McKinney-Vento 101: Helping Students Displaced by Sandy (NYC)

1. McKinney-Vento 101: Helping Students Displaced by Sandy(NYC) Presented by NYS-TEACHS Toll-free Hotline: 800-388-2014

2. About Us NYS-TEACHS • Funded by the State Education Department; housed at Advocates for Children • Provide technical assistance on homeless education issues • Hotline (800-388-2014), Website, Webinars, Annual Workshops, and on-site training Students in Temporary Housing Program • Unit within the Office of Safety and Youth Development • Borough-based STH Content Experts and shelter-based Family Assistants • Provide technical assistance and work directly with schools and students • Provide services students are entitled to under the McKinney Vento Act and Chancellor’s Regulation A-780

3. STH Program

4. Today’sTraining

5. KEY TAKEAWAYS • McKinney-Vento covers students temporarily living: • in shelters, • in motels/hotels • Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other similar reason (doubled-up) • McKinney-Vento eligible students can: • Stay in their same school and get transportation to that school OR • immediately enroll in a local school even if they don’t have dox normally needed, AND • Get free meals, Title I services, referrals to outside agencies • Where to find help? The STH Program, school-based STH liaisons, and NYS-TEACHS can help connect students experiencing homelessness with needed services.

7. The McKinney-Vento Act • Federal law • Enacted in 1987 • Reauthorized in 2001 as a part of NCLB

8. Who is Covered by McKinney-Vento?

9. Examples of Temporary Housing • Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other similar reason • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations • Living in emergency or transitional shelters • Abandoned in hospitals • Awaiting foster care placement • Living a in public or private place not designed for sleeping • Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, etc. • Migratory living in circumstances described above (M-V Section 725)

10. Determining Eligibility PERMANENT

11. Three Steps

12. Enrollment: Residency Questionnaire The Residency Questionnaire must be completed for ALL STUDENTS and again when a student seeks a change of address The Residency Questionnaire must be completed for ALL STUDENTS • Not in physical custody of parent/guardian • AND • Living in temporary housing

13. Update Student (BIOU) 1) Place cursor next to HOUSING ST and select F4. 2) Enter Unaccompanied Youth status (Y or N), only if the student is in temporary housing.

14. Does McKinney-Vento eligibility depend on income? • No

15. Is there a time limit on eligibility? • No

16. QUESTIONS?

18. School Selection Up to 3 Choices: Last permanently housed Last attended Local school MV Section 722(g)(3)(A)&(G); Education Law Section 3209(2), Chancellor’s Regulation A-780

19. School Selection after SANDY • Where can students go to school if their original school has been relocated after Sandy? • Students from relocated schools may transfer to a school closer to where they are living • Applies to permanently and temporarily housed students • Permanently housed students must return to original school once operational

20. School Stability School transfers • Lower test scores • Repeating grades • Higher drop-out rates • Academic/social disruptions

21. Transferring vs. Staying Put: Factors to Consider • Social adjustment and well-being • What are the strengths of the child’s ties to peers and staff members at the current school? • How would changing schools affect the child emotionally? • Educational programs in the current school vs. local school (e.g. special education, accelerated programs/G&T) • Involvement in extracurricular activities • Child’s grade level • Length of commute • # of transfers the child has already had • How changing schools would affect the student’s ability to earn full academic credit, proceed to the next grade, or graduate on time • Expected length of time in temporary housing

22. Immediate Enrollment MV Section 722(g)(3)(C); Education Law Section 3209(2)(e)

23. Can I enroll a displaced student who is not currently staying with a parent or guardian? • Yes. Students who are homeless are entitled to enroll, without the normal papers, even if they are not living with a parent or guardian. Such students are referred to as homeless unaccompanied youth. MV Sections 722(g)(3)(B)(iii) & 725(6); 8 NYCRR 100.2(x)(1)(ii)(&(vi)

24. Continued Enrollment • Permanently housed students who transferred from relocated schools after Sandy, • must return to their original schools after the schools are operational • McKinney-Vento eligible students can • stay in the school of origin OR new local school • for the duration of homelessness and through remainder of the school year in which they become perm housed

25. Jessica is temporarily housed after Sandy and is considered eligible under McKinney-Vento Kevin is permanently housed but his original school has been relocated after Sandy. He is NOT considered a McKinney-Vento eligible student.

26. Jessica and School Selection If Jessica transfers, she can stay in Bronx school for duration of homelessness and through remainder of school yr in which she becomes perm housed Bronx Staten Island School of origin Local School

27. Kevin and School Selection If Kevin transfers, he will have to return to his original school when it is operational. Brooklyn Brooklyn Another local school School of origin

28. Should I enroll a student who comes in and says she has been displaced by the hurricane and is living in temporary housing? What kind of proof should I get? • Yes. However, before enrolling, make sure that the parent knows that the student can remain in their school of origin and that busing is offered to elementary and middle schools that have been relocated. You may enroll the student even if she doesn’t have any of the documents normally needed for enrollment or proof of displacement.

29. Takeaways • McKinney-Vento defines homelessness broadly: • Includes doubled-up • No income restrictions • No time limit • Enroll first. Get documents later. (Even for Unaccompanied Youth) • Best interest usually = school of origin • Continue in same school for duration of homelessness and through remainder of school yr in which student becomes perm housed

30. QUESTIONS?

32. Transportation Options • K-6 if appropriate route • exists • Any grade if on IEP • Any STH student not • getting busing • Parent to accompany student (K-6)

33. Variance Requests Make sure student’s address updated in ATS!

34. Variance Requests • Shelter Variance: • http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F965CAD8-17D8-45DF-98BE-82A7265FC537/0/011010ShelterVarianceFormandInstructionsRobinson.pdf • Emergency Variance: • http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/CB4FC1D4-5A45-4EAA-AC58-2E0741DEF145/0/2012061312EmergencyVarianceRequestFormandInstructions.pdf • Fax or email Variance and Residency Questionnaire to OPT: • Bianca Libasci: blibasci@schools.nyc.gov • FAX: 718-482-3886 • Tel: 718-482-3837

35. Transportation PLUS • Short-term reimbursement for taxi/car service for students displaced by Sandy or students who attend relocated schools • Reimbursement Form: http://schools.nyc.gov/Home/InOurSchoolsToday/2012-2013/cancellations.htm

36. Can a student who is in temporary housing outside of the city get transportation back to his school of origin? • YES. Students in temporary housing are entitled to transportation back to the school of origin up to 50 miles one way.

38. Free School Meals • All students get free meals for November • All McKinney-Vento eligible students get free meals for school yr w/o application (MV = categorically eligible for free meals)

40. Title I Set-Aside

41. Title I Uses • Academic programs and educational support services • Basic/emergency supplies • Extended library hours/after school programs • Counseling services • Parental involvement • Intervention programs • Transportationonce the student is permanently housed • Outreach efforts to identify the STH population and help them • The work of the liaison • Research based programs that benefit highly mobile students • Data collection to assess the needs/progress of STH

42. Takeaway Title I funds Many uses to support students in temporary housing

43. KEY TAKEAWAYS • McKinney-Vento covers students temporarily living: • in shelters, • in motels/hotels • Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other similar reason (doubled-up) • McKinney-Vento eligible students can: • Stay in their same school and get transportation to that school OR • immediately enroll in a local school even if they don’t have dox normally needed, AND • Get free meals, Title I services, referrals to outside agencies • Where to find help? The STH Program, school-based STH liaisons, and NYS-TEACHS can help connect students experiencing homelessness with needed services.

44. RESOURCES

45. STH Content Experts 45

46. DOE Resources • NYC Department of Education • Students in Temporary Housing Program: http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/NonAcademicSupport/StudentsinTemporaryHousing/default.htm • School Relocation Information: http://schools.nyc.gov/Home/InOurSchoolsToday/2012-2013/cancellations.htm

47. Resources from NYS-TEACHS • Free brochures are available in English and in Spanish • Free posters in 9 languages • Toll-free hotline800-388-2014 • Website, www.nysteachs.org, includes Disaster Response webpage (www.nysteachs.org/info-topic/disaster.html)

48. Resources • NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Coping with Stressful and Traumatic Events • http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/em/emergency-coping.shtml • NYC Resources and FEMA handout • Tips for Teachers

49. Resources for Schools • NYC DOE’s Division of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Email or callFACE@schools.nyc.gov or (212) 374-4118 with: • School Name, Borough, DBN • Items needed • Contact information for delivery • DONORS CHOOSE.ORG. Online charity to help students in need. Page dedicated to rebuilding projects Post-Sandy: www.donorschoose.org/sandy • SCHOLASTIC BOOK GRANTS: Hurricane Sandy Book Grant Request for Schools and Libraries. Accepting grant requests through December 31, 2012: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/bookgrants.htm • SOCIAL MEDIA. Search for “Hurricane Sandy” and “School Supplies” or another similar term to join conversations about donation of items on Facebook and Twitter. •  NYC DOE’s Fundraising Q&A for Hurricane Relief: http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C03C1F57-EF1B-4E93-89B3-7DCC1381CEC0/0/FundraisingQandAforHurricaneRelief_FINAL.pdf

50. Other Resources • National Center on Homeless Education • Issue Briefs: www.center.serve.org/nche/briefs.php • Prompt and Proper Placement: Enrolling Students without Records • Determining Eligibility • Disaster Planning and Response: www.center.serve.org/nche/dis/dis.php# • New York State Education Department • Hurricane Sandy: Resources and Guidance http://usny.nysed.gov/hurricane-sandy.html