Enhancing Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness - Insights and Strategies

Homeless Education Program TONY THURMOND State Superintendent of Public Instruction ADMINISTRATOR S ROLE TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT AMONG STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS September 2020

Thank you for being a part of this presentation Welcome This PowerPoint presentation is available on the California Department of Education s web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/docum ents/ehcyforadministrators.pptx 2

Presentation Outcomes Know state and national level data Define homelessness Aware of best practices Build a homeless liaison network Know dispute resolution in relation to enrollment, school selection, and transportation Recognize signs of homelessness Identify funding options Resources 3

Is Every Child Ready to Learn? Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs 4

Educations Role in Learning Education has a role in a student s physical needs to be ready to learn Oxygen, food, and water Education has a role in a student s security needs Safety, shelter, and stability Education has a role in a student s social needs Love, belonging, and inclusion 5

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America National Risk of Experiencing Homelessness (1 of 2) Kull, M. A., Morton, M. H., Patel, S., Curry, S., & Carreon, E. (2019). Missed opportunities: Education among youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in America. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. https://www.chapinhall.org/wp- content/uploads/ChapinHall_VoYC_Education-Brief.pdf 6

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America National Risk of Experiencing Homelessness (2 of 2) Study conducted in November 2019 by M. Morton, A. Dworsky & G.M. Samuels (2019) The ninth in a series of Research-to-Impact briefs by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago on understanding and addressing youth homelessness Study highlights research on the intersection between youth homelessness and educational disruption 7

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Risk of Experiencing Homelessness AmongSubpopulations (1 of 2) Youth reporting an annual household income of less than $24,000 had a 162 percent higher risk of experiencing homelessness African American youth had an 83 percent higher risk of experiencing homelessness 8

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Risk of Experiencing Homelessness AmongSubpopulations (2 of 2) Hispanic, non-White youth had a 33 percent higher risk Unmarried parenting youth had a 200 percent higher risk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth had a 120 percent higher risk 9

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America (1 of 2) Rural versus Nonrural Rates of youth 13 17 years of age experiencing homelessness were similar in rural and nonrural areas 4.2 percent in urban counties 4.4 percent in rural counties 10

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America (2 of 2) Rural versus Nonrural Rates of youth 18 25 years of age experiencing homelessness were similar in rural and nonrural areas 9.6 percent in urban counties 9.2 percent in rural counties 11

Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Chronic Absenteeism California Dashboard 2019-2020 (1 of 2) 12

California Dashboard Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Suspension Rates 2019-2020 (2 of 2) 13

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Education Can Make A Difference Lack of a high school diploma or the General Educational Development Test is the number one risk factor for young adult homelessness, increasing the likelihood of homelessness by 346 percent 14

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Study Recommendations (1 of 3) Identify youth who are at risk of experiencing homelessness earlier before they reach a crisis Strengthen coordination among school support staff, local service providers, and others to provide appropriate and timely supports to students and families 15

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Study Recommendations (2 of 3) Create a single point of contact for students experiencing homelessness California Department of Education (CDE) recommends to do this at both the site and local educational agency (LEA) level Help advance young people s educational aspirations by supplying youth with information about educational opportunities 16

Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America Study Recommendations (3 of 3) Collaborate among local Continuums of Care, runaway and homeless youth service providers, and other schools, and LEAs to promote coordination of resources and services CDE encourages LEAs to reach out to the following: Motels or hotels Faith-based and local governmental agencies Shelters, including domestic violence shelters Local county offices of education 17

Definition of Homeless (1 of 4) Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence An adequate residence is one that is sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments A fixed residence is one that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to change A regular residence is one that is used on a normal, standard, and consistent basis 18

Definition of Homeless (2 of 4) Sharing of housing due to economic hardship, loss of housing, and natural disasters There is no time limit on homelessness Motels and hotels Public or private place not designed for sleeping Trailer parks and campgrounds 19

Definition of Homeless (3 of 4) Cars, parks, and abandoned buildings Substandard means falling short of a standard or norm and can be determined by considering: Health and safety concerns Number of occupants per square foot Age of occupants State and local building codes 20

Definition of Homeless (4 of 4) Living in emergency or transitional shelters Migratory children who qualify as homeless Abandoned in hospitals Homeless unaccompanied youth is a youth that is not in the physical custody of their parent or guardian and meets the definition of homelessness 21

Questions 22

Homeless Education Model MANDATED RECOMMENDED Designate an LEA liaison Train LEA staff Identify students Enroll students Provide transportation Referral for supports Provide services Maintain student information Designate site specific liaisons Conduct daily/weekly check-ins Call families Communicate with local agencies and shelters Develop engagement activates Build relationships Encourage internal communications 23

Homeless Liaison Network Teacher Parent Partners Aides Afterschool Staff Cafeteria Staff Homeless Liaison Motels Office Staff Principal Student Success Teams Parent Nurse 24

LEA Homeless Liaisons California Education Code (EC) 48852.5 states that LEAs must designate a Homeless Liaison A list of all homeless liaisons can be found on the CDE Homeless Education web site at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/ 25

LEA Homeless Liaisons Suggested Duties Designate site specific liaisons Conduct daily/weekly check-ins Call or text families Communicate with local agencies and shelters Develop engagement activities Build relationships Encourage internal communications 26

Strategies to Prioritize Homeless Students (1 of 4) Designate a liaison at each school site Funding options for to support a stipend or funding may include: Stipend from Title I, Part A Education Homeless Children and Youth grant funds 27

Strategies to Prioritize Homeless Students (2 of 4) Include housing instability as an indicator of academic or performance barriers for referrals to Student Success Teams (SST)/Care teams SST coordinators can review twice annually student information systems for students needing academic or other educational supports 28

Strategies to Prioritize Homeless Students (3 of 4) For the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Identify academic and performance strategies for homeless student populations with designated funding Set aside Title I, Part A funds for homeless student supports and builds school stability 29

Strategies to Prioritize Homeless Students (4 of 4) Call, visit, or contact each family or student to build trust and a supportive relationship and school engagement Consider an intake process for every child or youth experiencing homelessness to include tutoring, social worker contacts and regular counselor check-ins 30

Immediate Enrollment Once an LEA identifies a student experiencing homelessness, the student must be immediately enrolled in either: School of residence or, School of origin Documentation is not needed 31

School of Origin (1 of 2) DEFINED DURATION The school last attended when permanently housed The entire time they are homeless and until the end of any academic year in which they move into permanent housing The school last enrolled A school that the child/youth has a connection to and attended in the last 15 months If permanently housed, to remain in the school through graduation (best interest determination) Is in the best interest of the child EC Section 48852.7 32

School of Origin (2 of 2) 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 33

Dispute Resolution (1 of 3) If the STUDENT or PARENT does not agree with determination of enrollment related to school of origin, the student must be enrolled and given services by the LEA and the Student or Parent may initiate a dispute If the LEA does not agree that the school selection is based on either the school of origin or the school of residence, or does not feel the school is in the best interest of the student, then the LEA must immediately enroll the student and may initiate a dispute 34

Dispute Resolution (2 of 3) The LEA is required to have current Board Policy related to the educational rights of homeless youth, including the right to a dispute resolution process. Commonly, the California School Board Association (CSBA) provides sample guidance (Board Policy 6173), if the LEA is affiliated with CSBA 35

Dispute Resolution (3 of 3) Dispute Resolution Guidance can be found on the CDE Homeless Education web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/documents/disputeres olutionletter2020.docx 36

Resources to Share Academic, Physical, and Social Emotional Signs The following three slides can assist LEA staff with identification of students living unstable housing situations Observation of the following academic, physical, and social emotional signs can support your staff to engage gentle and respectful conversations, and in turn, assist a student, parent or family experiencing homelessness Please consider distribution of the following three slides to your homeless liaison, teachers and office staff 37

Signs of Homelessness (1 of 3) Academic Consistent lack of preparedness for school Lack of attendance or connectedness to school Incomplete or missing homework Inability to reach parents Lack of interest in grades/achievement Lack of pride in work Lack of participation in after school activities Lack of participation in field trips/performances 38

Signs of Homelessness (2 of 3) Physical Fatigue May fall asleep in class Wearing same clothes for several days Inadequate or inappropriate clothing for weather Inconsistent grooming Persistent illnesses May horde food Chronic hunger Increased vulnerability to colds and flu Respiratory problems Skin rashes Lack of shower/washing facilities 39

Signs of Homelessness (3 of 3) Social Emotional Fatigue Poor/short attention span Unwilling to form relationships Difficulty trusting people Developmental delays Clinging behavior Poor self-esteem Aggression Extreme shyness Inability to part with/share belongings School phobia Old beyond years Overly protective of parents Fear of abandonment Anxiety, especially late in the day 40

Funding Options to Support Students Experiencing Homeless (1 of 3) Local Control Funding Formula WHEN: Annually in October HOW : Census Data with the CALPADS submission WHAT: Through the LCAP, homeless students are a subset of the socio-economically disadvantaged students (SES).The documented supports, services and resources are aligned to funding allocations. Per state audit, 5 10 percent of total SES have experiences related to homelessness 41

Funding Options to Support Students Experiencing Homeless (2 of 3) Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Grants WHEN: Three Year Grant Cohort beginning School Year 2021 22 COMPETITIVE GRANT APPLICATION: October 2020 HOW: Competitive Grant Application Process FUNDING ALLOWANCES: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/fiscal.asp 42

Funding Options to Support Students Experiencing Homeless (3 of 3) Title I, Part A HOW: LEA set-aside or reservation of Title I, Part A funds reported on the CDE Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/co/cars.asp HOW: LEA determines Title I, Part A set-aside based on identification FUNDING ALLOWANCES: Supplemental funding for transportation, additional supports and services above and beyond what all other students receive. CDE resource: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/documents/allowableexpenses.docx 43

Questions 44

McKinney-Vento Brief for Administrators https://nche.ed.gov/wp- content/uploads/2018/10/administrators.pdf CDE Homeless Education www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs National Center for Homeless Education www.serve.org/nche National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty www.nlchp.org Resources 45

Certificate of Completion Administrator Strategies for Students Experiencing Homelessness I hereby certify that I have fully reviewed the contents of this training with individual effort and agree to implement the provisions of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act. __________________________ ____________________ Participant Name and Signature Date of Completion 46