Education & Homeless Children Challenges and Promising Practices.

Education & Homeless Education & Homeless ChildrenChildrenChallenges and Promising Practices

McKinney-Vento & McKinney-Vento & Project HOPE-Virginia Project HOPE-Virginia

Dr. Patricia Popp, Virginia State Coordinator

Project HOPE

Web

Causes and Impact of Homelessness

CausesPovertySubstance

AbuseDomestic

ViolenceMental IllnessAffordable

HousingPhysical IllnessEconomic crisesNatural

disasters

Impact Absenteeism is

greater Developmental

delays occur at 4 times the rate reported for other children

Learning disabilities identified at double the rate

Twice as likely to repeat a grade

McKinney-Vento Homeless McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance ActAssistance Act

Education for Homeless Children and Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Youth (EHCY)

ProgramProgram

 Title X, Part C2001 Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act

Reauthorizes the Stewart B. McKinney Act, originally enacted in 1987

Provides states with funding to support local grants and statewide initiatives

Requires educational access, attendance, and success for homeless children and youth

McKinney-Vento Act, McKinney-Vento Act, EHCYEHCY

The child’s classroom may be the The child’s classroom may be the only only place where the child can experience place where the child can experience quiet, interact with children his/her quiet, interact with children his/her age, and experience success…age, and experience success…

School is the most normal activity that most children experience collectively…For homeless children it is much more than a learning environment. It is a place of safety, personal space, friendships, and support.

Oakley & King, 2000

An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth :

sharing housing due to loss of housing or economic hardship

living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate housing

living in emergency or transitional housing (What about housing first?)

Defining homelessness for EHCYDefining homelessness for EHCY

Including children and youth : abandoned in hospitals awaiting foster care having a primary nighttime

residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations

Defining (cont’d)Defining (cont’d)

living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations

migratory students meeting the description

unaccompanied youth meeting the description

Defining (cont’d)Defining (cont’d)

Fixed: Stationary, permanent, and not subject to change

Regular: Used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis (e.g., nightly)

Adequate: Sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments

Can the student go to the SAME PLACE (fixed) EVERY NIGHT (regular) to sleep

in a SAFE AND SUFFICIENT SPACE (adequate)?

Fixed, Regular, and Fixed, Regular, and AdequateAdequate

Appoint a local homeless education liaison in every LEA

For Virginia liaisons, visit: www.wm.edu/hope

Provide outreach and coordination to identify students

McKinney-Vento EHCY McKinney-Vento EHCY RequirementsRequirements

Enroll students immediately in local school OR

Maintain student enrollment in the school of origin when feasible and in the student’s best interestIncludes transportationEven across school division lines

Get the student enrolled and keep the student enrolled!

EHCY Requirements EHCY Requirements (cont’d)(cont’d)

Approx. one-third are families1.6 million children – one in 45 experience homelessness (NCFH)

1,168,354 in SY 2011-12, a 24% increase over three years (VA – 27%)

NCHE State Profile Pages

National NumbersNational Numbers

71% increase

Hot Meals & Homework Hot Meals & Homework @@

Thaler McCormick, CEO, ForKids

ForKids: Our MissionForKids: Our Mission

Breaking the cycle of

homelessness & poverty for families and

children

A Regional Call Center Adult & Children’s

Education◦ Educational assessment,

tutoring & school advocacy◦ GED & Life Skills

Clinical Services◦ Mental and physical healthcare

Housing Solutions◦ Emergency Shelter◦ Transitional Housing◦ Permanent Supportive Housing◦ Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing

Our ModelOur Model

Housing, Education & Clinical Services

ForKids TodayForKids Today

60 Residential Units

Service Teams in 3 Cities◦ Norfolk◦ Suffolk/Western Tidewater◦ Chesapeake

80+ Staff◦ 50 Full-Time

$5M Operating Budget

Daily Service Capacity: approx. 175+ Families

Our FacilitiesOur Facilities

Serving Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight & Southampton County

In FY13…In FY13…

Last year we assisted1,014 people (315 families w/ 637 children)

85% (128 of 150) of households exited to housing

Education of Homeless Education of Homeless ChildrenChildrenDownstream ImpactLower reading scores

Retention

Drop-outs

Lower wages Housing Instability

25

x

26

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and HomeworkStarted in 2007Partnership w/ Downtown Norfolk

Council Initial Goals:

◦Continue progress of residential programs after exit

◦Prevent another painful loss for fragile kids

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and Homework

The ModelPick up kids housed in the

communityPair them with volunteer tutorSend them hope with a hot meal

for the whole family

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and Homework

Lessons learned/program modifications

Target most at-risk kidsVolunteers are consistentVolunteers have education

backgroundsTutoring twice-weekly/childEducational advocacy

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and HomeworkEducational AdvocacyIEP meetingsManifestation meetingsParent/teacher meetingsTracking on-line systems

(eSembler, Parent connection, etc.)

Parent mentoring

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and HomeworkPerformance from August 2011 – July

2013:

82 children served in Norfolk

40 children served in Western Tidewater

98% of children were promoted

69% of children improved their grades and/or maintained a 2.0 GPA or greater

Hot Meals and HomeworkHot Meals and Homework

Looking Ahead…Remediation vs. tutoringCredentialed staffCloser affiliation with the public

schoolsAssessments

◦Gates Macginitie reading assessment◦Star Math

Scale…

“Poverty is a veil that obscures the face of greatness.”

- Khalil Gibran

Dearsley Vernon, McKinney-Vento Specialist

Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System

Annabelle Suddreth, Executive DirectorA Child’s Place

BackgroundBackgroundCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

◦144,000 students in 160 schools◦53% of students are Economically

Disadvantaged◦73 Title I Schools

McKinney-Vento Students◦2012-2013: 4,770 MCV students ◦2011-2012: 4,922 MCV students◦2010-2011: 4,711 MCV students◦2009-2010: 4,453 MCV students

MCV in Charlotte-MecklenburgMCV in Charlotte-Mecklenburg

• District Liaison• School Liaisons• Coordination with Transportation, Child Nutrition,

Student Placement, Family/Community Services, International Center, Title I, School Health

• Coordination with A Child’s Place and other Community Resources/Agencies

• MCV students identified in 98% of our schools

Schools with large MCV populationsUnique needs of MCV studentsNational data paints a sad pictureTargeted support to this group of

students betters the overall schoolIncorporate the physical, social,

emotional, and academic needs9 MCV social workers serving 9

schools

Why MCV Social Workers?Why MCV Social Workers?

Role of MCV Social WorkerRole of MCV Social WorkerGeneral School Social Worker

◦Responsible for ENTIRE school◦Focus on attendance, crisis and other

critical issues

McKinney-Vento School Social Worker◦Spotlight on MCV students and families◦Attendance and Transportation◦Academic Challenges◦Social/Emotional Needs◦Family Needs Assessment◦General School Support

9 MCV Social Workers-6 High schools, 2 K-8 schools (year round), 1 Elementary school

Trainings for all MCV Liaisons at every school

MCV Assessment connects siblings at other schools (A Child’s Place assists with that also)

Services Fair-connects schools with community resources

District ConnectionsDistrict Connections

Enrollment Stability Average Daily Enrollment Stability Average Daily Attendance Attendance

2011-12 2012-13

94% 94%

93% 92%

91% 92%

89% 84%

85% 82%

85% 81%

86% 83%

84% 88%

89% 84%

School 2011-12

2012-13

Billingsville ES

85% 92%

Bruns K-8 73% 89%

Druid Hills K8 70% 85%

Garinger HS 90% 86%

Harding HS 82% 83%

Myers Park HS

67% 82%

Vance HS 82% 84%

W Charlotte HS

79% 87%

W Meck HS 90% 92%

OutcomesOutcomes

Cohort Graduation RatesCohort Graduation Rates

OutcomesOutcomes

School 2011-12 2012-13

Garinger HS 88% 92%

Harding HS 50% 88%

Myers Park HS 83% 77%

Vance HS 90% 96%

W Charlotte HS 69% 91%

W Meck HS 83% 88%

A Child’s Place OverviewA Child’s Place Overview• Began in 1989 as a one-room classroom• 2,656 students served (56%) in 2012-2013• Concentrates in 33 elementary and middle

schools• Works to erase impact of homelessness• Programs focus on student support,

academic support, parent support and summer day camp

Team ApproachTeam Approach Serves 33 elementary and middle

schools Service Models:

oSchool-based model – 1 Social Worker and 1 Student Advocate located in 1-2 schools

oFlex Team Model - 1 Social Worker and 1 Student Advocate serving 6 schools

oBrief Contacts

Community ResourcesCommunity Resources• Leverage community resources to

provide basic needs and volunteers• Over 150 community partnerships with

service providers, government, businesses and faith community

• Participate in community coalitions and collaborations that benefit homeless children

Outcomes (2012-2013)Outcomes (2012-2013)Reached 2,656 of the 4,770 identified homeless

children (56%) in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in 2012-2013:

99% were promoted to the next grade level92% received a passing grade in reading92% received a passing grade in math70% had an

average or better attendance rating by the final marking period

92% had an average or higher behavior rating by the final marking period

65% had at least one health need met34% of children with educational gaps were identified

and addressed

Dr. Pat PoppProject Hope-VA – State Coordinator

[email protected]

Thaler McCormickForKids - Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

Dearsley VernonCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools - McKinney-Vento

[email protected]

Annabelle SuddrethA Child’s Place - Executive Director

[email protected]

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