1. Mr. and Mrs. Martin’s home burns down in mid July. They make minimum wage and cannot get rental property due to a history of evictions, so they stay at an inexpensive motel, while they decide on their next move. They go to the local housing authority to try to get some housing assistance. They are told that they do not qualify as they are able to pay for their own motel room. They go to their children’s school to enroll the children at the beginning of the school year, but are told the motel is not in their old attendance zone, and since they lost housing in the summer, MV school of origin doesn’t apply, so they must enroll in the district where the motel is located. The family has an 11 year old and a 15 year old. You are the liaison at the children’s old school. Your administrator tells you that you must direct this family to enroll in the district where the motel is located. As the family doesn’t know about MV – you are told that you shouldn’t inform them. Transportation for the kids will be quite expensive as they go to different schools, both far from the motel. Are the children homeless? Why or why not? Are they unaccompanied? How do you proceed at school? How do you address the administrator? What do you tell the family? How might you help this family find permanent housing? 1

2. Jane, a single mother with two school aged children loses her job due to excessive absences which she incurs while caring for her sick mother. She does not have the money to make her rent, and is evicted, so she and the children, ages 14 & 16, move into her mother’s home where she can continue her care. Her mother’s home is not in the children’s school district. Once the campus finds out the children are no longer living in the residency zone, Jane is informed that she must enroll the children in the district where her mom’s house is located. Jane contends her children are MV eligible and can stay in their school. The principal tells Jane that she chose to move in with her mother and is thus not eligible under MV. Jane contacts the homeless liaison for assistance. The liaison tells Jane that she cannot counterman the principal’s decision as she, the Liaison is an employee of the district and might lose her job as this principal doesn’t like her anyway. The liaison documents on the Student Residency Questionnaire that mom completed that she is living with her mother as a choice and not out of necessity. Is this family homeless? Why or why not? Are the children unaccompanied? 2

3. Jane and Ellen are friends. Both are 17 years old. Both have been kicked out of their homes. They decide to sublet an apartment from a guy they know, as they are too young to get a lease on their own. They both work part-time jobs and are able to pay the lower rent on this apartment. They aren’t able to pay for utilities too though, so, they do not have electricity at the moment. Both girls are in high school, but the apartment is not in their attendance zone. Both girls want to graduate with their class. They go to the housing authority to get utility assistance, but are told they are under age and don’t qualify. They do not tell their current school that they are no longer living in the district, but the school finds out and threatens the girls with fraudulent behavior and falsifying residency records. The girls stop going to school because they are afraid of being arrested for fraud. They are afraid to enroll in the zoned school because they are afraid they will report them to the old school. They decide they will just get a GED at some point and ask their employer for more day-time hours since they are no longer in school. One of their friends comes to you the homeless liaison at their current school to tell you about the girls’ situation. Are the girls homeless? Why or why not? Are they unaccompanied? 3

4. Susan, age 16, has a fight with her mother and leaves home without her mother’s permission. She stays with various friends a few nights here and a few nights there. She attempts to enroll in the district where her boyfriend attends. The registrar tells her she cannot enroll herself and must go back to the school of residency where her parents live. The Principal of the school tells the homeless liaison that he supports the registrar’s decision. Since Susan “chose” to leave home, she isn’t MV eligible. The principal feels she has a perfectly good home to go to and it’s her choice to leave it. The principal tell the liaison not to intervene. The liaison goes to her supervisor who supports the principal’s decision. Is the Principal correct? Why or why not? Is Susan an Unaccompanied youth? Is she MV eligible? Why or why not? Must the school report Susan as a runaway? 4

5. CPS asked the Jones family to take their grandchildren in while they investigate allegations of abuse against their mother. The grandparents take the children to the school near their home. The registrar tells the grandparents that they cannot enroll the children, that they must first get guardianship of the children. The grandparents take the children back to their old school, but don’t mention to the school what is going on. The grandparents provide transportation everyday to and from school. This takes it’s toll on the grandparents as they are living on a fixed income and the gas costs on top of caring for the children are biting into their meager income. The children’s old school learns through the children that they are living with their grandparents out of district. They call the grandparents to come get the kids as they can no longer go to that school. Are the children homeless? Why or why not? Are they unaccompanied? Was the registrar in their district correct about guardianship? Is the registrar at the students’ old district correct about withdrawing the children? 5

6. Bob is 16 years old. He gets into a fight with his father, an affluent lawyer in town. Bob’s father tells his son to just “get out”. Bob goes to stay with a friend. He spends a few nights on his friend’s couch in another school district. Bob’s teacher learns about his situation and calls you to see what can be done to help Bob. You code Bob as homeless and unaccompanied. Bob’s father comes to school and is very angry that you identified him as homeless and that your school is transporting Bob from his friend’s house to school. Bob’s father withdraws Bob. Bob re-enrolls himself. Bob’s father withdraws him again. The principal tells Bob he cannot keep re- enrolling himself as it is an administrative nightmare and the district does not want to deal with a law suit from his father. Is he McKinney-Vento eligible (homeless)? Why or why not? Is Bob unaccompanied? Can Bob re-enroll himself? How many times? Should you change the coding on Bob? Should you remove transportation services? How do you respond when Bob’s father says you are enabling his son to be a runaway? 6

7. Alice, age 19, moves in with her boyfriend and his family after her mother kicks her out of the house. She attempts to enroll where her boyfriend goes to school. This is not the district where her parents live. Nor where her boyfriend’s family is living, as her boyfriend is attending his school of origin as his family was homeless earlier in the school year, though they now are renting their own apartment. The registrar tells her she cannot just pick any district she wants to enroll in that she can enroll in the district where her boyfriend’s parents reside since that’s where she is staying. Alice wants to play basketball at the new school. She is told she will have to sit out the year. As Alice is a senior, this will mean the end of her chances at a basketball scholarship. Is Susan MV eligible? Why or why not? Is Susan Unaccompanied? Is the registrar correct? What are Susan’s options for school enrollment? What about transportation? What about basketball? 7

8. Tony Jones, a tenth-grader, who was displaced by hurricane Katrina, and his family moved to your district right after the storm four years ago. Your district identified Tony as homeless and therefore eligible for McKinney-Vento services due to the loss of his home because of the storm. Tony’s family intends to return to New Orleans as soon as they can afford to do so. They have not been able to make enough money in Texas to sustain their family. Tony’s family recently moved into a home that has no running water or electricity, but the rent is all they can afford. The parents attempt to enroll Tony in the school he is zoned to, but the school is doing assessment testing this week and ask them to come back next week after the testing days to then enroll Tony. Is Tony still considered homeless under USDE guidelines after 4 years? Why or why not? How would you make this decision? Is Tony unaccompanied? Should the school wait until after testing to enroll Tony? 8

9. Ron Anderson calls you to see if you can help him keep his 7 year old son in the school he attended last year. The district boundaries have changed and now his son is zoned to a campus 40 minutes away with normal traffic. His old school is 6 blocks from their home, but says it does not do transfers. Mr. Anderson is a single parent with a minimum wage job. His apartment rent is only $300 as he is renting from a relative. He states he cannot move into the zone for his son’s old school because he cannot afford to do so. Also, his aunt does childcare for his son as she lives close by the school and picks his son up from is after school program. She won’t be able to do this with the child at the school 40 minutes away, and that school does not provide transportation from its after school program. Father calls you for assistance. You the homeless liaison feel for this father and his situation. You believe it is in the child’s best interest to stay in his current school. You tell the father to say he is homeless and living with the aunt. He is sure his aunt will back him up on this story. They cannot actually move in with the aunt as she does not have room for them, and while willing to do childcare after school, she is not willing to have them live with her. Are Mr. Anderson and his son considered homeless? Why or why not? What things would you take into consideration? Is his son unaccompanied? What sort of assistance might the school be able to offer in this circumstance? 9

10. A school counselor calls you about a 14-year-old student who attends your district school. The student was just removed from her home by CPS and has been placed in a shelter in another district, while they attempt to find her a home. She wants to continue attending the same school. Neither district provides transportation to high school students. This student tells the shelter she will run away if she cannot stay in her school. You are a shelter worker trying to help the student. You haven’t been able to reach the CPS caseworker. You contact the school the student was attending and are told that since she is no longer living in the district she cannot continue to go there. The school tells you that the girl is a trouble-maker and does very poorly in her studies, and is not the kind of student the school wants. The school also tells you that since CPS has temporary custody the student isn’t considered MV eligible. Is this student homeless and MV eligible? Why or why not? Is she unaccompanied? Can she remain in her same school? Who must provide transportation and how will it be paid? Who is her legal parent or guardian? 10

11. 2 Jesse Montoya, 15 was living with his parents near Juarez. This summer, his parents sent him to stay with his aunt and uncle to escape the violence in their small town. His aunt brings him in to register for school in August. The Registrar tells them that he cannot enroll without a parent or guardian and without his birth certificate. Also, he needs his immunization records prior to enrollment. Jesse isn’t sure he has been immunized. The registrar talks to the principal who decides that the school should turn Jesse in to INS as he is not documented. Is Jesse considered homeless? Why or why not? Is Jesse unaccompanied? Can Jesse enroll without a parent or guardian? Can Jesse enroll without school records, a birth certificate or immunizations? What is your obligation regarding Jesse’s immigration status? 11

12. 3 Mary Lou, 17 is living in a van. She ran away from home because of her stepfather’s abuse. Mary Lou wants to enroll in your district. She believes she was immunized in Arkansas where she lived with her mother and stepfather. She cannot afford to get her records from Arkansas since she owes a book fine of $47. She is afraid to contact the school in case it notifies her mother and stepfather. The school registrar tells Mary Lou that she cannot enroll without a parent or guardian, and she needs to park her van elsewhere. Is Mary Lou MV eligible? Why or why not? Is Mary Lou unaccompanied? Is the registrar correct? Can Mary Lou enroll without a parent or guardian? Must you contact CPS regarding her disclosure of the stepfather’s abuse? Must you report her as a runaway? How will you get her school records from Arkansas? Can she remain in school if she was not immunized? 12

13. CPS removed the Garza children from their single mother who is charged with endangerment due to drug use. Their aunt Susan agrees to take the children. CPS dropped them off three weeks ago and Susan has not heard anything definitive about their case. Their mother is in jail. In August, Susan takes the children, ages 16 and 12 to register in her district. The registrar tells her she cannot enroll the children as she is not their legal guardian. Susan tells the registrar that she is a foster home placement by CPS. The registrar tells her she must get CPS to come enroll the children. The registrar does not believe the students are McKinney-Vento eligible. Are the students homeless and MV eligible? Why or why not? Are the students unaccompanied? Is the registrar correct CPS must enroll the children? Is Susan’s home a foster home? How would you know? Can Susan enroll the children without legal guardianship? How will you get the children’s school records? If the children have not had all their immunizations, can they be enrolled? 13

14. Jimmy, age 17 ran away from foster care for the third time. He is staying between the houses of two aunts. CPS has custody and knows where he is, but is not going to return him to a foster home. He goes to enroll in school. The registrar tells him he must get CPS or one of his aunts to come in to enroll him. Jimmy calls the CPS Education Specialist who tells him that he does not need either CPS or his aunts to enroll him as he is McKinney-Vento eligible - doubled-up with his aunts. Jimmy goes back to school and tells the registrar what the CPS Education Specialist said. The Registrar goes to her principal who comes out and grills Jimmy on his intentions to remain in school and tells Jimmy that they don’t want him to enroll if he isn’t motivated to attend regularly and complete his education. The principal tells him he should just get his G.E.D. since he is way short of credits. Is Jimmy homeless and McKinney-Vento eligible? Why or why not? Is Jimmy and unaccompanied youth? Who is Jimmy’s legal parent/guardian? Does he need his legal parent/guardian’s signature to enroll? Does he need proof of residency to enroll? Should the principal make sure he is “motivated” to attend school prior to enrolling him? Is the principal correct that a G.E.D. is the best option for Jimmy? 14

15. Mark, age 16 was living last school year with his mother who passed away. His Aunt in another district took him in and arranged for him to be transferred to his old school. Mark ran away from his aunt’s home where he has been living for 3 months. He has not been attending regularly since leaving the aunt’s home and is often late for school. He refuses to tell the school where he is staying. The principal tells the counselor to withdraw the transfer for Mark as he will do very poorly on the upcoming assessment testing and his grades are suffering. The principal thinks that Mark is on his way to being a drop-out and doesn’t want his school to have to deal with that. He tells Mark that he must enroll in the district where his aunt lives, or wherever he is currently staying. Is Mark homeless, MV eligible? Why or why not? Is Mark unaccompanied? Should Mark be treated as a transfer student? Is the principal correct to protect his district from enrolling a potential drop-out? Is the principal correct to encourage Mark to enroll in a residency zone school? 15

16. You are doing training at a school district where the following issues are brought up: School personnel say that they do not want the MV rights posters on campuses as families/students are “using” MV provisions to enroll in the district as this district is so much better than the surrounding districts - educationally, has a great art program, show choir, and sports teams. School personnel say that they do not have time to investigate every situation but they know there is fraud occurring. They say that the word is getting around how to use MV and that people know that the school won’t investigate because they don’t have the staff to do so. Staff say they know students aren’t homeless because they come to school in designer clothing and shoes and the parents drive nice cars. They make sure the kids cannot play sports at the district in order to discourage this fraudulent enrollment practice. How do you respond to these issues? 16

17. You receive a phone call from a parent who is having difficulty enrolling her daughters in school. She tells you that she is living in her truck with her two teenage daughters due to domestic violence. A friend told her to go to the school and make up an address. The registrar recognized that it wasn’t the address on the mom’s license and mom had no other documents. The registrar checked the map and found that the address supposedly near the school does not exist. The registrar tells the mother she is a liar and a cheat and cannot enroll her daughters in their district. The mom leave, taking her daughters to an air conditioned library for the day where she sees a poster on McKinney-Vento. She gets on the computer there and learns about the MV act and her daughters’ rights. She prints the information and takes it to the school to again register her daughters. While she is in line, she shares the information with other parents. The registrar is furious that she is sharing this information with other parents in line. The registrar calls the homeless liaison who talks to the mother, then tells the registrar that the mother is indeed homeless and the girls must be enrolled immediately without proof of residency. The registrar calls the acting superintendent to tell her that a mom is committing fraud. The acting superintendent tells the registrar not to enroll the students. The superintendent then calls the homeless liaison and tells her to stay out of the situation. The homeless liaison tells the mother she will lose her job if she further gets involved, but gives the mom the number to the state office on homeless education. Are the girls homeless and MV eligible? Why or why not? Are the girls unaccompanied? How many things can you find wrong with this picture? A17

18. You receive a phone call from a student who is having difficulty enrolling in school. The student says she is not being allowed to enroll without parent signature or proof of residency. She is living with a friend after her mother kicked her out of their home. You contact the registrar to tell her about MV. The registrar tells you that she didn’t actually tell the student she couldn’t enroll, she just told the student that the school needed the signature and documentation. Then the student just left. Is the student homeless and MV eligible? Why or why not? Is the student unaccompanied? What should the registrar have done? 18

19. 19 You have been counseling an eighth grade student who is failing her classes. She doesn’t complete assignments and is often tardy or absent. She tells you that she cannot talk to her parents and that you are the only one she trusts. She confides in you that she is sexually active as well as experimenting with drugs. Her mother has requested a conference with you this week to discuss her daughter’s academic progress. The student begs you not to tell her mother about her disclosures. What are the ethical considerations? What does your profession’s Code of Ethics say about this situation? Is there a FERPA issue? What would you do?

20. 20 The homeless liaison overhears a teacher in the break room tell other teachers that one of her students disclosed to her that their family has lost their home due to her father’s gambling and the family is living in a motel. This teacher found out about the situation several weeks ago. She is loudly expressing a great deal of negativity toward the father. Is this student homeless? Is the student unaccompanied? How would you handle coding this student as homeless and offering services if it isn’t the student or family that is telling you they are in the situation? What do you do if the family says they do not want to be identified as homeless? Is there a FERPA issue? What would you say to this teacher? What would you do to engage and help the family?