Christina Dukes Program Specialist, NCHE Marc Fortney Program Manager, CBOCES Jan Moore Program Specialist, NCHE

 Who are Immigrants? Who are Refugees?  What cultural issues should we understand to serve immigrant and refugee students better?  Which immigrant or refugee students are eligible for McKinney-Vento services? For what services?  What local collaborations can I build to serve immigrant and refugee students?

Definition: A person who voluntarily leaves one country to settle in another  Umbrella term for those who go to live in another country for a variety of reasons Definition includes one “…who is unable or unwilling to return… because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution…” Immigration and Nationality Act Sec. 101(a)(42)  Subpopulation of immigrants (about 10% annually)

 Sponsored by a national voluntary agency (VOLAG) that works through local refugee resettlement agencies  Provided core services (housing, food, basic orientation, school registration for children, etc.) by resettlement agency during the first 90 days  State resettlement patterns are generally dominated by certain ethnic communities

 Family conflicts  Long or difficult work schedules  Financial pressures  Overcrowded housing  Clash of cultural values  Immigrants and natives  Immigrant parents and their children  Can result in PTSD, anxiety, grief, depression, and domestic violence

 80% are US-born citizens  Less likely to receive public benefits  Significantly more likely to live in poverty  Twice as likely to be in fair or poor health  At risk for slower cognitive and language development  At risk for poorer academic performance in school

 Differences in language, culture, and learning styles  Separation from parents and siblings  Deficits in previous education  High mobility  Lack of parental materials in native languages  Few classes for students who must work full-time to help their families  Undocumented parents may:  Fear deportation; keep older children home from school to care for younger siblings  Be unable to arrange alternative living arrangements if arrested/deported

 Lack of knowledge and understanding of U.S. educational processes  Cultural beliefs about the role of families in their children’s schooling  School staff misperceptions  Language differences  Time constraints  Child care needs  Transportation problems

 Help parents understand how schools work and what’s expected of them  Provide school staff PD opportunities to strengthen skills in working with immigrant families  Get the school principal involved  Communicate often with families (in their native language)  Hold informal meetings to seek parents’ perspectives

 Make outreach a priority  Provide translator and written materials in families’ native languages  Schedule meetings around parents’ schedules  Work with volunteers or community-based organizations to help with child care and transportation  Organize parents who are actively involved at school to communicate with immigrant families and encourage their participation

 It takes time to build trust  Many immigrant families have had frustrating experiences with schools so they may be unwilling to fully engage until the school proves its commitment  Start with small steps; relevant school- or community-sponsored activities can serve as a gateway to other forms of family involvement  Don’t be deterred by skepticism, criticism, or low initial participation

 Assessment questions for community resources:  Are culturally sensitive resources, materials, and services available?  Are there specialized services for immigrant children?  How will immigration status affect ability to obtain services?  Are services appropriate for victims of domestic violence?  Is transportation offered?  Are there culturally appropriate substance abuse programs that provide living facilities for children with parents/caregivers in treatment?

No matter their race, ethnicity, culture, or income, most families have high aspirations and concerns for their children’s success

 Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including  Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason  Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations  Living in emergency or transitional shelters  Abandoned in hospitals  Awaiting foster care placement

 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  Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings  Migratory children living in the circumstances described above  Unaccompanied youth living in the circumstances described above

 McKinney-Vento eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by examining the living arrangement of each student.  Some instances will be clear-cut; others will require further inquiry and then a judgment call.  If the student’s living arrangement does not meet all three criteria (fixed, regular, and, adequate), the student is considered eligible  The examples of homeless situations listed in the definition address some of the more common situations of homelessness; the list of examples is not exclusive.

 If there is a disagreement about whether the student meets the McKinney-Vento definition of a homeless child or youth (between the parents/youth and the school), the state’s dispute resolution process should be followed.  Under the dispute resolution process:  The parent/guardian/unaccompanied youth should be referred to the local liaison for assistance with the appeal process.  The student must be enrolled immediately in the requested school.  The student must be provided with all services to which McKinney-Vento eligible students are entitled (e.g. transportation, Title I services, free meals).  Enrollment must continue until the dispute is resolved.

 Use an enrollment questionnaire for all students; this will assist with identifying eligible students (see for sample questionnaires).  If the form indicates a possible homeless situation, refer to the local liaison to determine eligibility.  Discuss the living arrangement with the family/student in a private place and with sensitivity.  Ask additional questions respectfully, as needed. (these are often very personal discussions for the family)

 Avoid using the word “homeless”: some families may want to avoid the stigma; others may not consider themselves homeless and yet they might be eligible.  Inform the family about the benefits of eligibility, including immediate enrollment and the provision of services.  (FERPA) Avoid contacting persons outside the school system to probe for more information regarding the family’s living arrangement; see NCHE’s Confirming Eligibility brief at l.pdf l.pdf

 Does the student’s living arrangement fit into one of the examples of homelessness in the law?  If not, would the student qualify for services because he/she lives in another type of living arrangement that does not meet the fixed, regular, and adequate standard?  Use the information/questions contained in the Determining Eligibility brief to assist in answering these questions.

 Contact your State Coordinator for Homeless Education; visit  Contact the NCHE Helpline at or

 “What do the terms fixed, regular, and adequate mean?”  Working definitions:  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  Use the sample questions on pages 5-6 of the Determining Eligibility brief

 Legislative wording: “Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason”  Questions:  Why did the family move in together? Crisis or by mutual choice as a plan for mutual benefit?  How permanent is the living arrangement intended to be?  Is the living arrangement fixed, regular, and adequate?  See pages 2-3 of the Determining Eligibility brief for a discussing of shared housing; use questions on pages 5-6, also Huh?

 But…  Are all doubled-up situations automatically homeless?  Is there a limit on how long a doubled-up child should be considered homeless?  Are both doubled-up parties homeless?

 The McKinney-Vento defines unaccompanied youth as a child or youth “not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian”  An unaccompanied youth’s living arrangement must meet the Act’s definition of homeless for him/her to qualify for McKinney-Vento services  There is no lower age limit for unaccompanied youth; the upper age limit (as with all McKinney- Vento eligible students) is your state’s upper age limit for public education (usually 21, sometimes older for IDEA)  A youth can be eligible regardless of whether he/she was asked to leave the home or chose to leave; remember that sometimes there is “more than meets the eye” for youth’s home life situations Huh?

 No official federal or state definition  Common practices in defining “substandard housing”  Evaluated according to community norms  Defined as a building not up to local building code  Common indicators o Inoperable indoor plumbing o Nonworking, inadequate and/or unsafe electrical service o Inadequate or unsafe source of heat o No working kitchen o Unit has been declared unfit for habitation by a government agency o Is overcrowded : Consider any “occupants per square foot” guidelines in local/state building codes Huh?

Patricia and her son, Luis, showed up mid- year at your school to enroll Luis, saying they’ve just moved in with relatives that live in the area. You suspect Luis might qualify for McKinney-Vento services, but you’re not sure.  What questions would you ask to determine if Luis is eligible?  Would you qualify Luis as eligible for McKinney- Vento services? Why or why not?

 High Plains of CO is the richest agricultural empire east of the Rocky Mountains (U.S. Department of Agriculture)  Farming, dairies, and meat packing  Familiar w/ high mobility of immigrants  Newcomers experiencing the refugee phenomenon

Students arriving w/ no housing and little to no resources Doubled-up Unaccompanied youth Secondary migrants, according to their resettling agencies Exhausted TANF, food stamps…

We desired to be progressive Hired language- and culture-specific interpreters and translators Of course, people & students were warm, thankful, interesting, smart, persevering… Barriers of racism and unfamiliarity Nexus w/ government contracting resettlement agencies, such as Lutheran Family Services

By building trust relationships: Evolved our cultural proficiency framework, such as language, respect, advocacy, social achievement events… Empowered the people in building the East African Community Center & the Morgan County African Center

Christina Dukes, Program Specialist National Center for Homeless Education Marc Fortney, Program Manager Centennial BOCES Jan Moore, Program Specialist National Center for Homeless Education