Children and School Mobility Diana Gruman Psychology 556 January 2012

1. Children and School Mobility Diana Gruman Psychology 556 January 2012

2. Objectives of Presentation • To apply school counseling knowledge to a case study of a mobile student; • To distinguish between different types of school mobility (migrant, military, etc); • To learn about the risk and protective factors associated with mobility; • To share key resources to support all types of mobile students.

3. Case Study— “Ana” • Please read the case study and the concluding questions. • What recommendations would you make to the person who worked with this case? • What supports does your school offer to students moving away or moving in?

4. Will Ana suffer in the long-term? Probably not… due to certain factors: • Intact family (social capital) • Gender • Infrequent school movement • Lack of other traumatic life events • Personality, resilience, or intelligence

5. Socially-astute and academically-talented students may thrive following a school move. Why? Is moving positive for some kids?

6. Is moving negative for many kids? • Frequent school changes in elementary linked to significant drops in achievement. • 3 moves = 1 year behind in 6th grade math • Even one move during high school increases chance of drop out. • Emotional/behavioral and school problems are associated with mobility. Why these outcomes??

7. Primary-age and younger children Step-families Families in poverty or unemployed Maltreated children Low parental education However…not necessarily tied to ethnicity Who moves frequently?

8. Military Families Migrant Farm Families Corporate Climbers Expulsions School Choice Others? Why do children change schools?

9. Military Families • Why do children who live in military families seem to suffer less long-term consequences despite their frequent moves (35% in DoD schools), modest income levels, and low parental education rates?

10. Military Families ANSWER: • Two Parent Families ( 90%) • Social/School/Welcome Services in Receiving Communities • Prior Notice/Expectation • Normative Culture of Mobility

11. Migrant Families • Family migration for work disrupts students’ ability to complete courses and earn credit. • The Office of Migrant Education (started in 1966) administers grants to provide academic and supportive services to the children of families who migrate to find work in the agricultural and fishing industries.

12. Migrant Education Program (1) provides students with services, such as academic (tutoring and summer school) and health services; (2) allows school districts to share migrant student information electronically across state boundaries; (3) encourages states to collaborate in administering state assessments and sharing lesson plans; and (4) provides funding for “portable” education services, such as instructional booklets and CD-ROM learning modules that help migrant students earn school credits as they move from school to school or undergo extended absences.

13. Migrant Education—Key Program Migrant Student Information Exchange: A web-based database used to collect, maintain, and share student information to facilitate school enrollment, grade and course placement, and accrual of secondary school course credits.

14. Homelessness Defined A. Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and B. Includes — • children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement; • children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings… • children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and • migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

15. Homeless Children & Youth McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program requires all school districts to: • put in place homeless education liaisons; • provide transportation to homeless students who choose to remain in their school of origin;

16. How do we help? School is the most normal activity that most children experience collectively…it is much more than a learning environment. It is a place of safety, personal space, friendships, and support. Oakley & King, 2000

17. Tasks to Support Mobile Youth Who am I? Children gain self-awareness and identity through their social interactions with others and their connections with possessions and places. Frequent moves reduce, or even eliminate, those connections. How can educators reinforce a sense of self?

18. Where am I? Security is tied to predictability in routine and location. When students move, that “known” is removed. How can educators quickly provide students with security and routine?

19. How am I? Frequent moves and the potential stressors of poverty may increase anxiety and impact “overall well-being and health, socioeducational, and emotional factors.” What can educators do to reduce these stressors?

20. Resources---Homeless/Mobile • NCHE (National Center For Homeless Educ) http://center.serve.org/nche/index.php Reaching & Teaching Highly Mobile Kids http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/highly_mobile.pdf • Project Hope—Virginia http://education.wm.edu/centers/hope/ Tips for Supporting Mobile Students http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/Portals/0/assets/RRHEP/pdfs/mobility.pdf

21. Resources---Migrant • ESCORT (Resources for Migrant & Mobile Youth) http://escort.org/ • Washington Migrant Education (great resources and training materials): http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/services.aspx • Refugee and Immigrant Best Practices http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/imm_lia.pdf • “Help Kits” for Teachers of LEP Students http://www.escort.org/

22. Title 1 Funding Services intended to ensure that disadvantaged children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and to reach proficiency on assessments based on the state’s academic standards. Some school use funds from Title I, Part A to pay for services for mobile students such as: tutoring, after-school instruction, teachers’ salaries, technology upgrades, field trips, and staff training on addressing diverse needs of mobile and nonmobile students.

23. Promising Programs • After-School Apprenticeship Programs http://www.afterschoolsystems.org/section/asap

24. International Issues Global Movement for Childrenhttp://www.gmfc.org/ 1. Prevent the root causes of child migration; 2. Ensure immigrant children’s rights are protected/ respected throughout the migration process; 3. Strengthen and expand child protection systems; 4. Enable children’s participation to influence policies and strategies; 5. Enhance and expand lines of research; and 6. Promote joint and coordinated action from all actors.