CHARTER SCHOOLS FOLLOWING THE MCKINNEY- VENTO ACT DR VICKY DILL TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 1

DIVISION CONTACT INFORMATION VICKY S. DILL, PH.D TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 2

LEARN HOW TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY AND FULLY SERVE STUDENTS IN HOMELESS SITUATIONS.

HOMELESS LAW IN THE CHARTER ENVIRONMENT Understand and consistently apply the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act of 1987, NCLB Part C; Stay compliant with the law and avoid an audit by observing details and updates.

WHAT IS THE CHARTER’S RESPONSIBILITY? Supporting homeless students’ academic achievement Providing hope to overcome the cycle of poverty All materials found at: TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 5

WHO IS HOMELESS? WHAT MATTERS? Awareness Identification and PEIMS Coding Attendance/Achi evement/Succ ess

TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION © What is the Texas Homeless Education Office? 2.Where is it? 1616 Guadalupe Austin (TX) in The Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin 3.What is its role? Technical assistance to districts and the public: call

THE CHANGING FACE OF HOMELESSNESS We used to think of the homeless as single men who were “down on their luck.”

HOW MANY AMERICANS ARE HOMELESS? Across the nation, about 3.5 million individuals are homeless. (Artwork: NCHE)

HOW MANY TEXAS STUDENTS ARE HOMELESS? Texas homeless students served by academic year as reported by TEA: , , , , ,868

WHAT’S NEW AND DIFFERENT? PEIMS Data Reporting Changed Student Data - Identification Record Homeless-Status-Code (E1082) added to column 79.

UNDER-REPORTING IS WIDESPREAD In previous years, approximately 1/3 of Texas LEA’s reported “0” homeless students; The PEIMS requirement may assist in more accurate record-keeping; Sensitive inquiry and consistent use of a Student Residency Questionnaire are vital tools.

POVERTY IN TX CF. US Poverty in Texas Children under 18: 32% Adults 19-64: 21% Elderly 65+: 16% Poverty in United States Children under 18: 27% Adults 19-64: 19% Elderly 65+: 12%

BUILDING AWARENESS If your charter is in a low-income setting, you can calculate reliably that 1% of the whole population of the charter and/or 10-16% of families below the poverty line will be homeless. If your count does not match these data, you may be under-identifying.

ACADEMIC CATASTROPHE Students in homeless situations are typically 2-3 years below grade level; Every move costs as much as 4-6 months of academic progress.

MANY VETERANS ARE HOMELESS

HOMELESS STUDENT BEHAVIORS Loss of control/Loss of independence Mealtime stress – children in shelters experience “eat it here” demands; they may hoard food They may mourn stolen items or steal things themselves

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS? THE SINGLE MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTOR CAUSING HOMELESSNESS IS LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING INADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION MAY MEAN THAT FAMILIES MUST TAKE 3 OR 4 PART TIME JOBS; MANY STILL CANNOT AFFORD AN APARTMENT TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©

OTHER CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS FOR TEENAGERS, MANY RUN AWAY FROM ABUSIVE PARENTS; STUDENTS GET KICKED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY ARE PREGNANT OR GENDER DIFFERENT TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (“FRACKING”) AND HOMELESSNESS In the areas of Texas where fracking is occurring, rental prices rise as demand grows Families may move from one natural gas field to another, increasing student mobility Families currently living in the area cannot afford the raised rents

“FRACKING” AND HOMELESSNESS” Families may live in inadequate compounds, doubled-up, or in campgrounds or cars  -and-development-what-homelessness-has- do-fracking-america -and-development-what-homelessness-has- do-fracking-america TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©

HOW WILL I KNOW WHICH STUDENTS ARE HOMELESS? Appoint a homeless liaison Ensure full training of that person Carry out universal annual or biannual (2X a year) student residency questionnaire surveys

ENSURE YOUR LIAISON IS REGISTERED Homeless liaisons are found on the website of the Texas Homeless Education Office Directory. ectory/index.php ectory/index.php

UNIVERSAL IDENTIFICATION/NOTIFICATION MANDATE Canvas every student regarding their housing status at least one time a year at yearly enrollment time. If the charter works with special groups such as dropouts or parenting students, housing status should be canvassed more frequently.

WHO IS HOMELESS? According to the McKinney-Vento Law, any student who lacks “Fixed, adequate, and regular” nighttime residence is homeless. ~~Remember the acronym “FAR”~~

THE MCKINNEY-VENTO LAW SAYS THESE GROUPS ARE HOMELESS: Children living in shelters or transitional living residences 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.

WHO IS HOMELESS? Students sharing the housing of others due to economic hardship; Students living in places that are “not adequate” – such as those without hot and cold running water, electricity, or heat; students living in cheap hotels TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©

ABSENCE OF LEGAL GUARDIAN Schools may not condition enrollment upon receipt of proof of legal guardianship nor may they require caregivers to become legal guardians.

UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH It does not matter why a youth is inadequately housed (ran away? Parents want him or her back? Had a fight with the parents, parents fight with one another? Child pregnant, lesbian/gay) The question of eligibility focuses on adequacy of housing, no other factors.

IDENTIFICATION IS NOT OPTIONAL It is the law LEA’s are audited for their compliance to the McKinney-Vento laws Transportation is not optional if the charter is the school of origin

DATA REPORTING CHANGES The HOMELESS-STATUS-CODE is to be used by all districts for reporting whether or not a student is homeless and, if homeless, what their primary nighttime residence is at the time of identification.

AVOID AN AUDIT Identification must now be thorough, precise, and auditable. Retain records (student residency questionnaires) for each and every student for five years (electronic acceptable).

TRANSPORTATION If the student is enrolled in a charter school and the charter school transports its own students, the charter school would be responsible for transporting the student, even if the student is sleeping outside the district in which the charter school is located. If the student is enrolled in a charter school and the local district provides transportation, the district would be responsible for transporting the student, even if the student is sleeping outside the district in which the charter school is located.

TRANSPORTATION (CONT) If a charter does not transport its own students but a student becomes homeless at the charter, the charter must provide school-of-origin transportation. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©

WEB RESOURCES National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty United States Department of Education; McKinney-Vento Program National Coalition for the Homeless