Discussion 3 Response

Response 1 150 words 2 references

Casey

One of the ways in which the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (of 1987) protects homeless youth is by providing a detailed definition of homeless. The Act in part notes the following, homeless children and youth “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” that includes “sharing the housing of another person due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 1). The definition goes on to include children who are living in temporary situations (like motels, cars and shelters). This broad definition of homelessness allows school districts to help more students in need by first identifying them. No one wants to talk about the fact that they are homeless, so many students slipped through the cracks of the school system when it came to additional support. In addition, the National Center for Homeless Education provides a flowchart to make it easier for school districts to identify homeless students. Some school districts, like Bellingham Public Schools in Washington,  have developed a student housing questionnaire to help them get the necessary information from caregivers and older students. 

 

Identifying homeless students helps schools develop programs to address their particular needs. Many homeless student are chronically absent from school, “homeless students are chronically absent at a rate that is at least double that of the overall student population” (da Costa Nunez, ErbDownward, & Shaw-Amoah, 2015, p 1; Utah Education Policy Center [UEPC], 2012, p 4). Interventions suggested include: teaming at-risk students with mentors who not only encourage them to attend, but follow up if they are absent with parents, guardians, or the students themselves, and pairing with community resources like: homeless shelters, social services and local public transit. Other strategies include: using the local liaison as a primary contact between schools and families, making sure that students identified as homeless have access to programs like Head Start, and providing students with access to additional programs after school like ‘Homework Club’.

Response 2 150 words 2 references

Khan

The McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act has provided a fully defined definition of what it means for someone to be homeless. The Act defines those homeless youth as being homeless when they “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 1) The Act also provides rights and services for those children and youth who are experiencing homelessness. The Act provides insights that some of these children might be staying in “motels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to the lack of adequate alternative; staying in staying in shelters or transitional housing; or sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or similar settings.” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 2) These definitions help correctly identify those students and youth who might be considered homeless, offering forward ideas of the provisions that will best assist them.

 

The Act says that every state educational agency (SEA) must designate an Office of State Coordinator that can sufficiently carry out duties in the Act. Some of the essential responsibilities include:

“Responding to inquiries from homeless parents and unaccompanied youth, providing professional development programs for liaisons and others, and conducting monitoring of local educational agencies to enforce compliance.” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 2) At the local agency level, the Act says that every local education agency (LEA) must designate a liaison for students experiencing homelessness who can carry out the duties described in the law. Some of those critical duties include.”

“Ensuring that homeless children and youth are identified and enrolled in school and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school, participating in professional development and other technical assistance offered by the state, and ensuring that unaccompanied homeless youth are informed, and receive verification, of their status as independent students for college financial aid.” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 3) The Act says that these children have the right to school stability, assistance, and education.

 

The McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act helps to provide for students in a transitional situation, giving them tools to succeed in their education. The Act provides for the stability that school provides and helps resolve the situations in which these students might find themselves, providing help for the students and their families, granting access to resources they might not have been aware of. The Act calls that “All LEAs that receive Title I Part A funds must reserve funds to support homeless students.” (National Center for Homeless Education, (2017), p. 3