Resilience : Turning Tragedy to Triumph Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY)

1. Resilience: Turning Tragedy to Triumph Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) 2013 Federal Programs Conference June 19-20, 2013 Georgia Department of Education Federal Programs Division Grants Unit Presenter: Eric McGhee

2. Content • McKinney-Vento Act • Data Collection • Risk Factors • Does Caring Make Cents? • Resiliency • Resilience Defined • Increasing Resilience • Resilience Components That Help Students Succeed • Questions

3. McKinney-Vento Act

4. McKinney-Vento Act Definition of Homeless Students • Individuals whose nighttime residence is NOT: • Fixed—stationary, permanent, and not subject to change • Regular—used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis • Adequate—sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in the home (42 U.S.C.§11434A(2)(B)(i)) Can the student go to the SAME PLACE (fixed) EVERY NIGHT (regular) to sleep in a SAFE AND SUFFICIENT SPACE (adequate)?

5. McKinney-Vento Act The Homeless definition includes children and youth who are: • sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; • living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due the lack of alternative accommodations; • living in emergency or transitional shelters; • abandoned in hospitals;

6. McKinney-Vento Act Homeless also includes children and youth who are: • awaiting foster care placement; • living in 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; • living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus/train stations, or similar settings; • migratory – who qualify as homeless living in circumstances described above.

7. McKinney-Vento Act Definition of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) • Unaccompanied = not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian; in practical terms, this means the youth does not live with the parent or guardian. • 2-Step Process: • Does the student’s living arrangement meet the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homeless? • Once homelessness is determined, is the student unaccompanied?

8. McKinney-Vento Act • Unaccompanied youth have the same rights as other students experiencing homelessness. • Unaccompanied youth have run away from home, been thrown out of their homes, and/or been abandoned by parents or guardians. These young people are separated from their parents for a variety of reasons: • Over half report being physically abused at home. • Over one third report sexual abuse. • Over two-thirds report that at least one of their parents abuses drugs or alcohol.

9. Data Collection

10. Data Collection • Georgia – homeless children and youth identified by LEAs: • FY12 = 35,048 • FY11 = 31,384 • FY10 = 27,338 • FY09 = 23,724 • FY08 = 15,700 GaDOE Student Information System (SIS)

11. Data Collection:Homeless Enrollment by County Identified in SIS 1-50 51-149 150-299300-500 501-10001001-1999 2000+ White Background = 0 Homeless Students Reported State Total = 35,048

12. Risk Factors

13. Risk Factors What we know… • Turn to your partner and talk about some of the risk factors you know that are associated with homelessness.

14. Risk Factors Risk factors associated with homelessness… • Transportation, dropping out, admin. ignorance, intolerance, fees, school system, nutrition services, credits, lack of parental participation, drugs, food, mental health issues, feelings of safety at home school, deportation, immigration policies, school supplies, substance abuse, violence, domestic violence.

15. Risk Factors • Risk is the likelihood that a problem will be created or worsened under certain conditions • Being at-risk indicates someone is in a group with similar characteristics that is more likely than the general population to develop a problem Moore, National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE) 2013 Research Summary: Resilience

16. Risk Factors Deficit Model:The term “at-risk” may cause some to focus on the potential for failure. • This procedure of identifying risks is modeled after an application used in the field of medicine when doctors identify the sequelae (pathological condition resulting from a disease, injury, or other trauma) and then prescribe a treatment plan for curing the illness or disease (Brown, 2001). • This model focuses on the potential for failure in order to provide appropriate interventions to avoid this failure. This risk model assumes that these risk factors are a direct cause of a child’s inability to succeed. • The consequence is that many students become labeled “at- risk” when they have not demonstrated any failure (Brown, et al. 2001).

17. Risk Factors • Treating manifested behavior can be effective; however, it can take considerable man-power and cost. Recognition of these concerns has increased awareness among health care providers of the need for development of alternate programs. • One such alternative emphasizes the quest to promote children’s resiliency and competence to deal with stressful life events from the beginning, rather than offering assistance once emotional and behavioral difficulties have emerged (Cowen & Work, 1988; Weissberg et al., 1991; Wolff, 1995), and may well be more resistant to improvement. • Importantly, these programs assert that early intervention in multiple child contexts is of equal or greater importance than the implementation of treatment strategies later in the child’s development (Weissberg et al., 1991).

18. Risk Factors Negative Effects of Risk… • High-risk youth experience numerous risk factors • Additional risks have multiplicative effects • Best predictor of risk may be pattern of difficulty in several areas • Thresholds vary as to how much is harmful • Risk increases likelihood of poorer outcomes, but cannot predict specific results Moore, National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE) 2013 Research Summary: Resilience

19. Risk Factors Trauma and the developing child… • “Hardwires” the stress response • Elevates the level of stress hormones • Results in “embodied memories” • Impairs the development of the prefrontal cortex and executive functions • Learning to fear; danger can be anywhere Merkert and Wintermute - CLN Kids, 2012

20. Risk Factors Adverse Environments associated with poverty… • Poor nutrition, exposure to toxins • Lack of cognitive stimulation • Lack of support for positive parenting • Lowered expectations and self-fulfilling prophesies • Stress: • Which negatively affects executive function, • Which negatively affects skill development. Note: Parents are also stressed! Merkert and Wintermute - CLN Kids, 2012

21. Risk Factors Adverse effects associated with stress… • Gary Evans and Michelle Schambert’s longitudinal study of children in upstate NY tested children for both working memory and stress levels in the body. Findings: • The longer the time spent in poverty, the poorer their working memory, AND • The longer the time in poverty the higher their stress levels. • Factoring out the stress level eliminated the poverty effect. • Confirmed by Clancy Blair at NYU: • Higher levels of cortisol correlates with lower levels of executive functioning and lower performance in math, reading and writing.

22. Risk Factors What is unique about homeless children and families ? • Trauma • In the context of poverty • Housing instability, highly mobile Merkert and Wintermute - CLN Kids, 2012

23. Risk Factors Impact of Homelessness on Children… • 83% of homeless children have been exposed to at least one serious violent event. • Four times more likely to have health problems; • Twice as likely to go hungry; • Three times more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems; • Fewer than 25% of homeless children graduate from high school. • 30% of foster care children could return home – if they had a home Merkert and Wintermute - CLN Kids, 2012

24. Risk Factors Impact of Homelessness on Children… • Half of homeless mothers experience severe depression; • One-third of mothers have made at least one suicide attempt; • Over one-third have a chronic physical health condition. • 30% of homeless adults in the U.S. were foster children; these adults are twice as likely to have their own children placed in foster homes. Merkert and Wintermute - CLN Kids, 2012

25. Risk Factors Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

26. Risk FactorsA Vicious Cycle: The Function of Risk Factors Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

27. Does Caring Make Cents?

28. Does Caring Make Cents? The Cost of Dropping Out Nationwide Statistics • 7,200 students drop out of U.S. public high schools every day. • Each year, approximately 1.3 million students fail to graduate from high school and more than half are from minority groups. Diplomas Count, 2010 Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org

29. Does Caring Make Cents? The Dropout Issue in Georgia • 20,633 students dropped out in grades 7-12 in 2009-2010 school year. That is roughly 115 students dropping out every school day in Georgia. Belfantz & Letgers, 2004; Governor’s Office of Student Achievement 2009-2010 Report Card

30. Does Caring Make Cents? The Cost of Dropping Out National & State Statistics • Dropouts from the Class of 2008 alone will cost the nationmore than $319 billion and will cost Georgia almost $15.5 billion in lost wages over their lifetimes. July 2009 by the Alliance for Excellent Education

31. Does Caring Make Cents? The Cost of Dropping Out Nationwide Statistics • Dropouts are more likely to experience higher rates of unemployment, a greater likelihood of living below the poverty line and relying on public assistance, and more frequent and severe health problems. • High school dropouts are two times less likely to vote or participate in community service activities. Levin, Belfield, Muenning, & Rouse, 2007; SREB, 2005

32. Does Caring Make Cents? The Cost of Dropping Out Nationwide Statistics • High school dropouts are eight times more likely than high school graduates to be incarcerated in their lifetimes. • 86% of Georgia inmates do not have a high school diploma. • If the male graduation rate were increased by only 5%, the nation would see an annual savings of $4.9 billion in crime-related costs. Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Morison, 2006; GDC, 2007; SREB, 2005

33. Does Caring Make Cents? The Cost of Dropping Out “The math simply does not work for Georgia” • $3,800 per year on each K-12 student. • $6,800 per year on each university student. • $18,684 per year on each GA prison inmate. • $90,155 per year on each child confined by GA Juvenile Detention Governor Deal February 2011, Georgia Public Policy Foundation FY11 GDC Correctional Cost Report http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/pdf/CorrectionsCosts.pdf March 19, 2013 Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://www.ajc.com/news/news/georgia-tries-to-steer-more-juveniles-toward-help/nWs3L/

34. Resiliency

35. Resiliency What is Resilience? • A student who is resilient is one who, despite adversities and stress in life, manages to experience success in school and in life. • A process of positive adaptation despite being confronted with adversity. • Dynamic protective mechanisms that can facilitate success developed through interaction of the environment, factors and processes. • A process that leads to positive adaptation despite exposure to risks, such as homelessness. (Bernard, 1998; Brown, Caston, Bernard, 2001; Doll & Lyon, 1998; Henderson & Milstein, 2003; Luthar, Cicchetti & Becker, 2000; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998; McMillan & Reed, 1993; McMillan & Reed, 1994; Morrison, Brown, D‟Incau, O‟Farrell & Furlong, 2006; Pianta & Walsh, 1998; Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1996; Wang, Haertal & Walberg, 1998).

36. Resiliency Increasing student resiliency • Difficult to identify appropriate interventions: • Children are impacted by a multitude of people, circumstances, and systems. • Little understanding of how factors interact to influence resilience. • Recent research on improving children’s resilience is focused on executive function and self-regulation. Moore, National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE) 2013 Research Summary: Resilience

37. Resiliency Homelessness and Academic Resilience • Greater risk than impact of poverty alone • Risk may depend on: • Age: adolescents less resilient while homeless than younger students. • Living arrangement: many doubled-up parents perceive that situation as more detrimental to their children’s education than staying in a shelter. • Duration: extended homelessness leads to greater negative impact. Moore, National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE) 2013 Research Summary: Resilience

38. Resiliency Protective Mechanisms • Lower impact of risk • Maintain a high self-esteem • Create opportunities for success • Eliminate potential negative effects of risk factors • Critical during times of transition • Can direct students onto a positive pathway • Child may be exposed to risk, but armed with protective mechanisms and positively adapts (Doll & Lyon, 1998; Masten, et al., 1990; Pianta & Walsh, 1998; Rutter, 1987).

39. ResiliencyProtective Cycle Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

40. Resiliency Program Components that Facilitate Success • Take a moment and jot down some components in your program that you know have been successful with helping your McKinney-Vento eligible children display resilience.

41. Resiliency Program Components that Facilitate Success • Program Components • Tutoring, after school programs, class fees, partnerships, collaboration, annual training and communication (registrars, administration, counselors, school social workers, school nutrition, transportation). • Proactive measures: school of origin, program for unaccompanied youth (provide a place to talk ask questions and get linked to resources), life skills for students, consistent place to be, social work support services for students (individual/group counseling), work closely with parents, utilize community resources, family resource center where families can take showers, access internet, clothing food bank, homeless connect fair- haircuts, job aps., birth certificate, residential program get prep help with housing.

42. Resiliency Program Components that Facilitate Success • Forming Meaningful Relationships • Counselors, teachers, peers • Creating a caring environment • Providing basic needs • Providing transportation • Expedient enrollment • Equal access • Creating a sense of belonging • Policies facilitate increased access to school and students/families feeling more welcome in school • Creating community involvement in schools • Collaboration with agencies, businesses • Developing positive family relationships • Parent involvement • Identifying families and educating families about student rights and needs • Providing information and referrals to resources in the community (Bernard, 1998; Brown, et al., 2001; Henderson & Milstein, 2003; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998; McMillan & Reed, 1993; McMillan & Reed, 1994; Morrison, et al., 2006; Rutter, 1987; Wang, et al., 1996; Wang, et al., 1998; Werner, 1993)

43. Resiliency Meaningful Relationships • No conditions • Positive • High expectations for success and academic achievement • Counseling focused on social emotional support helps to establish meaningful relationships • Social workers focused on fostering strengths and adaptive skills - May lead to increased self-efficacy Bernard, 1998; Brown, et al., 2001;DeCivita, 2006; Henderson & Milstein, 2003; Jozefowicz-Simbeni & Israel, 2006; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998; McMillan & Reed, 1993; McMillan & Reed, 1994; Morrison, et al., 2006; Wang, et al., 1996; Wang, et al., 1998

44. Resiliency Meaningful Relationships • Positive relationships can either reduce the risk or reduce a youth’s exposure to risk. • Even brief encounters can provide building blocks for meaningful relationships. • Some say one caring person is best protective factor a youth could have. Moore, National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE (NCHE) 2013 Research Summary: Resilience

45. Resiliency Program Implications • Strategies • Forming new student support groups. • Take one on one time to meet and encourage students and welcome them to the school. • Mentoring focused on helping students solve problems. • Components • Give choices. • Construct opportunities to succeed. • Foster responsibility for self and others. Bernard, 1998; Brown, et al., 2001;DeCivita, 2006; Henderson & Milstein, 2003; Jozefowicz-Simbeni & Israel, 2006; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998; McMillan & Reed, 1993; McMillan & Reed, 1994; Morrison, et al., 2006; Wang, et al., 1996; Wang, et al., 1998

46. Cinderella’s closet for prom Food pantry at school- each family gets to take home food every week- delivered to site Partnering with local food bank Take photos of kids- staff activity- every staff adopts a student- data driven Ruby Payne – Professional Development Buddy Programs Providing a place to do homework Increase access and awareness to resources in the community Providing school supplies Sensitive to student needs (understanding the negative connection with term homeless) ResiliencyProgram Component Ideas for Creating Caring Environments Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

47. Resiliency A Sense of Belonging • Positive school climate - encourages one to one connections with students, teachers and administration • Peer programs designed to help students feel like they are a part of the school. • Teacher training • Policy • Procedures to facilitate prompt school enrollment, support for transportation, dispute resolution process • Providing shelters with school items (school spirit t-shirts, prom dress, memory books, graduation invitations) and school communication • Welcome the parents • Resource center for parents Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

48. Holiday helpers - parents volunteer and get gift cards to shop for kids - parents feel involved and kids feel connected to school and parents mentor families going through other situations Positive school climate - encourages one to one connections with students, teachers and administration Peer programs designed to help students feel like they are a part of the school. Teacher training Policy Procedures to facilitate prompt school enrollment, support for transportation, dispute resolution process Providing shelters with school items (school spirit t-shirts, prom dress, memory books, graduation invitations) and school communication Welcome the parents Resource center for parents ResiliencyProgram Ideas for Creating a Sense of Belonging Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

49. Resiliency Community Involvement • Coordinated school-linked services • Shared decision-making • Collaboration to provide integrated services geared towards facilitating academic success: housing, health, mental health Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012

50. After school programs service learning partnerships with community and colleges After school tutoring at churches. School buses will transport to site. Partnerships with local thrift stores, backpacks, Costco will often donate backpacks and fill backpacks Walmart - donation drive Collaboration with staff to provide for extracurricular activities Social networking with churches, rotary- Facebook page where teachers can share needs Swift resource.com Coordinated school-linked services Shared decision making Collaboration to provide integrated services geared towards facilitating academic success: housing, health, mental health ResiliencyProgram Ideas for Community Involvement Einspar, Ed.D., Facilitating Resilience in the Face of Poverty and Hardship 2012