667-6185

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

http://www.utdanacenter.org/theo// OR

GOOGLE

“TEXAS HOMELESS EDUCATION OFFICE”

PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS AND LIAISONS

SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE MCKINNEY-

VENTO RESOURCE PACKET WHICH IS

AVAILABLE FREE FROM REGION 10.

GO TO

https://utexascns.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5

1I3TE8tbsRLmBe

CALL 1-800-446-3142