Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit Revised September 2007 Homeless Coordinator Training

1. Local Homeless Education Liaison ToolkitRevised September 2007Homeless Coordinator Training

2. State Homeless Coordinator Kim Oligschlaeger kim.oligschlaeger@dese.mo.gov Phone: 573-522-8763 or 573-526-3232 Fax: 573-526-6698 DESE’s Website: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/index.html State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

3. Table of Contents Chapters Appendices Tables

4. Chapter One: Overview

5. Purpose of the toolkit is to provide LEAs with background information and sample resources to serve homeless children and youth. Toolkit provides: Guidance in identifying common barriers to educational access and success and creating solutions to address them. Sample tools to develop collaborative efforts, build awareness, and meet the educational needs of homeless students. Supplemental resources for further study and support. Chapter One: Overview

6. Chapter Two: Homeless Education and the Law

7. 1987 – Stewart B. McKinney Act signed into law 1990 – McKinney Act amended 1994 – Education portion of McKinney Act included in Improving America’s School Act (IASA) 2001-2002 – Reauthorization as the McKinney-Vento Act Brief History of the McKinney-Vento Act

8. Table 1: LEA Responsibilities and Activities Ensure access to school and appropriate services Reduce school transfers and enhance educational stability and continuity Strengthen parental choice and involvement Ensure educational rights of unaccompanied youth Ensure access to public preschool programs for young homeless children Legal Responsibilities of LEAs

9. Head Start IDEA Title I, Part A The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 Impact of Other Educational Legislation

10. The term enroll and enrollment include attending classes and participating fully in school activities. Definitions

11. Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are: Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. 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. Defining Homelessness

12. Children and youth 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. Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in the circumstances described above. Defining Homelessness

13. Unaccompanied youth who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above. The term “unaccompanied youth” includes a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Defining Homelessness

14. Consider the permanence of the living arrangement Case-by-case basis United States Constitution, Article VI, known as the Supremacy Clause, which states that federal law supersedes state law when conflicts arise Defining Homelessness

15. Chapter Three: Local Liaison Roles and Responsibilities

16. Homelessness can be “invisible”. Post educational rights of homeless children in areas throughout the community and school district. Disseminate brochures or a flyer on the educational rights of homeless children and youth. Train staff on the definition of McKinney-Vento. Identifying Homeless Children and Youth

17. Note same addresses of more than one family Familiarize yourself with hotel/motel addresses Avoid using the word “homeless” Enrollment form questions Assist families who may be homeless Identifying Homeless Children and Youth

18. McKinney-Vento requires school to immediately enroll students experiencing homelessness even when they lack: Proof of residency Guardianship Birth certificates, school records, or other documents Medical records, including immunization records MOFAQ If unable to obtain prior immunization records within 30 days, begin the immunization series and demonstrate satisfactory progress has been accomplished within 90 days. Required dress code items, including uniforms Immediate Enrollment

19. Review and revise legislation, policies, and procedures. McKinney-Vento Act requires enrolling school to contact the last school attended to obtain student records. Immediately enroll unaccompanied youth. Enrollment, Residency, & Unaccompanied Youth

20. Contact information is the only information that can be required/requested. Enrollment

21. Once a child has been identified as homeless, residency requirements do not apply: The school of origin School that the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. The school of residence Current physical dwelling where homeless child is sleeping. If the school of origin/best interest and the school of residence are in different districts, the homeless coordinators of the two districts should work together to facilitate the placement. School of Best Interest

22. If a student becomes homeless during the school year and temporarily resides in a different attendance area, the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth and the district Homeless Coordinator should decide whether or not it is in the student’s best interest to remain at the school of origin. The homeless child may remain in the school of origin for the remainder of the academic year. School where the homeless child is sleeping (school of residence) and the school district where the child is attending (school of origin) need to work together to arrange transportation. Must equally split the cost of transportation. Reimbursement for transportation expenses is available to public school districts when the district is not already receiving a homeless grant from DESE. Transportation

23. Table 2. Potential Enrollment Barriers and Possible Solutions Dispute Resolution Educational Services Evaluating the Effectiveness of Local Programs Local Liaison Roles and Responsibilities

24. I. School District Level -- Every effort must be made to resolve the complaint or dispute at the school district level before it is brought to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is the responsibility of the school district (the district) to inform the complainant of the district’s Complaint Resolution Procedure when a question concerning the education of a homeless child or youth arises. A. Notify the district’s homeless coordinator. The homeless coordinator serves as a liaison between the homeless child and the school the child attends. Someone in the school or in the superintendent’s office will be able to identify the homeless coordinator. 1. Request a copy of or access to the district board of education policies addressing the education of homeless children and youths and review them. Make an appointment with the homeless coordinator to discuss the complaint. 2. If the dispute is not resolved after the initial discussion with the district’s homeless coordinator, the complainant can file a complaint in writing to the district’s homeless coordinator for further review. 3. In the complaint include a request that a written proposed resolution of the dispute or a plan of action be provided within five (5) days* of the date the complaint was received by the district’s homeless coordinator. A review of the proposal or plan of action with the homeless coordinator should follow. Missouri’s Dispute Resolution Process as it Applies to Homeless Children and Youth

25. B. If the dispute is not resolved at the homeless coordinator level, the complaint may be forwarded to the superintendent of the district for review followed by a meeting with the superintendent to discuss the dispute. The complainant should request from the superintendent a written resolution within five (5) days* of the date of the discussion. C. If the dispute is not resolved at the superintendent level, the complainant may take the matter before the school district board of education for resolution. II. State Level -- If the dispute is not resolved in a satisfactory manner at the school district level, the complaint may be brought to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Complaints made under this process must be made in writing and signed by the complainant. The following steps are to be taken: A. Address the complaint to the State Homeless Coordinator, Federal Discretionary Grants, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102. B. Include in the complaint: 1. a detailed description of the dispute 2. the name(s) and age(s) of the children involved 3. the name(s) of involved school district personnel and the district(s) they represent 4. a description of attempts that were made to resolve the issue at the school district level Missouri’s Dispute Resolution Process as it Applies to Homeless Children and Youth

26. C. The Director of Federal Discretionary Grants (the director) will inform the involved school district(s) of the complaint. The director or the director’s designee will gather needed information including documentation and statements of the parties and may conduct an independent investigation through an on-site visit if necessary. D. Within thirty (30) days* after receiving a complaint, the director will resolve the complaint and will inform the parties, in writing, of the decision. If a complainant disagrees with the director’s decision, the complainant may, within ten (10) working days, appeal the decision to the Deputy Commissioner of Education. This appeal must be in writing and state why the complainant disagrees with the decision. F. Within (thirty) 30 days** after receiving the appeal, the Deputy Commissioner of Education will render a final administrative decision and notify the complainant and all other interested parties in writing. G. While the dispute is ongoing, the child(ren) in question must be enrolled in school. If the dispute revolves around which school is the school of best interest for the child, the child shall remain in the school they currently attend until the dispute is resolved, unless arrangements already implemented allow the child to attend the school of origin. * The parties may mutually agree on an extension; however every effort should be made to resolve the complaint in the shortest possible time. ** Although the standard procedure allows thirty (30) days for a response, every effort will be made to resolve the complaint in the shortest possible time. Missouri’s Dispute Resolution Process as it Applies to Homeless Children and Youth

27. Table 3. Responsibilities for Local Homeless Education Liaisons Policies and Procedures Enrollment and access to educational services Outreach Unaccompanied Youth Suggested activities to ensure district-wide compliance Legally Required LEA Responsibilities (Homeless Coordinator) a Local Liaison May Fulfill

28. Assist with immediate enrollment Make school placement decisions Handle enrollment disputes Prohibit the segregation of homeless children and youth Provide/arrange transportation & inform of transportation services Inform about educational opportunities available Disseminate public notice of rights LEA Liaison (Homeless Coordinator) Responsibilities

29. Each district in Missouri has a homeless coordinator Screen 03 of Core Data Must be board approved for MSIP purposes Once a student has been identified, or there is cause to believe that a student is homeless, they should be referred to your district’s homeless coordinator for a decision to be made on their homeless status. School’s Homeless Coordinator

30. Chapter Four: Strategies for Meeting the Educational Needs of Homeless Children and Youth

31. Eliminate Enrollment Barriers School District Procedures Needs Assessment to be Conducted Identify Community Contacts Provide Outreach to Schools and the Community McKinney-Vento Act

32. Enrollment Identification Needs Assessment Placement Services Records Transfer Homeless Coordinator Resolution of Grievances All are required. Applies to all districts, whether or not homeless students are identified. Review, Revise, and Develop Local Policies and Procedures

33. Other district homeless coordinators are a resource Have a back up homeless coordinator in the district Collaborate with Other School District Programs

34. Ensure access to other educational programs Table 4: Ensuring Access to Other Educational Programs What can school personnel do? What can classroom teachers do? What can parents do? What can you do?

35. Chapter Five: Developing Collaborative Efforts

38. Identify Potential Partners Levels of Collaborative Efforts Initiating the Collaboration Developing the Collaboration Working with Other Departments in Your School District Special Education Title I, Part A Collaboration

39. Method #1 Reserve the set aside amount on what you would be eligible for if you were applying for a McKinney-Vento subgrant. Method #2 Reserve the set aside amount based on a percentage. Method #3 Reserve the set aside amount based on your homeless student count and Title I, Part A per-pupil allocation. Method #4 Reserve the set aside amount based on homeless student’s needs. Title I & Homeless Set Aside

40. Title I funds may not be used to transport homeless children and youth.

41. Before-school, after-school, and/or summer programs Outreach services to students living in shelters, motels, and other temporary residences to help identify homeless children and youth and advise them of available school programming Basic needs such as clothing, uniforms, school supplies, and health-related needs Counseling services The hiring of teachers, aides, and tutors to provide supplemental instruction to students whose achievement is below grade level The work of the local liaison Parental involvement programs that make a special effort to reach out to parents in homeless situations Research-based programs that benefit highly mobile students Data collection to assess the needs and progress of homeless and other highly mobile students Use Of Title I Funds

42. Chapter Six: Getting the Message Out

43. Distribute posters & brochures on homelessness to all staff members Develop a website Communicate via e-mail In-service on homelessness School districts’ cable television channels School bulletins Contact community members Vehicles for Communication

44. Chapter Seven: Research and Resources

45. Other Homeless Coordinators http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/HomelessCoordinators.pdf State Homeless Coordinator Kim Oligschlaeger e-mail kim.oligschlaeger@dese.mo.govphone 573-522-8763 and fax 573-526-6698 MODESE’s Homeless Webpage http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/index.html National Center for Homeless Education http://www.serve.org/nche/products.php National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty http://www.nlchp.org/ National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth http://www.naehcy.org/ Research and Resources

46. Appendices

47. Appendix A: The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

48. SEC. 721. STATEMENT OF POLICY. The following is the policy of the Congress: (1) Each State educational agency shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths. (2) In any State that has a compulsory residency requirement as a component of the State's compulsory school attendance laws or other laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths, the State will review and undertake steps to revise such laws, regulations, practices, or policies to ensure that homeless children and youths are afforded the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths. (3) Homelessness alone is not sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment. (4) Homeless children and youths should have access to the education and other services that such children and youths need to ensure that such children and youths have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Legislation

49. Page 4 of 17 reviews LEA Requirements for the State to be eligible to receive funds Implement a coordinated system for ensuring that homeless children and youths— are advised of the choice of schools immediately enrolled promptly provided necessary services document that written notice has been provided no separate schools for homeless identify and remove any barriers that exist in school McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Legislation

50. Page 6 of 17 reviews the state plan: Identification procedures Prompt resolution of disputes Awareness of school personnel Participate in federal, state, or local food programs Enrollment delay programs Equal access Address problems Address enrollment delays immunization and medical records residency requirements Lack of birth certificates, school records, or other documentation guardianship issues Uniform or dress code items McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Legislation