Children and School Mobility

Diana GrumanPsychology 556

January 2012

Objectives of Presentation

To apply school counseling knowledge to a case study of a mobile student;

To distinguish between different types of school mobility (migrant, military, etc);

To learn about the risk and protective factors associated with mobility;

To share key resources to support all types of mobile students.

Case Study— “Ana”

Please read the case study and the concluding questions.

What recommendations would you make to the person who worked with this case?

What supports does your school offer to students moving away or moving in?

Will Ana suffer in the long-term?

Probably not… due to certain factors:Intact family (social capital)GenderInfrequent school movementLack of other traumatic life eventsPersonality, resilience, or intelligence

Is moving positive for some kids?

Socially-astute and academically-talented students may thrive following a school move. Why?

Is moving negative for many kids?

Frequent school changes in elementary linked to significant drops in achievement.3 moves = 1 year behind in 6th grade math

Even one move during high school increases chance of drop out.

Emotional/behavioral and school problems are associated with mobility.

Why these outcomes??

Who moves frequently?

Primary-age and younger children

Step-families Families in poverty or

unemployed Maltreated children Low parental education However…not

necessarily tied to ethnicity

Why do children change schools?

Military FamiliesMigrant Farm

FamiliesCorporate ClimbersExpulsionsSchool ChoiceOthers?

Military Families

Why do children who live in military families seem to suffer less long-term consequences despite their frequent moves (35% in DoD schools), modest income levels, and low parental education rates?

Military Families

ANSWER:Two Parent Families ( 90%)Social/School/Welcome Services in

Receiving CommunitiesPrior Notice/ExpectationNormative Culture of Mobility

Migrant Families

Family migration for work disrupts students’ ability to complete courses and earn credit.

The Office of Migrant Education (started in 1966) administers grants to provide academic and supportive services to the children of families who migrate to find work in the agricultural and fishing industries.

Migrant Education Program

(1) provides students with services, such as academic (tutoring and summer school) and health services;

(2) allows school districts to share migrant student information electronically across state boundaries;

(3) encourages states to collaborate in administering state assessments and sharing lesson plans; and

(4) provides funding for “portable” education services, such as instructional booklets and CD-ROM learning modules that help migrant students earn school credits as they move from school to school or undergo extended absences.

Migrant Education—Key Program

Migrant Student Information Exchange:

A web-based database used to collect, maintain, and share student information to facilitate school enrollment, grade and course placement, and accrual of secondary school course credits.

Homelessness Defined

A. Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and

B. Includes —i. children and youths who are sharing the housing of other

persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;

ii. children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings…

iii. children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

iv. migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

Homeless Children & Youth

McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program requires all school districts to:

put in place homeless education liaisons; provide transportation to homeless

students who choose to remain in their school of origin;

How do we help?

School is the most normal activity thatmost children experience

collectively…it ismuch more than a learning

environment. Itis a place of safety, personal space,friendships, and support.Oakley & King, 2000

Tasks to Support Mobile Youth

Who am I? Children gain self-awareness and identity through their social interactions with others and their connections with possessions and places.

Frequent moves reduce, or even

eliminate, those connections. How can educators reinforce a sense of self?

Where am I? Security is tied to predictability in routine and location. When students move, that “known” is removed. How can educators quickly provide students with security and routine?

How am I? Frequent moves and the potential stressors of poverty may increase anxiety and impact “overall well-being and health, socioeducational, and emotional factors.”

What can educators do to reduce these stressors?

Resources---Homeless/Mobile

NCHE (National Center For Homeless Educ)http://center.serve.org/nche/index.php Reaching & Teaching Highly Mobile Kidshttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/

highly_mobile.pdf Project Hope—Virginia

http://education.wm.edu/centers/hope/ Tips for Supporting Mobile Students

http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/Portals/0/assets/RRHEP/pdfs/mobility.pdf

Resources---Migrant

ESCORT (Resources for Migrant & Mobile Youth) http://escort.org/

Washington Migrant Education (great resources and training materials): http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/services.aspx

Refugee and Immigrant Best Practices http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/imm_lia.pdf

“Help Kits” for Teachers of LEP Students http://www.escort.org/

Title 1 Funding

Services intended to ensure that disadvantaged children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and to reach proficiency on assessments based on the state’s academic standards.

Some school use funds from Title I, Part A to pay for services for mobile students such as: tutoring, after-school instruction, teachers’ salaries, technology upgrades, field trips, and staff training on addressing diverse needs of mobile and nonmobile students.

Promising Programs

After-School Apprenticeship Programs http://www.afterschoolsystems.org/section/asap

International Issues

Global Movement for Children http://www.gmfc.org/ 1. Prevent the root causes of child migration; 2. Ensure immigrant children’s rights are protected/ respected throughout the migration process; 3. Strengthen and expand child protection systems; 4. Enable children’s participation to influence policies

and strategies; 5. Enhance and expand lines of research; and 6. Promote joint and coordinated action from all actors.