Understanding & Ameliorating the Impact of Child Homelessness on Educational Advancement

1

Thaler McCormick, CEO, ForKidsJoi Chisolm Thaxton, Director of Education, ForKids Dr. Elsie Harold Lans, Senior Director of the Department of Student Support Services, Norfolk Public Schools  

ForKids: Our Mission

Breaking the cycle of

homelessness and poverty for families and children

2

Service Area

3

Regional Call Center Housing Solutions

Emergency Shelter

Supportive Housing

Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing

Adult & Children’s Education Educational assessment,

tutoring & school advocacy

GED & Life Skills

Critical Services Intensive Case Management

Mental & physical healthcare

Our ModelHousing, Education & Critical Services

4

ForKids ImpactIn Fiscal Year 2014:•We assisted over 1,155 people

• 347 families w/ 709 children

•89% exited to appropriate housing

•90% of school aged children in the program at least 90 days were promoted to the next grade.•

From Nov. 2013- Oct. 2014•We answered 18,680 calls from 8,131 callers

• 10% were from Virginia Beach residents5

25th Anniversary Commission

Addressing the Link Between Affordable Housing & the Educational

Advancement of Homeless Children in Hampton Roads

6

7

“Homelessness begins as housing crisis and

becomes and education crisis.”

---The ForKids 25th Anniversary Commission Report

1. Data Collection: establish a unified method to identify homeless and highly-mobile children; link school system date to HMIS data

2. Affordable Housing: develop recommendations to expand the supply of safe, affordable housing

3. Educational Advancement: identify best practices that achieve high school graduation for homeless and highly-mobile children

8

Commission’s Focus Areas

What are the challenges? Constant migration (city-

wide and regionally) Stigma/fear of identification “Normalization” Transportation

McKinney-Vento (MV) Law

Education of Homeless Children

9

What do we know?

“Achievement gaps related to homelessness residential instability emerge early and persist”

10

Education of Homeless Children

Homeless Children in South Hampton Roads: Estimating the Costs to Society

James V. Koch

Old Dominion University

11

City Costs

Chesapeake $252,113

Norfolk $280,000

Portsmouth $247,035

Suffolk $135,000

Virginia Beach* $458,138

Total $1,372,28612

Transportation Costs Associated w/ McKinney-Vento Students 2012-2013

* Virginia Beach includes funds expended for coordination and $50,000 in in-kind gifts and donations from the public

13

Academic Performance of Norfolk Students based on Economic Status 2012-2013

Homeless Low Socioeconomi

c

High Socioecono

mic

Ave. Attendance

87.9% 92.8% 95.1%

Ave. GPA 1.98 2.27 2.86

Ave. SOL Exams Passed

41.7% 54.8% 73.7%

Ave. Suspensions/Yr

1.18 .79 .13

In Virginia Beach

15 days less school 24% higher failure rate

Attendance (Avg days)Homeless Students

Lower Income, Housed

136.3 151.1

14

SOL Performance

Homeless Students

Lower Income, Housed

Failed all

22.1%

Failed all

17.8%

15

Achievement Gap

*Combined graduation rates for Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, &Virginia Beach.**Students identified as homeless/economically disadvantaged at least once in 9th - 12th grade.

Source: Virginia Dept. of Education, Virginia Cohort Reports, Class of 2013

Data from Project HOPE:

In 2012-2013:

How did homeless kids do in Virginia?

Reading: 32-39% lower (high school 11%)

Math: 31-49% lower

16

Achievement Gap: SOLs

Each homeless child costs our community approximately $20,000 per year*

Total cost of child homelessness for SHR annually: $30 million

“It would be less expensive for society to provide permanent housing for homeless families than to bear the high cost of homelessness and its long-term effects.”

17

Dr. Koch’s Conclusions:

*considering healthcare, social services, education, administration and transportation, penal system and lost income due to graduate rates.

Themes Dearth of Programs Targeted to Homeless

Students with Results Collaboration Between School Districts and

Nonprofit Service Providers Essential Best Lessons Available Come from Research

and Work with Poor and At-Risk Students Reading proficiency by 3rd grade Prevention of summer learning loss Out-of-School Time (OST) programs Holistic approaches

18

Education Research

19

The ForKidsEducation Pilot Project

Hybrid of Charlotte Model and FK “Hot Meals & Homework”

Hot Meals and Homework plus Remediation

2 elementary schools in Norfolk Public Schools

Outreach Family Case Manager, Licensed Educator & Part-time Education Assistant in each school

20

ForKids Educational Pilot

ForKids Educational Pilot

Goals: Connect families with community servicesAddress immediate needs of children (uniforms, school supplies, etc.)Assess MV student educational needsProvide remedial assistance Close achievement gap for MV studentsTrack and monitor progress of MV students

21

Structure•Outreach Family Case Manager (FT)

• Connects parents to community services; shelter/housing; arranges transportation

•Licensed Educator (FT)• Tracks grades, attendance, assessments, discipline, and

behavior

• Develops Academic Plans and creates lessons

• Collaborates w/teachers & advocate for students

•Part-time Education Assistant• Assist only in afterschool tutoring

•Dinner/Supper Program

22

ForKids Educational Pilot

Things We had to Figure Out… Fast

Barriers/How We Work Through ThemFaculty Buy-InSecurity, Background checksSpaceTechnologyFoodAssessmentsTransportationConsistent Identification

23

Continued Challenges

Data ReleasesGradesAttendanceBehaviorDisciplineAssessments

Transportation Continued student migration

24

25

Norfolk Public Schools

Total Student Population

32,000+

Economically disadvantaged 71%

33 Elementary Schools

8 Middle Schools

5 High Schools

26

Norfolk Public Schools – Scope of MV Problem

2012-2013

2013-2014 2014-2015

Unsheltered/Other 69 51 1Sheltered 75 52 42Shared/Double Up 341 342 160Hotel/Motel 117 129 82Unaccompanied Youth*

10 17 8

Total 602(Sept – June)

574(Sept – June)

285(Sept – Dec)

*also counted in doubled up

Norfolk Public Schools –Associated Costs

28

Norfolk Public Schools –Community & Internal Support Partners

Shelters, City, Schools, Faith Based, Stores, Project Hope etc.

Supply Drives Coats, Holiday Gifts, Food etc.

Training for Staff Annual McKinney Vento Training for

Enrollment Staff Supplemental Training from Project

Hope 29

Public Private Partnership

30

Keys to SuccessSenior-level support (superintendent)Seed Funding!Faculty buy-inAll the players around the table

(technology, data, HR, principals, servicers, etc.)

Timeline

Pilot Initial Funding (40%): 6/10/14

Balance of Funding: 6/12/14

1st Mtg w/ Norfolk Public Schools: 6/26/14

1st School Identified: 7/7/14

Mtg with Principal: 7/10/14

2nd School Identified: 8/12/14

Staff start at School #1 8/25/14

Staff start at school #2 9/2/1431

Lessons Learned

What Matters: Being in the schoolsIdentifying homeless kids consistently Remediation by skilled educators based on assessmentsHOUSING

32

33