developing an effective school district homeless education protocol
DESCRIPTION
Developing an Effective School District Homeless Education Protocol. National Center for Homeless Education 800-308-2145 [email protected]. Get to Know NCHE. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
National Center for Homeless Education
DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE
SCHOOL DISTRICT HOMELESS EDUCATION PROTOCOL
The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) operates the U.S. Department of Education’s homeless education technical assistance and information center
NCHE has:Comprehensive website: http://www.serve.org/nche Toll-free helpline: Call 800-308-2145 or
e-mail [email protected] Listserv: http://www.serve.org/nche/listserv.php Free resources: http://www.serve.org/nche/products.php
GET TO KNOW NCHE
TODAY’S TAKEAWAYS
What is a protocol?What are the benefits of having a protocol?Strategies to develop, implement, or improve a
homeless student protocol Based on McKinney-Vento Act requirements Issues to consider for inclusion Possible collaborators
Detailed plan with set of standard procedures Formal agreement or understandingSpecific set of rules that all parties involved
understand and follow to create a predictable, logical sequence of action
Rules, guidelines, or customs of a group that should be observed by all parties
WHAT IS A PROTOCOL?
WHY CREATE A PROTOCOL?
Ensures all staff know who does what, when, and how Reduces delays in enrollment and attendance Improves consistency of responses within schools and
school districts Reduces likelihood of disputes Creates more positive interactions with community
organizations Increases appropriate service provision and referrals Enriches relationships with students and parents
Set of policies and guidelines for actionChecklists for what needs to be done Tailored for specific role groups involved
in serving HCYConsistent forms used throughout the LEAClear roles and responsibilitiesFlexible enough to be revised and
responsive to emerging issues
WHAT DOES A PROTOCOL LOOK LIKE?
Parents and unaccompanied homeless youthSchool secretaries, registrars, and enrollment staffSchool Resource Officers (SROs) and attendance
officersProgram administrators (Special Ed, Child
Nutrition, Title I, Migrant, Early Childhood)Principals and teachersTransportation directors and bus driversStudent services staffShelter-based school liaisons
WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED?
Determine what authorization or support you need from district leadership
Decide how to include stakeholder inputPlan for barriers you may encounter and ways to
addressSet a schedule and stick with the timelineCommunicate protocol
HOW IS A PROTOCOL IMPLEMENTED?
BASIS OF THE PROTOCOL
Liaison and LEA Responsibilities Identification and enrollment Link HCY to educational and related
services Inform parents and guardians of
their child’s rights Provide opportunities to participate
in children’s education Post public notice Mediate disputes
Inform parents, guardians, and UHY of available services, including transportation
Collaborate and coordinate with State coordinators, community and school personnel
Review and revise policies that act as a barrier: enrollment, transportation, immunizations, residency, birth certificates, school records, other documentation, guardianship
Give special attention to HCY not already attending school
BASIS OF THE PROTOCOL
LEA Needs Assessmenthttp://center.serve.org/nche/pr/na_eval.php
Tasks and Priorities (LEA Toolkit Chapter 2)http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/chapters.pdf
McKinney-Vento Standards and Indicatorshttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/st_and_ind_2006_rev.doc Local Homeless Education Liaison brief http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/liaisons.pdf
HELPFUL RESOURCES
POSTING EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
NCHE’s educational rights posters http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/er_poster.php
POSTING EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
After-school programs
Public health clinics Weekly motels Laundromats Literacy Council YMCA/YWCA Beauty/barber
schools Public library 24-hour stores Grocery stores
BEST PRACTICE
Include McKinney-Vento information in district website, student handbook and on calendar Homeless education overviewEligibility criteria Information about family and youth homelessnessCauses, living circumstances, social and academic
consequencesContact info: Local Liaison, State Coordinator, NCHE
BUILDING AWARENESS
Create an annual calendar for trainingSchool staff: include various groupsCommunity agencies and organizations
Provide information on: Family and youth homelessnessEducation program overviewEligibilityRole of liaison and LEAMore info tailored to particular audience
Potential Warning Signs of Homelessness http://center.serve.org/nche/nche_web/warning.php
NCHE homeless education awareness informationhttp://center.serve.org/nche/ibt/aw_homeless_ed.php
BUILDING AWARENESS
ESTABLISHING COLLABORATIONS
Work together to establish procedures for HCY to receive services
Title I Title III Special Education Migrant Education School counselors School social
workers Preschool programs
Truancy and attendance officers
Transportation Nurses Food Services Family/Parent
involvement centers
ESTABLISHING COLLABORATIONS
DURING ENROLLMENT
Include questionnaire in all student packets List eligible living situations addressed in the lawDefine unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY)
Sample enrollment forms at http://center.serve.org/nche/forum/enrollment.php
Provide policy for front office and enrollment staff that establishes:Guidance on when to refer families to liaison Conditions when other staff may determine eligibilityExpectations for confidentiality
Where to discuss homelessness With whom to share information
Steps to ensure all siblings are identifiedExpectations for noting homeless status in
records
ENROLLMENT: STAFF PROCEDURES
Tips for talking with familiesDisplay non-judgmental mannerConvey interest in student’s well-beingQuestions to ask or avoid
Substitute terms for “homeless” In transition Living in a temporary situationDisplaced
Tip: Create flowchart to show how to handle different situations
ENROLLMENT: STAFF PROCEDURES
ENROLLMENT: STAFF PROCEDURES
Provide staff with talking points in checklist format:Definition of homelessEducation rights
Include referrals for transportationand mealsOptions for school selection
Refer to NCHE’s brief, Guiding the Discussion on School Selectionhttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/sch_sel_checklist.pdf
ENROLLMENT: STAFF PROCEDURES
Assistance for acquiring missing recordsAccess to dispute resolution
Immediate referral to liaisonCompleted checklist with student info should
be provided to liaisonAdditional Resource
Enrollment: Ready Reference for Schools http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/enroll_foldout.php
ENROLLMENT FOLLOW-UP: STAFF PROCEDURES
Missing documents and immunizationsWho follows up and whenReferral processProcedures to pay for required documents, e.g., birth
certificates, health records
Suspected abduction Enroll in school immediatelyContact National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children http://www.missingkids.com or1-800-THE-LOST Requests for information are confidential
ENROLLMENT FOLLOW-UP: STAFF PROCEDURES
SERVICES: STAFF PROCEDURES
SERVICES: STAFF PROCEDURES
Title IA assistance for homeless studentsSchedule regular meetings in advanceProvide data to inform servicesFor ideas:
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/na_eval.php
Jointly determine set-aside amountProcess to request and access funds
FOLLOW-UP WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
Education Plan (same concept as IEP)Meeting of all involvedList student needsEstablish how school will address
needsCreate form (with timeline) to
monitor grades, attendance, behavior referrals, etc.
FOLLOW-UP WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
Conversation with studentHow often, what to look for/ask, how to follow up
Check on family’s living situation to determine eligibility for next school yearWho is responsible, when, and how
RECORDS SAFETY AND CONFIDENTIALITY: GOOD
PRACTICES
Records access and releaseWho will have internal records access? How?Who can release records? To whom?Require signed records request form Maintain log of all records requests Have local liaison sign off on records sent outside district
and any information released over the phoneCan transfer school records through State Department(s)
of Education or NCHE
RECORDS SAFETY AND CONFIDENTIALITY: GOOD
PRACTICES
Ask family/domestic violence shelters and other service providers about restraining orders or custody issues affecting records releaseKeep copy of protective order in student fileAttach an “alert” function to student information
database to highlight restricted accessProvide form to “opt out” of public sharing of student
directory information
School districts must submit end of year data to state department of educationCreate a process to ensure the accuracy of the data
Work with the district enrollment, IT and data staff Consider requiring liaison approval before data is submitted
to the state If liaison does not enter data, ensure annual training for
those who do
RECORDS: END OF YEAR REPORTING
Many LEAs report having informal proceduresWritten procedures may
Limit liability and negligence issuesReduce miscommunication with youth that results in
absences, inappropriate disciplinary action, and dropouts
UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH
UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH
Sample caregiver form at: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/app_d.pdf
EnrollmentWho can enroll- youth, caregiver, or liaison?Can someone besides liaison make placement decisions?
Who? When?Who offers and arranges transportation and other services?
DisputesAssign an advocate or have the liaison help youth
UHY: POLICY AND PROCEDURE
PermissionsMedication logExtracurricular activitiesAttendance and disciplineClass schedule changesField trips
UHY: POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Academic and Activity FeesWhat and when to waiveProcedure for requesting payment of feesWho can initiate process
Discipline and AttendanceConsiderations for alternate schedulesConsiderations for absences due to homelessness
Credit AccrualHow to determine credits earnedCredit recovery, chunking, etc.
UHY: POLICY AND PROCEDURES
UHY: POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Determine safety of living situationWho determines Identify process for determination
Youth interview, home visit, etc.
Provide referrals for servicesExplain reporting requirements to
UHY Make report with full knowledge of youth
Communicating information to people who need to knowCreate LEA handbook with McKinney-Vento information
Ensure consistency across the districtCompensate for loss of knowledge/experience due to high
turnover of school staffStaff newsletters and meetingsSchool newsletters and program announcementsPost forms where staff can easily access
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Additional considerationsManaging turnoverEvaluating program effectiveness
Resource for developing handbook Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/liaison_toolkit.php
Use your championsDraw on administrative supportsUtilize data to make the case for changesFocus on benefits to staff as well as HCYPhase in changes gradually
OVERCOMING RESISTANCE
FOR MORE INFORMATION
NCHE websitehttp://center.serve.org/nche/
NCHE helpline800-308-2145 or [email protected]
State Coordinators for Homeless Educationhttp://center.serve.org/nche/states/state_resources.php