Data from our latest Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study found that liaisons face challenges related to tracking information and communicating with referral providers. These challenges have become more urgent as a result of the recent increase in students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible and the fact that stimulus funds are drawing down. Almost all who responded said there is still more to be done for students experiencing homelessness.
Read More4 Reasons Why Districts Are Implementing Case-Management Systems
According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by TransACT Communications, school districts across the country are using more than 10 different means to track data for students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible. Of the 668 survey respondents, 63% reported tracking data in spreadsheets, and 20% reported tracking data on paper.
These responses illuminate a common problem for district staff who support at-risk students — there are typically multiple, disconnected places where critical information about the students they serve is being stored.
Making A Positive Impact For McKinney-Vento-Qualified Students
It can be overwhelming for a homeless liaison to manage their workload without knowing which students are eligible for McKinney-Vento support.
The COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenges that homeless liaisons face on a daily basis. With students attending school irregularly, it became incrementally more difficult to provide them with the necessary services for which they were eligible.
In the webinar “Making a Positive Impact on McKinney-Vento Qualified Students” presented on May 4, TransACT's Phillip Smith was joined by Debbie DiAnni, McKinney-Vento Liaison for the School City of Hammond, and Heidi Reang, District Homeless Liaison with Oregon’s Tigard-Tualatin School District. Together they discussed practical approaches to meeting common challenges associated with tracking McKinney-Vento students and how they've successfully leveraged technology to overcome these challenges.
Read MoreDocumenting Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness for FAFSA
When the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law on December 10, 2015, it included changes to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. One of those changes required every School District to appoint a District Homeless Liaison.
Read MoreWebinar: Changes to Requirements for Students in Foster Care under ESSA
The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) resulted in significant changes for requirements related to students in foster care in both the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and Title I of the ESEA/ESSA.
Read MoreData-Driven School Improvement
Making the Grade for Students Experiencing Homelessness
We all share the same mission, to provide the best services we can and help students succeed. It is easy to get swept away in the day-to-day of running a district, or Coordinating Title I, Title III, and McKinney-Vento programming or becoming caught up in an overwhelming amount of data without knowing where you can make a further positive impact.
Read MoreUsing a Software Solution for Homeless Program Reporting Requirements
There are many challenges to working with students experiencing homelessness, particularly when it comes to the complex reporting requirements that, for example, vary between federal grants like the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grants and ESSA Title I homeless student services.
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