Justin Singleton| McKinney-Vento Coordinator| CPM| Sept. 14, 2018 McKinney-Vento Update Tennessee Student Data & Attendance Supervisors Conference Justin Singleton| McKinney-Vento Coordinator| CPM| Sept. 14, 2018

Justin Singleton, MSSW McKinney-Vento Coordinator Consolidated Planning & Monitoring Division justin.singleton@tn.gov Office: 615-253-3101 Cell: 615-917-3750

Overview Homeless and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Eligibility. Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Act Common Data Discrepancies

Homeless and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Eligibility

Defining Homelessness Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth: 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 the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; and Living in emergency or transitional shelters, or are abandoned in hospitals. ESSA removes “awaiting foster care placement” from the definition of homeless with a staggered implementation timeline.

Defining Homelessness The definition also includes children and youth: Living in 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 or train stations, or similar settings; and Migratory children living in the above circumstances.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) For any child or youth, including an unaccompanied child or youth, to be eligible for McKinney-Vento services, his/her living arrangement must meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless. A guardianship issue alone (without homelessness) does not convey McKinney-Vento eligibility.

Unaccompanied homeless child or youth/ McKinney-Vento eligible M-V Eligible Student’s living arrangement (1) meets the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless and (2) the student is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian Yes  Yes  □ Homeless? Unaccompanied? Unaccompanied homeless child or youth/ McKinney-Vento eligible The student is served under McKinney-Vento as an unaccompanied homeless youth.

M-V Eligible Two important questions to consider when determining unaccompanied homeless youth status: Is the student residing with someone who is not a parent or court-appointed legal guardian? Why is the student with this person?

Common UHY Scenarios A family was evicted from their home. The family could not find a place where the entire family can reside. The scholar is staying with a friend or relative on a temporary basis. UHY. Parent is incarcerated and a relative agreed to care for the scholar. Parent made arrangements for the student prior to incarceration. Not an UHY.* *They are an UHY if the caregiver arrangement is not fixed, regular, and adequate.

Common UHY Scenarios The student was put out of home by parent and they are residing with someone that is not their parent or court-appointed legal guardian. UHY. The parent enrolled the student into school but left the area due to work schedule complications. Before leaving the area, the parent made arrangements for the student to reside with a family member. Not an UHY.

Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Act

Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Act The act went into effect on July 1, 2018. “A minor may obtain a birth certificate from the department of health and a state-issued identification card from the department of safety; provided, that the minor has been verified as a homeless child or youth by at least one (1) of the following: A director or designee of a governmental or nonprofit agency that receives public or private funding to provide services to homeless people. An LEA liaison for homeless children and youth designated to 42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii), or a school social worker or counselor. The director of a federal TRIO program or Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs program (GEAR UP), or the director’s designee; A financial aid administrator.”

Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Act An affidavit to obtain an identification card was created by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Driver Services Division. Personnel eligible to make the determination of homeless must sign the form. The unaccompanied homeless youth or parent/guardian is responsible for submitting the affidavit to the driver services center.

“Homeless Earlier This Year” Query

“Homeless Earlier This Year” Query “Homeless Earlier This Year” is a new field that flags students that were identified as homeless in a previous enrollment during the school year. Use this field to check the homeless status of students who transfer into the district or school during the school year.

Common Data Discrepancies

H-Homeless Student Classification The H-homeless student classification is the core homeless identifier for: funding, assessment, accountability, and other reporting. H-Homeless Student Classification (slide title) The H-homeless student classification is the core homeless identifier for: funding, assessment, accountability, and other reporting.

Homeless Data Discrepancy All homeless students should be identified with: the homeless (H) student classification AND one of the four homeless residence codes (01, 02, 03, 04) But as shown below for the state, over 500 students were identified with only one of the codes at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Homeless Data Discrepancy 1 (slide title) All homeless students should be identified with: the homeless (H) student classification AND one of the four homeless residence codes (01, 02, 03, 04) But as shown below for the state, over 500 students were identified with only one of the codes at the end of the 2017-18 school year. (Table that provides state level counts of homeless data discrepancy 1 discrepancies as of May 15, 2018. )

Homeless Discrepancy Example As shown in the table below, there are discrepancies If: homeless residence is “01-04,” but the homeless (H) student classification is “N;” or the homeless student classification is “Y,” but the homeless nighttime residence is blank, 0, or 00; or homeless earlier this year is “Y” but the homeless (H) student classification is “N” Discrepancies Sch # Last Name State ID Homeless McKinney-Vento Served Homeless Residence Homeless Unaccomp. Youth Homeless (H) Stu. Class. Homeless Earlier This Year 15 XXX Y 02 N   45 55 00 Homeless Data Discrepancy 1: Discrepancies (slide title) As shown in the table below, there are discrepancies If: homeless residence is “01-04,” but the homeless (H) student classification is “N;” or the homeless student classification is “Y,” but the homeless nighttime residence is blank, 0, or 00. (Table that illustrates discrepancies for homeless data discrepancy 1.)

Solutions

Solutions Make sure that you obtain a valid homeless residence code (01-04) from the person enrolling the student into the school. Never leave this section blank or insert (00). Homeless Student Classification (H) obtains a “Y” if the student is an unaccompanied homeless youth and meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless.

Solutions Train staff on the location of the homeless fields in your SIS. Use the homeless student list research query to check your homeless data at least once per month. Enter corrections in SIS and restage your data to EIS.

Solutions Year-end procedures should include: Making sure the homeless fields do not rollover into the next year; Enter end dates at the end of the school year; Contacting your SIS vendor to determine whether other “anti-rollover” measures are needed.