lorraine husum allen, director homeless education program, florida department of education florida...

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Lorraine Husum Allen, DirectorHomeless Education Program, Florida Department of Education

Florida Pupil Transportation Services Directors MeetingFebruary 11, 2010

Tallahassee, Florida

Current Trends and Best Practices in the

Transportation of Homeless Students

NAEHCY • www.naehcy.org

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How Many Children and Youth

Experience Homelessness?• 10% of all children living in poverty over the

course of a year• 7% of all fifth graders have lived in a shelter or

car (11% for low-income and African American)• 1.6-1.7 million youth run away each year• Over 40% of all children who are homeless are

under the age of 5• Nationwide, 794,617 homeless students

enrolled in public schools in the 2007-08 school year - 17% increase over previous year

As many as 41,286

Florida students were identified

as homeless in our schools

during 2008-2009.

Source: 2008-2009 FINAL SURVEY 5 HOMELESS COUNTS AS OF 09-21-09


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Eligibility—Who is Covered??

• Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence—

– Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason

– Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations

– Living in emergency or transitional shelters


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– Awaiting foster care placement – Living in a public or private place not

designed for humans to live– Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings,

substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings

– Migratory children living in above circumstances

Eligibility—Who is Covered? ? (cont.)


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2008-2009 Florida DOE Data

• 41,286 homeless students were identified in Florida public schools. (20% increase from 2007-2008)

• 5,562 (13%) of those identified were “Unaccompanied Youth.”

• 27,539 (67%) were reported as sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; doubled-up. (32% increase from 2007-2008)

• All (67) school districts reported at least one homeless student in their schools.

LEGEND

A Living in emergency or transitional shelters, FEMA trailers, abandoned in hospitals, awaiting foster care

B Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; doubled-up.

D Living in cars, parks, temporary trailer parks or campgrounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings or similar settings.

E Living in hotels or motels

FLDOE Survey 5

2008-2009

Homeless Student Counts

by Nighttime Residence

and Unaccompanied Youth

9-21-09

FEDERAL/STATE INDICATOR STATUS FORMAT

HOMELESS STUDENT UNACCOMPANIED

YOUTH DISTRICT NAME

A B D E Y

ALACHUA 177 486 <11 42 <11

BAKER <11 147 <11 <11 14

BAY 110 530 11 49 54

BRADFORD 0 <11 0 <11 <11

BREVARD 84 336 27 31 46

BROWARD 843 773 58 133 484

CALHOUN <11 <11 <11 0 0

CHARLOTTE 33 306 17 20 106

CITRUS 45 388 38 12 66

CLAY 52 715 <11 42 51

COLLIER 161 621 <11 30 191

COLUMBIA 33 353 <11 27 28

DADE 1528 971 <11 77 147

DESOTO <11 180 <11 <11 18

DIXIE 0 12 0 0 <11

DUVAL 1316 651 55 122 516

ESCAMBIA 46 873 <11 107 <11

FLAGLER 13 147 <11 <11 <11

FRANKLIN <11 135 <11 <11 46

GADSDEN 61 419 184 25 34

GILCHRIST <11 <11 0 0 <11

GLADES 0 <11 <11 0 <11

GULF 0 0 <11 0 0

HAMILTON <11 231 0 12 26

HARDEE <11 33 <11 <11 <11

HENDRY <11 60 <11 <11 <11

HERNANDO 19 179 <11 <11 <11

HIGHLANDS <11 30 0 0 <11

HILLSBOROUGH 427 1445 46 136 187

LEGEND





FLDOE Survey 5

2008-2009




9-21-09



YOUTH DISTRICT NAME

A B D E Y

HOLMES 0 <11 0 0 0

INDIAN RIVER 151 186 <11 <11 49

JACKSON 11 154 17 0 <11

JEFFERSON 0 <11 <11 0 <11

LAFAYETTE 0 76 29 0 0

LAKE 163 558 11 46 211

LEE 424 577 12 17 249

LEON 103 195 <11 25 71

LEVY 18 88 <11 <11 <11

LIBERTY 0 20 <11 0 <11

MADISON <11 76 <11 <11 <11

MANATEE 230 1479 15 46 312

MARION 228 1317 <11 120 435

MARTIN 29 13 <11 0 29

MONROE 94 204 <11 11 40

NASSAU 12 30 <11 <11 <11

OKALOOSA 30 276 <11 20 13

OKEECHOBEE 20 102 <11 <11 0

ORANGE 414 1540 25 488 152

OSCEOLA 118 442 29 662 137

PALM BEACH 581 717 <11 32 264

PASCO 231 1469 50 65 207

PINELLAS 401 1231 23 215 243

POLK 275 1356 220 173 396

PUTNAM 70 527 23 <11 83

ST. JOHNS 70 63 <11 12 18

ST. LUCIE 11 52 <11 <11 <11

LEGEND





FLDOE Survey 5

2008-2009




9-21-09



YOUTH DISTRICT

NAME

A B D E Y

SANTA ROSA 112 791 28 12 70

SARASOTA 236 697 16 57 131

SEMINOLE 86 767 15 140 198

SUMTER <11 85 <11 15 <11

SUWANNEE <11 369 <11 <11 35

TAYLOR 22 65 <11 12 0

UNION 0 51 0 0 0

VOLUSIA 204 1587 24 158 104

WAKULLA <11 279 <11 0 <11

WALTON <11 35 0 0 <11

WASHINGTON <11 20 0 0 15 SCHOOL FOR DEAF/BLIND 0 0 0 0 0

FAU - LAB SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0

FSU - LAB SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0

FAMU - LAB SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0 UF - LAB SCHOOL 0 0 0 0 0

TOTALS 9,347 27,539 1,138 3,262 5,562


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Barriers to Education forBarriers to Education forHomeless Children and Homeless Children and

YouthYouth• Enrollment requirements (school records,

health records, proof of residence and guardianship)

• High mobility resulting in lack of school stability and educational continuity

• Lack of access to programs• Lack of transportation• Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc.• Poor health, fatigue, hunger• Prejudice and misunderstanding


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McKinney-VentoMcKinney-VentoHomeless Assistance ActHomeless Assistance Act

• Reauthorized 2002 by NCLB• Main themes:

– School stability– School access– Support for academic success– Child-centered, best interest decision

making


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EligibilityEligibility

• Case-by-case determinationCase-by-case determination• Get as much information as possible Get as much information as possible

(without intimidating the parent or youth)(without intimidating the parent or youth)• Look at the MV definition (specific examples Look at the MV definition (specific examples

in the definition first, then overall definition)in the definition first, then overall definition)

NCHE’s Determining Eligibility brief is available at NCHE’s Determining Eligibility brief is available at http://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elighttp://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf.pdf

Determining Eligibility


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McKinney-Vento PersonnelMcKinney-Vento Personnel

Every State Education Agency has an Office Every State Education Agency has an Office of State Coordinator for the Education of of State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and YouthHomeless Children and Youth

– Collaboration responsibilities across Collaboration responsibilities across agencies and with communities agencies and with communities

– Technical assistance to LEAsTechnical assistance to LEAs– ComplianceCompliance– Professional developmentProfessional development– Data collection and reportingData collection and reporting


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Local HomelessLocal HomelessEducation LiaisonsEducation Liaisons

• Every LEA must designate a liaison for students in homeless situations.

• Responsibilities-– Ensure that children and youth in

homeless situations are identified– Ensure that homeless students enroll in

and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in school

– Link with educational services, including preschool and health services

– Resolve disputes and assist with transportation


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Research on School MobilityResearch on School Mobility

• Students who switch schools frequently score lower on standardized tests; study found mobile students scored 20 points lower than non-mobile students.

• Mobility also hurts non-mobile students; study found average test scores for non-mobile students were significantly lower in high schools with high student mobility rates.

2007-20082007-2008FCAT Reading and Math DataFCAT Reading and Math Data

Homeless StudentsHomeless Students

2007-20082007-2008FCAT Reading and Math DataFCAT Reading and Math Data

Homeless StudentsHomeless Students

2007-2008 FCAT - 33 Subgrantee DistrictsNumber/Percent of Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

Reading - Grades 3-12

Grade

# Homeless Students Tested

# Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

% Homeless Students

Scoring at or Above

Proficient

% State-LevelStudentsScoring at or Above Proficient

Percentage PointsGap

Elementary 5,186 2,728 53% 70% 17%

Middle 4,273 1,692 40% 61% 21%

High 2,027 465 23% 42% 19%

Totals 11,486 4,885 43%

Source: 2007-2008 FDOE Survey 5/Education Data Warehouse

Trend Data - FCAT - 33 Subgrantee DistrictsNumber/Percent of Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

Reading - Grades 3-12

Grade

% Homeless StudentsScoring at or Above

Proficient2006-2007


Proficient2007-2008

Change

Elementary 46% 53% Increase

Middle 32% 40% Increase

High 38% 23% Decrease

Totals 39% 43% Increase


2007-2008 FCAT - 33 Subgrantee DistrictsNumber/Percent of Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

Math - Grades 3-12

Grade

# Homeless Students Tested

# Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

% Homeless Students

Scoring at or Above

Proficient

% State-LevelStudentsScoring at or Above Proficient

Percentage PointsGap

Elementary 5,182 2,615 50% 70% 20

Middle 4,246 1,455 34% 60% 26%

High 1,984 870 44% 67% 23%

Totals 11,412 4,940 43%


Trend Data - FCAT - 33 Subgrantee DistrictsNumber/Percent of Homeless Students Scoring at or Above Proficient

Math - Grades 3-12

Grade


Proficient2006-2007


Proficient2007-2008

Change

Elementary 50% 50% Even

Middle 35% 34% Decrease

High 18% 44% Increase

Totals 39% 43% Increase



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• Students suffer psychologically, socially, and academically from mobility.

• It takes children an average of 4-6 months to recover academically after changing schools.

Research on School Mobility (cont.)Research on School Mobility (cont.)

• Mobile students are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities and more likely to act out or get into trouble.

Research on School Mobility (cont.)Research on School Mobility (cont.)

• Mobility during high school greatly diminishes the likelihood of graduation.

• Study found students who changed high schools even once were less than half as likely as stable students to graduate, even controlling for other factors.

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs

Stole/Attempted to steal vehicle

Been arrested

Attacked someone to hurt them

Drunk or high at school

Took handgun to school

Changed homes

Did not change homes

Mobility and Prevalence of Delinquent BehaviorsMiddle School – Changed Homes Past Year (%)

DRAFT-Source 2008 FYSAS 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs


Been arrested




Changed homes


0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs


Been arrested




Changed homes


DRAFT-Source 2008 FYSAS

Mobility and Prevalence of Delinquent BehaviorsMiddle School – Changed Schools Past Year (%)

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs


Been arrested




Changed schools

Did not change schools


0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs


Been arrested




Changed homes


Mobility and Delinquent BehaviorsHigh School – Changed Homes Past Year (%)


0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0

Been Suspended

Carried a handgun

Sold illegal drugs


Been arrested




Changed schools

Did not change schools

Mobility and Prevalence of Delinquent BehaviorsHigh School – Changed Schools Past Year (%)



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Summary Delinquent Behaviors by

Mobile Youth

• Increased mobility is related with increased delinquent behavior

• Mobility is most closely related to being drunk or high at school, attacking someone with the intent of harming them, and school suspension


School Risk and Protective Factors for Delinquent Behaviors by Times Changed

Homes since Kindergarten (Scale: 0-10)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement

School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement

Poor Academic Performance

Low Commitment to School5+ times3-4 times0-2 times

Risk and Protective Factors - School Domain

Highly Mobile StudentsP

rote

cti

on

Ris

k


School Stability—School Stability—Key ProvisionsKey Provisions

• Students can stay in their school of origin for the duration of homelessness and until the end of the school year when they find permanent housing, as long as that is in their best interest.

• School of origin—school attended when permanently housed or in which last enrolled.

•Can always also choose the local school (any school others living in the same area are eligible to attend).

•Best interest—keep homeless students in their schools of origin, to the extent “feasible”, unless this is against the parents’ or guardians’ wishes.


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Feasibility—Feasibility—USDE Sample CriteriaUSDE Sample Criteria

• A child-centered, individualized determination • Continuity of instruction• Age of the child or youth• Safety of the child or youth• Likely length of stay in temporary housing• Likely area where family will find permanent

housing• Student’s need for special instructional

programs• Impact of commute on education• School placement of siblings• Time remaining in the school year


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Transportation—Key Transportation—Key ProvisionsProvisions

• LEAs must provide transportation to and from their school of origin, at a parent’s or guardian’s request (or at the liaison’s request for unaccompanied youth).

• If crossing LEA lines, they must determine how to divide the responsibility and share the cost, or they must share the cost equally.


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Transportation—Key Transportation—Key ProvisionsProvisions

• LEAs also must provide students in homeless situations with transportation services comparable to those provided to other students.

• LEAs must eliminate barriers to the school enrollment and retention of students experiencing homelessness (including transportation barriers).


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Transportation of Homeless Students - Charter Schools

• Ultimately LEA’s Responsibility

• Whether the LEA does or does not transport non-homeless students to a charter school is not a factor in the LEA’s requirements under McKinney-Vento to transport homeless students if it is their school of origin [Section 722(g)(1)(J)(iii)(I)].


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Transportation of Homeless Students - Charter Schools

• Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice’s has produced a Technical Assistance Paper on Transportation of Homeless Students

• http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/Charter_schools/files/Homeless_Student_Transportation_TAP.pdf

http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/Charter_schools/files/Homeless_Student_Transportation_TAP.pdf




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Remaining Barriers toRemaining Barriers toEducation of Homeless StudentsEducation of Homeless Students• #1 Barrier in 2008-2009 School Year -

Transportation to and from the School of Origin

• Ten (30%) of the 33 Florida school districts with McKinney-Vento subgrants reported transportation as the number one barrier.

• Transportation to and from the school of origin has been the number one barrier for districts with subgrants for the past five (5) school years.

Barriers to Education forBarriers to Education forHomeless Children and YouthHomeless Children and Youth

Barriers Reported by 33

Subgrantees

Change07-08 and

08-09

08-09# Sub-

Grantees

08-09% Sub-Grantee

s

07-08# Sub-

Grantees

07-08%

Sub-Grantee

s

06-07# of Sub-Grantees

06-07% of Sub-

Grantees

Transportation 10 30% 9 27% 10 30%

Eligibility for Homeless Services

7 21% 4 12% 5 15%

School Records 7 21% 8 24% 4 12%

Other Medical Records 6 18% 7 21% 8 24%

School Selection 5 15% 3 9% 3 9%

Immunizations 5 15% 7 21% 5 15%

Source: Consolidated State Performance Report – FDOE Barriers Survey 08-09, 07-08, 06-07


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Implementation ChallengesImplementation Challenges

• Lack of funding• Capacity/staffing - for McKinney-Vento and

transportation departments• Logistical puzzles - coordinating across

district and/or state lines• Young children - capacity and safety• Children with special needs • Extracurricular activities, summer school,

after-school programs• Parental involvement


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Transportation Strategies

• Develop close ties among local liaisons, school staff, pupil transportation staff, and shelter workers.

• Use school buses (including special education, magnet school, and other buses).

• Develop formal or informal agreements with school districts where homeless children cross district lines.

• Use public transit where feasible.• Use approved carpools, van or taxi services.• Reimburse parents and youth for gas.


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Sample Work Flow: Adrian, MI

1. School buses: a. Re-route; extend; create transfer points.b. “Share” students who attend voc-tech

center.c. Employ school district vans used for sports

events (driven by transportation director)

2. Public transportation: a. Not ideal in small town, or when students

are involved in extracurricular activities


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3. Teachers:a. Liaison matches teachers who live in

one district, but work in another with students.

b. Approved by superintendent (teachers’ insurance and school insurance).

4. Fuel cards from Speedway, other “mom and pop” stations. a. Combines fuel cards with bus

extensions


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5. Taxi as Last Resort:a. Collects insurance, background

checks, licenses. Re-evaluates each situation for alternatives

b. Uses taxi in emergency situations (sick child, etc.)

c. Arranges for parents to accompany young children

d. Taxi company does provide a discount, looking at fund-raisers

6. Investigating use of church buses



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New OpportunitiesNew Opportunities• ARRA stimulus funding: $3.1 million for

McKinney-Vento in Florida

• 10% of ARRA funds may be used to cover the “excess cost” of transporting students to and from the school of origin

• Title I, Part A: According to USDE guidance, cannot be used for school of origin transportation, but can be used for staffing, preschool transportation, other transportation


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Spotlight: Fairfax County, VA

• Used Title I, ARRA funds to hire a full-time homeless transportation specialist

• Liaison determines eligibility and best interest, makes referral

• Transportation specialist determines most efficient, economical, safe method of transportation

• Specialist re-routes existing school bus transportation, accesses any special education transportation, reviews the public bus routes, and finds out if the parent or youth has their own transportation and can use gas reimbursement

• Specialist tracks students in a database, looks at the individual school attendance to see if the transportation is improving the attendance of the student

• So far, greatly reduced use of taxis


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Spotlight: St. Paul, MN

• Used Title I, Part A funds to hire a part-time homeless transportation specialist

• All requests from homeless program go through specialist; she interfaces with transportation department

• Minnesota has weighted reimbursement for homeless transportation; specialist handles reporting requirements for this reimbursement

• On-line database for transportation routers and homeless team; all requests entered

• Database helps program trouble-shoot when a child misses the bus, or when a bus is late

• Looking at hiring a pool of substitute aides for homeless children with special needs


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Spotlight: Janesville, WI

• Janesville school district contracts with a community member to transport young children to and from school.

• The district placed a newspaper ad asking retired people to respond if they were interested in being paid to provide district transportation services.

• The district pays the contractor for morning, mid-morning, and afternoon services.


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Janesville provides the following:

• Background check of the driver• Health physical • Vehicle inspection• Passenger and route information• Pay a flat stipend of $1.00/mile, an additional

$0.485/mile (federal reimbursement rate) to reimburse the driver for additional insurance coverage, and a $5.00/morning and 5.00/afternoon retainer fee.

Spotlight: Janesville, WI


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Spotlight: Tucson, Arizona• Sunnyside School District was spending $200,000

- $300,000 per year to transport homeless students, primarily in cabs

• New transportation director: normalize life for homeless kids; questioned outsourcing

• Divided the city into quadrants; organized buses within quadrants to respond to homeless students

• Dramatically reduced costs• Bus drivers do more than transport: report to CPS;

help children get to school on time• Drivers for these routes are selected for empathy,

sensitivity, patience • Students tutoring other students on buses


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Federal Policy Outlook

• FY2010 Appropriations: $65 million proposed, same as FY2009 (funding reaches 9% of all school districts in the Nation)

• In Florida, 61% of school districts receive funding ranging from $20,000 to $125,00

• Reauthorization of McKinney-Vento as part of Elementary and Secondary Education Act - expected in 2010


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Key Issues in Reauthorization

• Increase capacity and training of liaisons

• Increase authorized funding level for the program

• Require the amount of Title I set-aside to be based on objective criteria

• Explicitly authorize transportation to the school of origin as an allowable use of Title I set-aside

• Strengthen provisions for preschool children


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ResourcesResourcesNational Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)http://www.naehcy.org

National Center on Homeless Education (NCHE)http://www.serve.org/nche

National Law Center on Homelessness & Povertyhttp://www.nlchp.org

National Network for Youthhttp://www.nn4youth.org

My Own Four Walls - DVDwww.hearus.us


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Special thanks toSpecial thanks to

Barbara Duffield, Policy Director,

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY),

who prepared slides for the 2009 National Association of State Directors of Pupil

Transportation Services Conference, on which this presentation is based.


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Lorraine Husum Allen, Director325 West Gaines Street,Tallahassee, FL 32399Phone: (850) 245-0668

Fax: (850) [email protected]

Bureau of Federal Educational Programs

http://www.fldoe.org/bsa/title1/titlex.asp

Florida Department of Education Homeless Education Program

Contact Information

lorraine husum allen, director homeless education program, florida department of education florida...

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