PLANNING AND EVALUATION SERVICE

 

THE EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 

PROGRAM: LEARNING TO SUCCEED 

Volume II: Educating Homeless Children and Youth: A Resource 

Guide to Promising Practices 

FINAL REPORT 

2002 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DOC. #2001-21 

OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY

THE EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 

PROGRAM: LEARNING TO SUCCEED 

Volume II: Educating Homeless Children and Youth: 

A Resource Guide to Promising Practices 

Janie E. Funkhouser 

Derek L. Riley 

H. Jenny Suh 

Policy Studies Associates (PSA) 

Jean M. Lennon 

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) 

With the Assistance of: 

Catherine T. Kelliher, PSA 

Kimrey E. Millar, RTI 

John T. Roberts, RTI 

Michael D. Tashjian, RTI 

2002 

This report was prepared pursuant to Task Order 61, under ED contract #EA940053001, U.S. 

Department of Education. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the 

Department, and no endorsement by the Department should be inferred. 
U. S. Department of Education 

Rod Paige 

Secretary 

Office of the Under Secretary 

Eugene Hickok 

Under Secretary 

Planning and Evaluation Service 

Alan L. Ginsburg 

Director 

Elementary and Secondary Education Division 

Ricky T. Takai 

Director 

October 2002 

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission 

to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U. S. Department of Education, Planning and 

Evaluation Service, Elementary and Secondary Education Division, The Education for Homeless Children and 

Youth Program: Learning to Succeed, Washington, D.C., 2002. 

To order copies of this report, write: 

ED Pubs 

Education Publications Center 

U. S. Department of Education 

P. O. Box 1398 

Jessup, MD 20794-1398; 

via fax, dial (301) 470-1244; 

or via electronic mail, send your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

You may also call toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS). If 877 service is not yet available in your area, 

call 1-800-872-5327 (1-800-USA-LEARN); Those who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a 

teletypewriter (TTY), should call 1-800-437-0833. 

To order online, point your Internet browser to: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/PES/ed_for_disadvantaged.html. 

This report is also available on the Department’s Web site at: www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/eval/. 

On request, this publication is available in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print, audiotape, or 

computer diskette. For more information, please contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center (202) 

260-9895 or (202) 205-8113.
CONTENTS 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................I 

EDUCATING HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH: 

A Resource Guide to Promising Practices..............................................................................................1 

The Challenges This Study Addresses.............................................................................................2

The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act........................................................................................4 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE COORDINATORS: PROMISING PRACTICES ..........................8 

Raise Awareness with Assessment, Technical Assistance, and Training........................................9 

Cast a Broad Net to Disseminate Information ...............................................................................13 

Take Every Opportunity to Collaborate and Coordinate with Others............................................14 

Evaluate and Monitor with an Eye Toward Program Improvement..............................................18 

PROMISING PRACTICES FROM OTHER STATE-LEVEL PLAYERS, DISTRICTS, AND SCHOOLS .............22 

Awareness Raising.........................................................................................................................22 

Immediate Enrollment ...................................................................................................................30 

Transportation................................................................................................................................34 

In-school and Related Services......................................................................................................42 

Outreach To Youth ........................................................................................................................47 

CONCLUSIONS: SOME CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES ............................................................................ 50 

APPENDICES: 

Appendix A: Promising Practices Highlights..............................................................................A-1 

 Appendix B: Organizations and Advocacy Groups..................................................................... B-1 

Appendix C: Selected Recent Publications.................................................................................. C-1 

Appendix D: Questions and Answers Guide on the Education of Children and Youth 

in Homeless Situations: Special Education and the Homeless Student ................D-1 

iii
Acknowledgments 

We extend our sincere thanks to those whom we interviewed in Illinois, Oregon, and Texas. We also 

wish to thank the many people we visited in: (1) Baltimore County, Maryland; (2) Bucks County, 

Pennsylvania; (3) Chicago, Illinois; (4) Fort Wayne, Indiana; (5) Santa Cruz, California; and (6) Victoria, 

Texas. They were eager to contribute to this effort to share promising practices among those who serve 

homeless children and youth, and they graciously took time out of their very busy schedules to talk with 

us. 

We also wish to thank those who helped us select states and districts to include in our sample and those 

who thoughtfully provided us with suggestions about what to include in this guide. These include: Steve 

Berg at the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Diana Bowman at the National Center for Homeless 

Education; Barbara Duffield at the National Coalition for the Homeless; Sally McCarthy at the National 

Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; Miriam Rollin at the National Network for Youth; and Walter 

Varner at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. 

iv
Executive Summary 

Overview of the Resource Guide 

This guide suggests strategies and processes that states, districts, and schools can use to overcome 

some of the many barriers that keep homeless children and youth from getting the education to which 

they are entitled. It also presents approaches for helping them to achieve the same high standards 

expected of all children. The promising practices the guide describes all come from states and districts 

that have placed a strong emphasis on enrolling homeless children and youth in school and helping them

to be successful students. Others can put some of these strategies to use in their own states and districts. 

The search for promising practices focused on a small number of places where such practices 

were particularly likely to be found. We looked in three states and six school districts, all of which were 

recommended by current research literature and national experts in the field of educating homeless 

children and youth.

1

 The three states included: Illinois, Oregon, and Texas. The districts included: 

Baltimore County, Maryland; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Santa 

Cruz, California; and Victoria, Texas. We interviewed state coordinators of homeless education by

telephone. A team of researchers visited the six districts to gather detailed information about programs 

for homeless children and youth. 

This resource guide begins with an overview of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance

Act, the first and sole major federal legislative response to homelessness. It also describes: 

• The key roles and responsibilities of state coordinators of homeless education programs 

and examples of promising practices to build a strong statewide support system for 

homeless education; 

• Promising practices that other state-level players (e.g., coalitions, legislatures), as well as 

districts and schools, can use to educate homeless children and youth; 

Appendices provide quick access to information and resources, including: 

• Promising practices highlights in states and districts, with contact information 

• An annotated list of organizations and advocacy groups interested in the education of 

homeless children and youth, with descriptions of on-line resources and links to

additional resources; 

• A bibliography of recent publications that report on education-related issues affecting 

homeless children and youth; 

• Selected questions and answers regarding special education and the homeless student. 

v
The Challenges This Resource Guide Addresses 

When children and youth move frequently, or when they have no stable home base, attending 

school is difficult. There are challenges for students and challenges for the school districts, schools, and 

states working to serve them. Strategies aimed at five of the most common challenges are detailed in this 

guide. These include: 

• Awareness raising. State coordinators of homeless education report that many educators, 

as well as members of the general public, remain unaware of the serious consequences of 

homelessness for school-age children and youth. As one coordinator observed about 

homeless students, “...these students are invisible -- they do not exist.”2

 In order to 

identify, enroll, and educate homeless students, the general public and district and school 

staff at all levels and in all capacities need to understand the rights and needs of homeless 

students and their families, as well as the services available to them.

• Immediate enrollment. School records requirements make enrolling in school a problem

for many homeless students. States have made significant progress in resolving issues 

having to do with immunization records for homeless students. Nevertheless, schools 

and other agencies remain apprehensive about eliminating the usual requirement for 

documents (e.g., birth certificate, court records) that prove a student has a parent\legal 

guardian who accepts responsibility for the child. Further, when academic records such as 

grades and test scores are not transferred from one school to another, students may not be 

placed in the appropriate education programs. 

• Transportation. Transportation remains the major enrollment barrier for homeless children 

and youth. 3 Often, homeless students cannot immediately get access to district 

transportation because shelters, motels, campgrounds, the homes of relatives and friends, 

and other temporary housing are not on regular district bus routes. Homeless students in 

rural communities and communities without public transportation have even fewer 

transportation alternatives from which to choose. When they move across school and 

district boundaries, transportation problems often force homeless students to change 

schools, thus disrupting relationships with teachers and classmates.

• In-school and related services. Homeless students are at a disadvantage in terms of 

access to school services that supplement the standard educational program. State 

coordinators report that these students have difficulty receiving services such as gifted 

and talented education, special education, Head Start, and other publicly funded 

preschool programs, even when they qualify for these programs.4

 Transportation 

problems make it even more difficult for homeless students to participate in before- and 

after-school activities such as tutoring, clubs, sports, and counseling. Furthermore, 

homeless students often need school supplies that their families can’t afford, and they

may need referrals for health and social services to address problems that can prevent 

their success in school. 

• Outreach to youth. Identifying and enrolling homeless youth, who by legislative 

definition are between the ages of 12 and 18, poses special challenges. This population 

includes runaways and other highly mobile students, some of whom purposefully avoid 

being identified and avoid school. 5 State coordinators report that homeless youth 

“remain hidden and, as a result, are difficult to identify, and therefore, to serve.” Those 

vi
youth who do attend school may still have difficulty meeting the attendance and course 

requirements necessary for graduation, particularly if they change schools or districts 

frequently during the school year.6

 

The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act 

The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (PL 100-77), as amended, contains nine 

titles that cover a range of services to homeless people. Subtitle VII authorizes four programs, one of 

which is the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. Congress established the 

EHCY program in response to reports that more than half of homeless children were not regularly 

attending school.7

 As amended in 1994, the EHCY program mandates that states take action to ensure 

that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education as 

their non-homeless peers. 

Roles and Responsibilities of State Coordinators: Promising Practices 

Every state has a coordinator for homeless education. Interviews with the three state coordinators 

in this study provide information on many promising ways to meet the goals of the McKinney Act. 

Specifically, state coordinators can: 

• Raise awareness with assessment, technical assistance, and training. Two effective 

strategies are to assess current awareness and provide technical assistance and training to 

district and school personnel. Assessing educators’ awareness of homeless education 

issues, rights, resources, and services is a smart first step toward developing strategic 

activities that target areas of greatest need. Identifying homeless children and youth is a

crucial step to ensure that these students enroll in school and have the opportunity to 

reach high academic standards. Many districts are not aware that they have homeless 

students; nor do they know which children to count as “homeless.”

8

• Cast a broad net to disseminate information. State coordinators can maintain close 

contact with school districts, service providers, and advocates and provide them with 

useful information, such as guidance on the McKinney Act, changes in the law itself, or 

related policies that can effect the education of homeless children and youth. State 

coordinators communicate information in various ways, including through statewide 

newsletters, e-mail listservs, statewide hotlines, and direct calls to districts. The 

coordinators with whom we spoke try to use as many different means of communication 

as possible. 

• Take every opportunity to collaborate and coordinate with others. Specifically, state 

coordinators suggest collaborating with district and school staff, local departments of 

transportation and local youth-serving organizations and agencies to provide innovative 

in-school and related services and coordinating funds to provide in-school and related 

services to more homeless students. 

• Evaluate and monitor with an eye toward program improvement. State coordinators are 

required to gather information on homeless children and youth in their state and report 

findings to the United States Department of Education once every three years. In our 

vii
sample of states, we uncovered promising strategies to collect high-quality data and use 

the data for program improvement. 

Promising Practices from Other State-Level Players, Districts, and Schools 

Awareness Raising

To begin the process of awareness raising at the local level, district and school liaisons can: (1) 

conduct a local needs assessment, (2) target a wide audience, (3) target a full range of staff positions 

including district personnel, teachers, and bus drivers and make attendance at awareness-raising activities 

mandatory, and (4) develop awareness-raising materials to disseminate widely. District and school staff 

can also keep parents informed about their children’s legal rights to immediate enrollment and provide 

advice on what to do when moving (e.g., notify the school of departure to begin records transfer, request a 

copy of all school and immunization records). 

Immediate Enrollment

To ensure that homeless children and youth can enroll in school immediately, districts can 

minimize enrollment barriers through policy (e.g., develop district policy and/or look to relevant state 

policy). They can also use a systematic process for records transfer and assign a staff member the 

responsibility to oversee this process. Many have found that when a liaison or other specified contact 

person leads a homeless student through the enrollment process -- going with the student from the shelter 

to the school and completing forms and requirements, such as a doctor’s appointment if immunization 

records cannot be found -- the length of time it takes to access a student’s records decreases significantly. 

Transportation

To identify the transportation needs of homeless children and youth, communicate these needs to 

the right person, and resolve problems, states and districts can: (1) develop state law and policy to clarify

the McKinney Act provisions, (2) develop local transportation policy that facilitates the attendance of 

homeless students, (3) collaborate with the local department of transportation to provide the most 

appropriate transportation to homeless students, and (4) develop a systematic process to meet 

transportation needs of these children. 

The McKinney Act’s guidance on all matters related to the transportation of homeless children 

and youth is not always clear. For example, the McKinney Act does not address: (1) exactly how long a 

homeless student may remain in the school of origin; (2) who is responsible for transporting homeless 

students across district lines, or (3) procedures for filing and resolving enrollment disputes. Furthermore, 

many district administrators may not be aware of the McKinney Act and its provisions at all.9 State law 

and policy can not only increase awareness of transportation issues among school and shelter staff in nonMcKinney districts but also clarify the gray areas of the McKinney Act. 

viii
In-school and Related Services

To help ensure that homeless children and youth have access to the in-school and related services 

that they need, districts can: (1) accurately identify the need for programs and services by identifying 

homeless children and youth, (2) ensure access through policies that make clear what programs and services 

homeless children and youth are entitled to, and (3) create networks and partnerships to stretch resources. 

A smart first step in providing in-school services to homeless students is to determine the extent of the need 

for particular services by, for example, conducting a school survey. Once need is determined, districts can 

stretch resources by developing a network of service providers and developing local partnerships. 

Outreach to Youth 

To specifically address the problems that homeless youth face, districts can: (1) collaborate and 

coordinate with local youth-serving organizations/programs, and (2) form a multi-disciplinary team. 

Establishing and maintaining contact with local youth-serving organizations and programs can increase 

the chances of identifying and enrolling homeless youth in school. Multi-disciplinary teams, that may

include the juvenile officer for the local police department, a narcotics officer, a social worker, and a 

mental health outreach worker, for example, can provide homeless youth with the supports that some may

need to re-engage in school or to get a job. 

Conclusions: Some Cross-Cutting Strategies 

Looking across this sample of states and districts, promising strategies that meet challenges 

across a range of issues that homeless children and youth confront every day include: (1) developing law 

and policy to strengthen and reinforce the McKinney Act, (2) appointing a homeless liaison for every

district, (3) collaborating to maximize district resources, and (4) creating a comprehensive and 

coordinated homeless education program. Homeless students will be best served when promising 

practices are implemented as part of a comprehensive and coordinated homeless education program. 

Promising practices that are implemented in isolation are likely to result in some homeless students 

falling between the cracks. A homeless education program can align and integrate the efforts of all 

stakeholders, and do so in a systemic, planned, and sustainable way. The ultimate success of any 

homeless education program requires that the efforts of many individuals are coordinated and measured 

by whether all homeless students are identified, enrolled, and educated appropriately. 

 * * * *

This guide describes promising practices that state coordinators for homeless education and other 

state, district, and school staff can use to meet the requirements of the McKinney Act, as well as some of 

ix
the most pressing challenges to enrolling homeless children and youth in school and providing them with 

the supports they need to reach the same high standards as others. Although success in meeting these 

challenges rarely comes easily, when it does come, it is well worth the effort in improving the lives of 

these vulnerable children, youth, and families. 

 1

 The states and districts included in this guide were selected based on (1) the recommendations of experts 

in the field, (2) current literature, (3) geographic diversity, and (4) location in a mix of urban, 

suburban, and rural districts. 

2

 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Coalition for 

the Homeless. (1999). Making the grade: Successes and challenges in providing educational

opportunities to homeless children and youth (page 7). Washington, DC: National Coalition for 

the Homeless. 

3

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A Follow-up Study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page 8). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 4

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 33. 5

 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Coalition for 

the Homeless,1999, 8. 6

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 12. 

7

 National Coalition for the Homeless. (1999, June). Education of homeless children and youth. (NCH 

Fact Sheet # 10) [On Line]. Available: http://nch.ari.net/edchild.html. 8

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, v. 

9

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 23. 

x
Educating Homeless Children and Youth: 

A Resource Guide to Promising Practices 

This guide suggests strategies and processes that states, districts, and schools can use to overcome 

some of the many barriers that keep homeless children and youth from getting the education to which 

they are entitled. The guide describes promising practices that some states and districts have 

implemented to enroll homeless children and youth in school. It also presents approaches for helping 

them to achieve the same high standards expected of all children. We know that others can put some of 

these strategies to use in their own states and districts. 

Children and youth are a fast growing segment of the homeless population. Estimates vary

because of the difficulties in accurately counting homeless children. The Year 2000 Report to Congress 

on the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program indicates that: 

The number of homeless children and youth (PreK-12) increased 10 percent from

approximately 841,721 reported in 1997 to 928,429 reported in 2000, while the overall 

population of PreK-12 children increased only 2 percent during this time period. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The largest numbers of homeless children are PreK-6 aged children, comprising 

approximately 65 percent of the homeless children and youth population. 

Approximately 87 percent of school age homeless children and youth (K-12) are enrolled 

in school; 13 percent are not enrolled. Year 2000 data show that approximately 77

percent of school age homeless children and youth (K-12) attend school regularly; almost 

one-quarter (23 percent) of homeless children do not. These data show a significant 

improvement from the 1997 data that reported only 55 percent of school age homeless 

children and youth attended school regularly.

Only 15 percent of preschool age homeless children are enrolled in school programs. 

These data suggest that preschool age homeless children are greatly underserved by

homeless education programs.1

Further, the most recent United States Conference of Mayors Status Report on Hunger and 

Homelessness in America’s Cities indicates that requests for emergency shelter by homeless families with 

children increased in almost three-quarters of cities surveyed in 2000. Across these cities, the average 

increase in requests was 17 percent.2

 Half of those cities report that people are homeless for a longer 

period of time than was true in past years.3

 Research indicates that these problems are also prevalent in 

rural areas.4

 

In order to focus our search for promising practices in a small number of places where promising 

practices were particularly likely to be found, we looked in three states and six school districts across six 

1 
states, all of which were recommended by current research literature and national experts in the field of 

educating homeless children and youth.5

 The three states included: Illinois, Oregon, and Texas. The 

districts included: Baltimore County, Maryland; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Fort 

Wayne, Indiana; Santa Cruz, California; and Victoria, Texas. In our search we interviewed state 

coordinators of homeless education by telephone, and a team of researchers visited the six districts to 

gather detailed information about programs for homeless children and youth. 

The promising practices described here are but a few; many other states and districts could, no 

doubt, contribute their own success stories. We have, in a few instances, included promising practices 

from sites that, although not in our study sample, help to illustrate a particular point. 

This resource guide begins with an overview of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the first 

and, to date, the sole major federal legislative response to homelessness. The McKinney Act has been 

amended five times. For the most part, the amendments expanded the scope and strengthened the 

provisions of the original legislation.6

 In addition, Congress has recently changed the name of the Act 

from the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act to the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. 

The resource guide also describes: 

• The key roles and responsibilities of state coordinators of homeless education programs 

and examples of promising practices to build a strong statewide support system for 

homeless education 

• Promising practices that other state-level players (e.g., coalitions, legislatures), as well as 

districts and schools, use to educate homeless children and youth 

The guide includes appendices that provide quick access to information and resources: 

• Promising practices highlights in the states and districts included in this guide, with 

contact information 

• An annotated list of organizations and advocacy groups interested in the education of 

homeless children and youth, with descriptions of on-line resources and links to

additional resources 

• A bibliography including recent publications that report on education-related issues 

affecting homeless children and youth 

• Selected questions and answers regarding special education and the homeless student 

The Challenges This Study Addresses 

3⁄4 Awareness raising

3⁄4 Immediate enrollment 

2 
3⁄4 Transportation 

3⁄4 Providing in-school and related services

3⁄4 Outreach to youth

When children and youth move frequently, attending school is difficult for many reasons. There 

are challenges for students and challenges for the school districts, schools, and even states working to 

serve them. Strategies aimed at five of the most common challenges are detailed in this guide:

Awareness Raising

State coordinators of homeless education programs report that many educators, as well as 

members of the general public, remain unaware of the serious consequences of homelessness for schoolage children and youth. As one coordinator observed about homeless students, “...these students are 

invisible -- they do not exist.”7

 In order to identify, enroll, and educate homeless students, the general 

public and district and school staff at all levels and in all capacities need to understand the rights and 

needs of homeless students and their families, as well as the services available to them. 

Immediate Enrollment

School records requirements make enrolling in school a problem for many homeless students. 

States have made significant progress in resolving issues having to do with immunization records for 

homeless students. Nevertheless, schools and other agencies remain apprehensive about eliminating the 

usual requirement for documents that prove a student has a parent\legal guardian who accepts 

responsibility for the child. School authorities are concerned not only about liability questions, but also 

fear that non-homeless students would react to such a change by enrolling in schools outside of their 

attendance area for other reasons (e.g., the popularity of a school).8

 Further, when academic records such 

as grades and test scores are not transferred from one school to another, students may not be placed in the 

appropriate education programs. 

3 
Transportation 

Transportation remains the most prominent enrollment barrier for homeless children and youth. 9 

Often, homeless students cannot immediately get access to district transportation because shelters, motels, 

campgrounds, the homes of relatives and friends, and other temporary housing are not on regular district 

bus routes. Homeless students in rural communities and communities without public transportation have 

even fewer transportation alternatives from which to choose. When they move across school and district 

boundaries, transportation problems often force homeless students to change schools, thus disrupting 

relationships with teachers and classmates. 

In-school and Related Services

Homeless students are at a disadvantage in terms of access to school services that supplement the 

standard educational program. State coordinators report that these students have difficulty receiving 

services related to gifted and talented education, special education, Head Start, and other publicly funded 

preschool programs, even when they qualify for these programs.10 The lack of transportation makes it 

even more difficult for homeless students to participate in before- and after-school activities such as 

tutoring, clubs, sports, and counseling. Furthermore, homeless students often need school supplies, and 

they may need referrals for health and social services to address problems that can prevent their success in 

school. 

Outreach to Youth

Identifying and enrolling homeless youth, who by legislative definition are between the ages of 

12 and 18, poses special challenges. This population includes runaways and other highly mobile students, 

some of whom purposefully avoid being identified and avoid school.

 11 State coordinators report that 

homeless youth “remain hidden and, as a result, are difficult to identify, and therefore, to serve.” Those 

youth who do attend school may still have difficulty meeting the attendance and course requirements 

necessary for graduation, particularly if they change schools or districts frequently during the school 

year.12 

The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act 

The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (PL 100-77) was signed into law on July 22, 1987. Its 

purpose was to bring to the surface and address the problems associated with homelessness in the United 

States. The Act was amended in 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1994. The McKinney Act contains nine titles that 

4 
cover a range of services to homeless people. Subtitle VII authorizes four programs, one of which is the 

Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. Congress established the EHCY program

in response to reports that more than half of homeless children were not regularly attending school.13 As 

amended in 1994, the EHCY program mandates that states take action to ensure that homeless children 

and youth have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education as their non-homeless 

peers. This report discusses data collected in 2000 when the 1994 reauthorization was law. 

The 1994 amendments to the McKinney Act gave local education authorities increased flexibility 

in the use of funds appropriated under the Act, specified the rights of homeless preschoolers to a free and 

appropriate public preschool education, gave parents of homeless children and youth a greater voice 

regarding their children’s school placement, and required educational authorities to coordinate with 

housing authorities. In 2000, Congress appropriated $28.8 million to the EHCY program and stipulated 

that no state appropriation could be less than $100,000. 

The EHCY program awards grants to state education agencies (SEAs) to provide and coordinate

services to homeless children and youth and to establish or designate a state homeless education 

coordinator. The state coordinator works to improve the educational access and school success of all 

homeless children in the state. The Office of the State Coordinator also awards subgrants to local 

education agencies (LEAs) to help homeless children and youth enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. 

Operating at a funding level of $28.8 million, the McKinney Act is a relatively small program, and the 

number of subgrantees receiving McKinney funds is small; approximately 4 percent of school districts 

nationwide receive subgrants.14

The McKinney Act imposes several key requirements on LEAs in participating states. An LEA 

must: 

• Either continue the student’s enrollment at the school of origin or enroll him or her in the 

attendance area in which he or she currently lives. In making these placement decisions 

the LEA should, to the extent feasible, comply with the request made by a parent or 

guardian regarding school selection, 

• Provide homeless students with services that are comparable to those offered to other 

students, including transportation, school meals, and educational programs for students 

who are gifted and talented, have disabilities, or are limited-English proficient, 

• LEAs that receive subgrants should coordinate with local social service and housing 

agencies, and 

• LEAs that receive subgrants should designate a homeless liaison whose responsibilities 

include ensuring that the LEA responsibilities are met and that homeless students receive 

the educational services to which they are entitled; however, some states require that all 

LEAs, including those without McKinney subgrants, designate a homeless liaison 

5 
6 

The McKinney Homeless Assistance Act: The Education of 

Homeless Children and Youth Program 

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney Act, which established the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 

program, stipulates that: 

• All homeless children and youth have a right to the same, free, and appropriate public 

education as other children and youth, including a public preschool education. 

• States must review and revise residency laws and “other laws, regulations, practices, or 

policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of 

homeless children and homeless youth.”

• Students must not be separated from the mainstream school environment because of their 

homelessness.

• Homeless students should have access to education services to enable them to meet the same 

challenging student performance standards to which all students are held (McKinney Act, 

Section 721).

Section 103(a) of the McKinney Act defines children and youth as homeless if they lack “a fixed, 

regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Children and youth may also be defined as homeless if their 

primary nighttime residence is: 

• A supervised shelter (e.g., welfare hotel, congregate shelter, runaway shelter, or transitional 

housing for people with mental illness) designed to provide temporary accommodations, 

• An institution (other than a jail or prison) that provides temporary accommodations for 

people who are intended to be institutionalized, for example, children who are in the care of 

the state and are between foster families, or 

• A place not designed for, or regularly used as, sleeping accommodations for people. 

Other homeless children and youth such as migrant children, those living in foster care, children of 

“doubled-up families” who share a living space, and those who live in trailer parks or camping areas may

or may not be classified as homeless. States can assess cases individually, using such criteria as whether 

these living arrangements are voluntary.
 1

 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Education for Homeless 

Children and Youth Program. (2000). Report to Congress: Fiscal Year 2000 (page 8). Washington, 

DC: Author. 

2

 Lowe, 2000, 39. 

3

 Lowe, 2000, 42. 

4

 Vissing, Y. (1996). Out of sight, out of mind: Homeless children and families in small town America. 

Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. 

5

 The states and districts included in this guide were selected based on (1) the recommendations of experts 

in the field, (2) current literature, (3) geographic diversity, and (4) location in a mix of urban, suburban, 

and rural districts. 

6

 National Coalition for the Homeless. (1999, April). The McKinney Act (NCH Fact Sheet # 18) [On 

Line]. Available: http://nch.ari.net/McKinneyfacts.html. 7

 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Coalition for 

the Homeless. (1999). Making the grade: Successes and challenges in providing educational

opportunities to homeless children and youth (page 7). Washington, DC: National Coalition for 

the Homeless. 

8

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth (page 10). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Education. 

9

 Phillips et al, forthcoming, 8. 10 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 33. 11 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Coalition for 

the Homeless,1999, 8. 12 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 12. 

13 National Coalition for the Homeless. (1999, June). Education of homeless children and youth. (NCH 

Fact Sheet # 10) [On Line]. Available: http://nch.ari.net/edchild.html. 14 Statistics provided by the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program office, April 2000. 

7 
Roles and Responsibilities of State Coordinators: Promising Practices 

3⁄4 Raise awareness with assessment, technical assistance, and training

3⁄4 Cast a broad net to disseminate information 

3⁄4 Take every opportunity to collaborate with others

3⁄4 Evaluate and monitor with an eye toward program improvement

The McKinney Act: Responsibilities of the State Coordinator 

The McKinney Act requires state coordinators to: 

• Develop and carry out the state plan 

• Facilitate coordination between the SEA, the state social services agency, and other 

agencies serving homeless families 

• Develop relationships with relevant education, child development or preschool programs, 

and other service providers in order to coordinate and improve the provision of 

comprehensive services to homeless families 

• Collect and submit information to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) every three 

years on (1) the estimated number of homeless children and youth in their state and the 

number of these being served directly with McKinney funds; (2) the nature and extent of 

the problems of homeless children and youth in gaining access to public preschools and 

elementary and secondary schools; (3) the difficulties in identifying the special needs of 

homeless children and youth; (4) any progress made by the SEA and LEAs in addressing 

such problems and difficulties; and (5) program success in allowing homeless children and 

youth to enroll, attend, and succeed in school 

Source: Title VII, SubTitle B, of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 

11431 et. Seq. 

Although only 4 percent of school districts receive McKinney funds, every state has a coordinator 

for homeless education. In broad terms, state coordinators identify homeless children and youth and build 

support systems for school districts to serve them effectively. Interviews with the three state coordinators 

in this study provided information on many promising ways to meet the goals of the McKinney Act. 

Specifically, these coordinators shared promising practices they use to: 

• Raise awareness about homeless children and youth 

• Disseminate information 

• Collaborate and coordinate with other organizations and agencies, and 

• Evaluate and monitor McKinney subgrantees 

8
Raise Awareness with Assessment, Technical Assistance, and Training 

3⁄4 Assess current awareness

3⁄4 Use technical assistance to identify homeless children and youth 

3⁄4 Use technical assistance to ensure access to in-school and related services

3⁄4 Train for self advocacy

Staffs of state departments of education, districts, and schools, as well as community members, 

vary in their awareness of homeless issues -- including those related to the definition, condition, needs, 

and rights of homeless children and youth.1

 Lack of awareness can result in barriers that delay or prevent 

homeless children and youth from enrolling in school. Homeless parents themselves are often unaware of 

their children’s rights or their own rights. Furthermore, school staff who are unfamiliar with the 

conditions of homelessness may be unresponsive to homeless students’ educational needs and insensitive 

to the everyday challenges they face. 

State coordinators we interviewed expend considerable energy on awareness raising. Two 

effective strategies are to: 

• Assess current awareness 

• Provide technical assistance and training to district and school personnel. 

Assess Current Awareness 

Assessing educators’ awareness of homeless education issues, rights, resources, and services is a 

smart first step toward developing strategic activities that target areas of greatest need. For example, 

Illinois’ state coordinator surveyed the state’s 900 district superintendents to gauge their awareness of 

federal and state laws that address homeless education, as well as related services and issues. Following 

this first survey, the coordinator undertook many outreach and informational activities to raise awareness 

in the areas in which superintendents lacked knowledge and understanding. After administering the 

survey a second time nearly two years later, this state coordinator now says, “We saw a significant rise in 

awareness after two years. The survey showed that people in schools and districts are much more aware. 

I am confident now that if you ask any superintendent about homeless education, he or she will at least 

know that there is some legislation and guidance out there that addresses it.” 

9
Use Technical Assistance to Identify Homeless Children and Youth

Identifying homeless children and youth is another crucial step in ensuring that these students 

enroll in school and have the opportunity to reach high academic standards. Many districts are not aware 

that they have homeless students; nor do they know which children to count as “homeless.”2

 Noting the 

importance of providing technical assistance and training on this topic, the state coordinators we

interviewed offered two effective means: 

• Developing written guidance 

• Presenting at 

statewide 

conferences 

Oregon: 

Technical Assistance to Identify 

Homeless Children and Youth 

Admission of Students to Oregon Public Schools: Guidance for Schools 

and Districts defines what is meant by: 

• Homeless and temporarily housed students 

• Unsupervised, abandoned, emancipated*

, and runaway youth 

• Highly mobile, migrant, and immigrant children and youth 

The manual also defines possible living arrangements for homeless 

children and youth as: 

• Transitional or emergency shelters 

• Trailer parks, campgrounds, vehicles 

• Inadequate housing 

• Doubled-up housing and overcrowded conditions 

• Motels, hotels, and apartments with short-term rates 

* Under Oregon law, youth ages 16-17 may become “emancipated” from

parents or legal guardians through a juvenile court procedure. Emancipated 

youths have been deemed by a judge to be capable of independent living and

of making decisions such as those related to public school enrollment. Legally

emancipated youths are considered residents in the district in which they

reside, irrespective of the residence of their parents or legal guardians. 

 Developing written 

guidance. One way that state 

coordinators can train others to 

identify homeless children and 

youth is to provide written 

guidance about exactly who is 

homeless. For example, in 

January 2000 Oregon’s state 

coordinator published a manual 

entitled Admission of Students 

to Oregon Public Schools: 

Guidance for Schools and 

Districts. Incorporating the 

non-regulatory guidance issued 

by the U.S. Department of 

Education on McKinney Act 

provisions, the guidance 

provides district and school

personnel with legal references 

and policy guidelines to 

determine student eligibility for admission to school. The manual includes a section addressing special 

populations, with guidance for identifying homeless youth in particular. It also includes a question-andanswer section, based on best practices, to address some of the reluctance among school staff and 

principals to enroll homeless youth. Among the questions addressed are: 

10
• What is the responsibility of a school district to admit school-age children and youth 

located in the district who do not have a permanent in-district address or who are not 

supervised by a parent or legal guardian? 

• What should school personnel do if they suspect or know the youth to be a runaway? 

• Can a school require documentation such as a recent receipt or a utility bill to prove that a 

child or youth is a resident of the district for school admissions purposes? 

• Should an unaccompanied homeless student be allowed to participate in field trips for 

which a signed parent permission slip is a prerequisite? 

• If a youth admitted to school becomes ill or is injured at school, and school personnel 

either take the child to the hospital or call for an ambulance, is the school district 

responsible for the medical costs incurred? 

• What should educators do if a homeless youth attempting to enroll is known to have been 

expelled from another school for possession of a weapon? 

Oregon is revising the manual after feedback from districts, and it is likely to expand it to cover issues 

related to adjudicated youth. School and district staff will be able to access the new edition on the Web, 

along with links to other resources that can assist in enrolling homeless students. 

Statewide Conferences Reach a Wide Audience 

The Texas state coordinator teaches district staff how to identify homeless students at statewide 

conferences for: 

• The Parent-Teacher Association 

• The Association of School Social Workers 

• All regional educational service centers 

• School superintendents 

• The associations of school boards, school nurses, and school secretaries 

• Head Start 

• The Texas Homeless Network (a statewide organization that provides technical assistance to

direct service providers and individual members across Texas) 

Presenting at statewide conferences and local workshops. Another method by which state 

coordinators can familiarize school staff with homelessness issues is to present information at statewide 

conferences of other federal or state education programs or advocacy groups. Texas’ state coordinator 

11
gets on the program at statewide conferences to raise awareness of issues related to homeless children and 

youth, including how to identify them. 

Oregon’s coordinator has 

conducted interstate workshops 

to address the movement of 

homeless families between 

California, Oregon, and 

Washington. She also conducts 

about 25 district workshops a 

year to help staff learn how to 

identify homeless children and 

youth. 

Technical Assistance to Ensure 

Access to a Free Appropriate 

Public Education

The Texas state 

coordinator recently published 

Questions and Answers Guide on 

the Education of Children and 

Youth in Homeless Situations 

(1999). The guide specifically

addresses special education 

services in Texas and answers 

many questions that district and 

school staff in that State are 

likely to ask in deciding whether 

a homeless student is eligible to 

participate in the program. It also 

describes when homeless 

students may receive expedited 

consideration for such services. 

This guidance, while specific to 

Texas, identifies some of the issues that States can address in their own policies and practices.

Special Education and Homeless Students: 

The Texas Office of Education for Homeless 

Children and Youth (OEHCY) Answers Some 

Important Questions for its School Districts 

• What is required of special education programs related to the 

education of students in homeless situations?

• Should all students experiencing homelessness be referred to 

special education programs? 

• If a homeless student who is receiving special education services 

from a school district leaves the school district and enrolls in 

another school district, can the new school district begin 

providing special education services immediately?

• Can the evaluation of a homeless student’s eligibility for services 

take precedence over pre-existing referrals of non-homeless 

students? 

• If a homeless student moves before completing the referral and 

assessment process, can the student’s new school district simply

complete the unfinished portion of the process, or must it start 

over from the beginning? 

• Can a homeless student under the age of 18 who has no parent or 

legal guardian participate in special education? 

• If a physically disabled homeless student is initially assigned to a 

campus that is not equipped for his or her special education 

needs, what is the maximum length of time that may pass before 

the school district must transport that student to another school? 

* See Appendix D for responses to these questions. Also, the National 

Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) answers 

these and many more related questions in a Policy Forum Proceedings 

document dated December 5-7, 1999 (contact www.nasdse.org). The 

guidance in these documents is based upon a combination of federal and

state law. 

12
Train for Self Advocacy

As previously noted, while every

state has a homeless coordinator, not 

every district receives subgrants. As a 

result, many districts do not designate 

homeless program liaisons. In Texas, for 

example, the state coordinator notes that, 

with more than 1,000 districts in the state, 

many school staff, service providers, and 

homeless parents lack the knowledge and 

skills to quickly resolve problems that 

affect school enrollment and success for 

homeless children and youth. She 

believes in “training individuals to 

advocate on their own behalf ... to ensure that ‘fires’ at all levels are put out quickly.” Consequently, 

when an advocate or homeless student calls the state homeless information hot-line with a problem (e.g., 

not being allowed to enroll in a particular school), they leave the conversation armed with the information 

they need to take care of the situation at hand. The coordinator explained that local advocates can 

pressure local communities in ways that state officials can’t. “It is much more meaningful when a 

constituent -- rather than someone from the state office -- gets up at a school board meeting and talks 

about what works and what needs changing,” she said. She noted further that becoming an advocate for 

oneself means that, when a homeless parent or student moves to another district or state, they know how 

to access the information and services they need. 

Learning to Be One’s Own Advocate 

The Texas state coordinator believes in training 

homeless individuals to “be their own advocate.” One

good reason to do this, she explained, is that 

“sometimes when state homeless education staff calls a 

school to correct a problem, the school will take out 

their frustrations on the student or family....” The 

coordinator explained that school staff may decide that 

the student or family member went over the district’s 

head to the state: “So I encourage them to be their own 

advocate. Still, if the student or family member is 

uncomfortable making that call, I make it clear that I 

will make it for them.”

A Statewide Hotline Can Answer 

Many Questions 

The Texas state coordinator manages the 

1-800 hotline, which anyone may call for 

information on how to assist a homeless child 

or youth. The hotline receives many inquiries, 

as well as calls from those who wish to 

volunteer. In this case, hotline staff ask in 

which community the caller resides and directs 

them to the district homeless liaison. If there 

is no homeless education project in that 

community, the coordinator assists the caller 

or refers the caller to the statewide homeles

coalition for further assistance. 

s

Cast a Broad Net to Disseminate 

Information 

The state coordinators we interviewed try 

to maintain close contact with school districts, 

service providers, and advocates and to provide 

them with useful information, such as guidance on 

the McKinney Act, changes in the law itself, or 

related policies that can affect the education of 

homeless children and youth. State coordinators 

communicate information in various ways, 

including through statewide newsletters, e-mail 

13
listservs, statewide hotlines, and direct calls to districts. The coordinators with whom we spoke try to use 

as many different means of communication as possible. In Texas, for example: 

 

• All schools have e-mail access to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and are required to 

check the TEA website regularly. (TEA no longer sends many types of information via 

paper communications to districts.) The coordinator posts important information related 

to homeless education on this website. 

• All homeless program liaisons have e-mail access, and the coordinator contacts them

regularly to “check in and keep touch.” The coordinator also e-mails information about 

relevant policy and law affecting homeless children and youth to all subgrantees. 

• The OEHCY publishes at least one article for each issue of the bi-monthly Texas 

Homeless Network News, which is disseminated on-line as well as in hard copy, to more 

than 2,000 readers 

Take Every Opportunity to Collaborate and Coordinate with Others 

3⁄4 Collaborate to provide innovative in-school and related services

3⁄4 Coordinate funds to provide in-school and related services to more homeless students

The McKinney Act directs the state homeless education 

program to coordinate activities with the SEA and with other 

agencies and organizations that serve homeless children and 

youth. The state coordinators we interviewed think that 

collaborating with others is essential in a successful homeless 

education program. Collaboration enhances educators’ ability 

to: 

“[Collaboration] attacks 

[homelessness] in a bigger way, in the 

larger context of poverty.” 

Oregon State Coordinator

• Provide innovative in-school and related services 

• Extend the reach of McKinney dollars to provide more homeless students with in-school 

services 

Collaborate to Provide Innovative In-school and Related Services

Texas’ state coordinator has played a key role in designing the Support for Homeless Education: 

Linking Technology Resources to Shelters (SHELTRS) project, which gives homeless students in Austin 

access to information-age learning tools. Specifically, SHELTRS provides new technology resources and 

expands existing technology resources at eight facilities in Austin that provide shelter, educational 

services, or job training and employment referral services to homeless students. To get this project 

14
started, the state coordinator convened a group to collaborate, including Austin shelter directors, staff of 

the University of Texas Dana Center, and representatives from private technology companies such as 

Microsoft and Southwestern Bell. Their meetings and joint planning eventually led to a grant award from

the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Telecommunications and 

Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP). 

A Partnership to Help Homeless Students Reach High Standards 

SHELTRS provides: 

• Personalized tutoring in the state-mandated curriculum (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills [TEKS]) and 

additional instructional time annually to more than 940 students residing in shelters 

• Training so that tutors can (1) access Web resources that are directly linked to the TEKS curriculum, (2) 

access Web resources that help them understand homelessness and its effects on students so that they can 

better serve these students, and (3) perform basic computer troubleshooting to avoid lengthy down-time 

• Means for tutors to communicate frequently with classroom teachers so that tutoring time is customized to 

student needs 

• Encouragement for parents to attend tutoring sessions with their children so that they can learn basic 

computing skills and how to help their children with homework 

Evidence of success: 

• SHELTRS staff and tutors report that almost all of their students, who have no prior experience with 

computers, become less fearful of the technology. They also report that these students gain confidence and 

show more initiative to learn on their own. 

 

• During the last quarter of 1999, the Austin Children’s Shelter (one of the facilities) recorded 54 hours of 

tutoring on computers, and more than 82 tutoring sessions. This shelter had no tutoring on computers or 

using the Internet prior to its involvement with SHELTRS. The Safe Place Shelter recorded 221 tutoring 

sessions and instances of computer usage by children and youth in a recent three-month period. 

• As of fall 2000, nearly every classroom in Austin will be wired, and OEHCY will instruct SHELTR tutors, 

classroom teachers, and interested parents in the use of e-mail to facilitate communication between SHELTRs 

projects and schools 

More formal evaluations that look at homework and daily test scores and that include interviews with classroom

teachers are forthcoming. 

Source: [Online] http//www.tenet.edu/shelters/about.html 

 

15
In addition, the coordinator collaborates with private non-profit charitable organizations to 

increase services that influence students’ school success. One such collaboration is with Feed the 

Children, a national organization headquartered in Oklahoma that distributes food, clothing, and other 

resources to the homeless in Texas. Feed the Children contacts the coordinator regarding donations, and 

she in turn contacts liaisons who select families to receive the donated items. This organization, for 

example, once provided rent money to a family about to be evicted from their apartment. 

Coordinate Funds to Provide In-school and Related Services to More Homeless Students

Coordination also offers opportunities to provide more 

homeless students with in-school services, both within and 

outside of McKinney-funded districts. 

Title I Can Stretch McKinney Funds 

Oregon received $253,000 in McKinney funds in 1999-2000. Eighteen 

districts received sub-grants. An additional 86 districts that did not receive 

McKinney funds set aside a portion of their Title I allocation for services to 

homeless children. According to the state coordinator, “Oregon has 

essentially quadrupled our McKinney funds through our Title I, Part A Setasides Initiative. Our $250,000 in McKinney funds is now supplemented at 

the LEA level with almost $1 million in Title I, Part A reserves for serving 

homeless students. That’s been the case annually for four years now.”4

 

Title I can serve homeless students. Oregon’s 

homeless coordinator combines McKinney funds with Title I 

funds through the Title I, Part A Set-asides Initiative. Although 

Title I mandates that funds be reserved to serve homeless 

children, some Title I program directors remain unaware of this 

requirement. Others are not aware of the existence of homeless 

students in their school district or are unsure exactly which 

children count as “homeless.”3

 The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) ensures that shelter count 

data (produced twice annually by the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department) are 

distributed to school districts. The coordinator said, “A district knows that if they appear on this list, 

they have homeless children and need to reserve some Title I funds for them.”

“Any project relying solely on 

McKinney funding for support 

is on shaky ground, fiscally a

well as qualitatively. 

Collaboration is essential not 

only to good community 

s

program management -- it is 

vital to resource development 

and long term financial 

security.”

Oregon State Coordinator

To establish the 

Title I, Part A Set-asides 

Initiative, the buy-in of 

administrators at the 

state and local level was 

crucial. According to the 

coordinator, 

administrators had “to 

believe that homeless 

and mobile kids need a 

bigger break because of 

the amount of time in school they’re going to miss.” Getting them to this point involved awareness16
raising and convincing people that “the larger common denominators are poverty and mobility ... 

homelessness is made up by many layers of disadvantage....” 

How to Serve Homeless Students with Title I 

Oregon districts submitting a consolidated ESEA Program Application5

 also receive a Title IA – 

Homeless Set-asides Table that provides the number of homeless children and youth, from birth through 

grade 12, who live within their boundaries. This table includes the name of the county and district, the 

name of the shelter provider, the daily average shelter count, the daily average district count, and the 

annual district estimate of the number of homeless children and youth. Accompanying instructions state 

that: 

• The Oregon Housing and Community Services Department conducts shelter counts twice a year 

and ODE organizes them

• The table is to be used in conjunction with the Oregon Consolidated IASA Program application 

• All districts listed on the table must reserve Title IA funds to address the needs of homeless students. 

For districts not listed on the table, the set-aside is optional. 

• To estimate the amount of funds to reserve, a district’s nightly average may be multiplied by the 

district’s per-pupil allocation, although using this calculation method is not required 

• Not all homeless children and youth are counted: campers, motel residents, doubled-up families, and 

others may not be included in the table, although they may be eligible for services. Districts are 

advised to assess local need and support measures to address those needs. 

• Districts that are McKinney Homeless Program grantees should use current local data from that 

program to inform budget decisions 

The Oregon state coordinator also encourages districts to support migrant recruiters and other 

home-school consultants who are typically funded by the Title I Migrant program through the Title I, 

Part A program. The coordinator reports that “district people realize that it makes good economic sense 

to get the most out of a person who is going to be in the field already ... looking for families in trailer 

parks, motels, and campsites....” This way, she explained, when a recruiter locates children who are 

homeless but not migrant, they can receive needed services promptly and efficiently. 

The Illinois state coordinator encourages districts to submit a consolidated ESEA state plan to ED 

and to include their homeless education program in the plan. He said, “Homeless children are a subset of 

Title I. They are some of the poorest and neediest, so it is logical to tie the services together to serve 

them...being part of the consolidated plan increases our reach to non-McKinney districts. Whereas the 

McKinney program on its own would reach 20 programs in Illinois, the consolidated plan enables us to 

17
reach about 800 of our 900 districts statewide, since that is the number of districts that submit a 

consolidated plan.” 

Evaluate and Monitor with an Eye Toward Program Improvement

3⁄4 Collect high-quality data

3⁄4 Use the data for program improvement 

State coordinators are required to gather information on homeless children and youth in their state 

and report findings to ED once every three years. In our sample of states, we uncovered promising 

strategies to: 

• Collect high-quality data 

• Use the data for program improvement 

Collect High Quality Data

Data collected from school districts across a state may not be comparable, and therefore not 

useful to inform a statewide needs assessment or demonstrate whether a homeless education program was 

successful. In Texas, the coordinator launched a “uniform data reporting” effort to track homeless 

students, evaluate McKinney projects, and monitor the academic achievement of homeless students. The 

new data reporting requirements were gradually phased in so that they would not overwhelm districts 

with too many new requirements all at once. 

Because 1997 was the first year of a new McKinney grant cycle, the coordinator saw this as a 

good opportunity to introduce her data collection plan at that year’s annual meeting of McKinney

subgrantees. When projects accepted their new grant, they also accepted the mandate to report uniform

data. Project directors were instructed to purchase a computer and specific reporting software (using 

McKinney funds). They were also asked to add some data items to the information they were already

collecting. Uniform reporting became mandatory in 1998. Every year since, the amount of data that 

projects have been mandated to report has increased. 

18
Texas: Collecting Comparable Data Statewide 

Since 1998-99, McKinney project directors throughout Texas have been required to report data on the 

extent to which services to homeless students through the McKinney program improved the capacity of 

those students to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. Projects begin data collection on September 

1; after that, at the beginning of each month they submit data on students who have exited the 

McKinney program during the previous month. The state homeless office enters the data for the stud

into a master database. All projects submit data electronically, either by e-mail or on a disk

ent

ette.

Project directors receive specific instructions defining and explaining the data items to collect. Data 

requirements include background information as well as information on present living situation, 

participation in special programs (e.g., Title I, special education, Even Start, etc.), special programs to 

which the McKinney program will refer the student, academic services rendered through McKinney

(e.g., after-school tutoring; holiday programs; in-class assistance; inter-session programs, etc.). 

Use Data for Program Improvement

State coordinators with whom we spoke use data in many ways to improve their homeless 

education programs. For example, with high-quality data in hand, McKinney subgrantees in Texas 

answer three questions in a narrative report: 

• In what ways is the program working to meet the needs of students experiencing 

homelessness?

• In what ways is the program effective in meeting the needs of students experiencing 

homelessness?

• What changes will the program make in the future to meet the needs of students 

experiencing homelessness?

The Illinois state coordinator “shadows” local homeless liaisons for a day. He monitors 

subgrantees, learns about the issues they face, and identifies areas in need of improvement. “Evaluation 

takes a step further than monitoring to focus on program improvement -- identifying program successes, 

progress, and challenges,” he said. “My shadowing isn’t so much to monitor, though that is part of it. I 

really am trying to learn about what the liaisons do. What are the problems? What can be done about 

them? In the past I went for small amounts of time. However, just recently, I started spending the entire 

day with them. I do check that grantees are compliant with what they said they would do in their 

application, but I also go with them to visit homeless families and do their usual tasks.... I think going 

19
into the field like this will help me understand how to collect data that shows that we are adequately

serving the population. Numbers are not enough as they are.” 

And in Oregon, the state coordinator requires subgrantees to submit mid-year and end-of-year 

reports to evaluate their effectiveness. She submits these reports to ED and uses them to help subgrantees 

improve their programs. 

Oregon: Districts Use Data for Program Improvement 

In Oregon, subgrantees look at student outcomes to evaluate what they do well and what needs 

work. The state coordinator reviews the mid-year report and makes sure that each project plans to 

incorporate evaluative information in its end-of-year report. To assist district liaisons in setting up 

measurable objectives for their projects and in showing quantifiable progress, the state coordinator 

created a guide entitled Impacts of McKinney Education Projects for Homeless Children and Youth. 

Based on a set of activities authorized in the McKinney Act, this guide details how to measure the effect 

of student outreach and transportation assistance, among other things. 

To measure the effect of student outreach, for example, liaisons could report: 

• The number of homeless children and youth who previously did not attend school, but who now 

attend regularly

• The time needed to place homeless students in appropriate schools 

• The number of enrollment delays for homeless students 

• The number of school placements for highly mobile children who move within a district (i.e., 

indicating increased school stability) 

Or to measure the effect of providing transportation assistance, liaisons could report change in: 

• The percentage of homeless students attending school regularly through transportation assistance 

• The number of days individual homeless students cannot attend school due to lack of transportation 

20

 1

 Anderson, L.M., Janger, M.I., & Panton, K.L.M. (1995). An evaluation of state and local efforts to 

serve the educational needs of homeless children and youth (page xi). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 
 2

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A Follow-up Study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page v). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

3

 Connecting Title I and the McKinney Homeless Act: Providing services for homeless children and 

youth. (2000, May). Title I Monitor, (5)5, 14-17. 

4 Title I Monitor, 2000, May, 14-17. 

5

 States may choose to submit consolidated state plans to the U.S. Department of Education for certain 

programs, including the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program. By submitting a 

consolidated plan, a state can obtain funds under many federal programs through a single consolidated 

plan, rather than through separate plans or applications. 

21
Promising Practices from Other State-Level Players, 

Districts, and Schools 

State coordinators work hard to address the pressing challenges confronting the education of 

homeless children and youth. But statewide coalitions, advocacy groups, state legislatures, districts, and 

schools offer promising practices as well. 

Awareness Raising 

3⁄4 Conduct a local needs assessment

3⁄4 Target a wide audience 

3⁄4 Develop materials to distribute widely

The McKinney Act: Awareness-Raising 

States must develop and implement professional development programs that heighten school

personnel’s awareness of, and capacity to respond to, problems related to the education of homeless 

children and youth. School districts may use McKinney subgrant funds for: 

• Professional development designed to deepen understanding and sensitivity of school 

personnel to the needs and statutory rights of homeless children and youth 

• Education and training for parents of homeless children and youth about their children’s 

rights and the resources available to them 

Source: Title VII, SubTitle B, of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 

11431 et. Seq. 

In addition to the far-reaching efforts of state coordinators to raise awareness, many whom we 

interviewed described the importance of the district and school liaisons. They particularly noted efforts 

to: 

State Boards of Education Can Support 

Awareness Raising 

The Illinois State Board of Education adopted a policy 

that recommends that districts provide professional 

development on the legal rights of homeless students, 

methods to identify students, and sensitivity to their 

needs and challenges. 

• Conduct a local needs 

assessment 

• Target a wide audience 

• Develop materials to 

distribute widely 

22
Conduct a Local Needs Assessment

Just as assessing the need for statewide awareness-raising can lead to targeting the greatest needs, 

the same holds true for districts and schools. For instance, the homeless liaison in Santa Cruz County, 

California, administers a two-page survey to all principals in the district. It inquires about the school’s 

homeless education services, summarizes federal and state homeless education law, and asks whether the 

principal would like to schedule professional development to raise awareness of homeless education 

issues among staff. 

Target a Wide Audience

We uncovered awareness-raising activities aimed at many different audiences. Activities are 

geared to pre-service teachers and homeless service providers as well as other school staff and the general 

public. For example, The Opening Doors program, funded by the Illinois Board of Education, provides: 

• A 1-800 hotline for homeless issues. Opening Doors staff added an extension to a preexisting hotline operated by the Board of Education. With McKinney funds, new hotline 

staff received training. If they cannot answer a particular question, they refer callers to 

someone who can. Posters in schools, at the Salvation Army, food banks, shelters, 

churches, and libraries have widely publicized the hotline. 

• A website used by the state coordinator as well as by service providers, social workers, 

and school and district staff. The site provides information such as key provisions of 

state and federal homeless legislation, and “tip sheets” for teachers, principals, enrollment 

clerks or secretaries, nurses, and social workers. Topics include guidelines for 

identifying homeless children and youth and procedures for enrolling them in school. 

The state homeless coordinator also uses this website to post relevant ED services and 

information. 

• The dissemination of press releases and public service announcements. This typically

occurs when new statistics come out or during the first cold spell. The director of the 

Illinois Opening Doors program explained that “this is a big time for enrolling homeless 

kids since the parents want them out of the cold, or they go to a shelter and the shelter 

tells them they must enroll their child.” 

23
24

Use the Internet to Reach a Wide Audience 

“The materials [for the website] are created under the assumption that people would 

rather get a little information more often than one big packet. People are too busy to 

read a bunch of stuff so we keep them to one page. Everything we send out has a name 

and number to call with questions. If nothing else, this is what we want people to know 

-- that there is a real person you can call and get an answer.” 

 Coordinator

 Illinois Opening Doors Program

The Illinois Opening Doors program is exploring a new awareness-raising model that trains preservice teachers and social workers. While admitting that coordination with institutions of higher 

education will likely pose a challenge, the director remains dedicated to the concept, noting that “...new 

teachers should be prepared before they are already teaching, and [during their pre-service education] is 

an efficient time to do it...and new teachers are full of hope and are receptive to addressing [homeless 

education] problems.” 

Target a full range of staff positions and make attendance mandatory. Because homeless 

students need special attention and assistance in ways that will prevent them from being ostracized or 

stigmatized, it is important that staff at all levels participate in awareness-raising activities. Chicago 

Public Schools requires school-level training on homeless education, thus greatly strengthening federal 

and state policies on awareness-raising. At least annually, principals attend a homeless education training 

session on the procedures and forms related to district policy and state and federal law. The Chief of 

Schools and Regions conducts the two-hour session, using a PowerPoint presentation, a comprehensive 

program manual, posters for each school office, and pamphlets for distribution to parents. 

To keep the training engaging and useful, the Chief revises the agenda and content every year. 

The homeless education program ensures that all principals have an opportunity to attend the training by

providing frequent make-up training sessions. Principals are strongly encouraged to bring assistant 

principals, homeless education liaisons, and school clerks. Within 30 days of attending the session, 

principals must provide training to all staff within their schools, and with sign-in sheets, certify to the 

district coordinator that school staff received the training. The district also provides voluntary follow-up 

training focused on sensitivity to homelessness and collaboration with shelter staff. 

In Baltimore County, the homeless education program worked with the districtwide Homeless 

Education Steering Committee on a comprehensive staff development plan for the education of homeless 

students. Program staff enlisted wide membership on the Steering Committee, including district staff 

developers, administrators, transportation staff, secretaries, nurses, and many others to ensure a high-
quality, relevant staff development plan. The plan is revised on an ongoing basis and targets staff 

development to those personnel who are likely to have the greatest impact on homeless students -- 

including all new teachers, pupil personnel workers, school counselors, school social workers, special 

education supervisors, administrators, school nurses, bus drivers and other transportation staff members, 

and Head Start staff members. 

 

Sample Awareness Raising for Secretaries in Baltimore County 

Awareness-raising training for all school secretaries in the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) 

was developed by the Homeless Education Steering Committee, which included many secretaries. 

Their involvement was invaluable in creating training targeted to specific needs. The superintendent 

of schools granted professional development release time on a staggered schedule for secretaries at all 

162 county schools. This training included: 

• Welcome by the administrative secretary of the Title I and Child Care Offices 

• Opening homeless awareness activity conducted by students from a local high school 

• Overview of the McKinney Act by the Maryland State Homeless Education Coordinator and 

the BCPS Homeless Education Consultant 

• Overview of BCPS policies and procedures to identify and enroll homeless students presented 

by the Director of the Office of Pupil Personnel 

• Keynote address by homeless education staff from Project HOPE at the College of William

and Mary (see description of Project HOPE on pg. B13) 

• Panel discussion including staff from Title I and Child Care Offices, principal from a local

elementary school, secretarial staff from the Title I and Child Care offices, and staff and

parents from a Baltimore County homeless shelter 

• Closing activities led by Homeless Education staff members 

School secretaries receive followup materials regularly throughout the school year, and follow-up 

training as needed. 

Additionally, the district Office of Staff Development helped the Steering Committee design 

training for school-based teams. The district superintendent invited all school principals to send a team

(including an administrator, counselor, social worker, teacher, secretary, and parent) to the one-day

training event, where participants developed a Homeless Education Action Plan. School secretaries, who 

were recognized as key gatekeepers in enrolling homeless students, received additional training; the 

superintendent encouraged attendance by authorizing professional development release time. 

25
The school district in Santa Cruz, California, also holds annual training for principals, office staff, 

teachers, nurses, and bus drivers. The training’s primary focus is on ensuring that staff at each school can 

identify and enroll homeless students in accordance with the law. 

Develop Materials to Distribute Widely

Because not every district has a McKinney subgrant or a homeless program liaison, it is important 

that states distribute their awareness raising materials as widely as possible. Bucks County, Pennsylvania,

develops materials and training for the entire state under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of 

Education. A representative summarized the intent by saying, “We design these materials generically so 

[that] other states can use them. All materials focus on the McKinney Act, so if you go to a workshop in 

any town in Pennsylvania, you would see consistency in terms of the message.” Additionally, during 

every school term, Pennsylvania’s Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education sends a 

letter to each superintendent and homeless liaison. The letters reemphasize local requirements regarding 

homeless students and cite Pennsylvania Basic Education Circulars, which include additional 

information on the rights of homeless children and youth. 

The Illinois Opening Doors program produces a series of one-page tip sheets designed for 

different audiences throughout the community. The one for teachers describes signs of student 

homelessness. Principals receive a tip sheet on state-level homeless law and policy, while enrollment 

clerks, secretaries, social workers, and nurses receive information and strategies most relevant to their 

respective professions. 

Develop a comprehensive district manual. The Chicago Public Schools developed a guide on

homeless education in that district for Chicago educators and community members. The 66-page 

document addresses homeless policy and law, school-level requirements, standard district procedures and 

forms, and frequently asked questions. A task force including advocates from the Chicago Coalition for 

the Homeless, members of the state and local school boards, Chicago city officials, shelter staff, and staff 

of the Chicago Homeless Education Program helped develop the manual. 

26
A Comprehensive Reference Manual Can Raise Awareness throughout the 

Community 

A comprehensive manual for a homeless education program might include the following topic areas and 

sample documents, as does the Chicago Public Schools manual: 

• Mission statement regarding the education of homeless students 

• A list of “What Schools Need to Do” 

• District homeless education policies and procedures 

• State and federal guidance, policies, and laws 

• “Getting Your Child in School” poster 

• Policy notice to be distributed to all district parents 

• Samples and directions for filling out all relevant forms (provided in multiple languages): 

Student intake information 

Public transportation request 

Alternative transportation request 

Dispute resolution process 

• District policy regarding waiver of school fees 

• District policy regarding uniforms

• Frequently asked questions

• School district organization chart and contacts 

• Local service providers and telephone numbers 

Develop resource guides. States and districts can develop resource guides to make it easier and 

faster for school staff to locate services for homeless students. For example, Santa Cruz has compiled a 

booklet of local resources and contact information. The booklet outlines: 

• Services the district homeless education program can provide 

• Services available from other local agencies such as the Community Action Board 

27
• Resources created by other 

organizations that focus on

homeless education (e.g., 

Strategies for Teachers with

Homeless Students in Their

Classrooms (from the 

National Center for 

Homeless Education and the 

Illinois Opening Doors 

Program) 

Design a Comprehensive Plan 

to Raise Awareness Community-wide 

A comprehensive design might include: 

1. A task force composed of educators, school board 

members, advocates, service providers, parents, and 

government officials to guide awareness-raising 

activities 

2. Policy to encourage or require professional 

development 

3. A comprehensive manual for community members 

and school and district staff that includes state and 

district law and policy; the rights of homeless children 

and youth; promising practices from other states and 

districts; a list of service providers 

4. Posters, pamphlets, and other materials to distribute 

communitywide 

5. Training for principals, teachers, secretaries, 

enrollment clerks, social workers, and other service 

providers, which encourages or requires participants 

to train their colleagues 

• A summary of findings for 

the Santa Cruz County

Homeless 2000 Census and 

Needs Assessment 

Keep parents informed. The 

Homeless Children’s Initiative in Baltimore 

County provides homeless parents with 

information about their children’s legal 

rights to immediate enrollment. The 

initiative provides a folder known as a 

Parent Pack, containing important 

information that homeless families can take 

with them. Information includes advice on 

what to do when moving, such as 

notifying the school of departure to begin records transfer, requesting a copy of all school and

immunization records, and a reminder to keep all records in the folder pockets for easy access. 

Raise Awareness Among Parents 

All Chicago parents receive a four-page notice that describes the homeless education program

and the district policy on homeless education, including key definitions, enrollment and 

transportation rights, and the dispute resolution process. Parents are asked to sign and return 

the notices, which are printed in English, Spanish, and Polish. The district policy also requires 

that a “Getting Your Child in School” poster, which lists homeless children’s rights and the 

name of the homeless liaison, be prominently displayed in every school. 

28
Take advantage of newsletters, 

posters, pamphlets, and the local newspaper. 

Some of the more portable media can reach a 

wide audience simply by being short and easy

to mail or to carry around. Some districts 

periodically develop and distribute 

newsletters. The school district in Fort Wayne 

regularly distributes its monthly newsletter to 

225 people in the community, including 

school secretaries, teachers, and principals. The newsletter updates readers on homeless issues, recent 

articles and research, statistics, and service strategies. Many states and districts distribute posters and 

pamphlets. These media provide concise and to-the-point information, as well as contacts who can 

answer more in-depth questions or provide services. Chicago Public Schools distributes a poster designed 

for homeless parents that must be displayed in every school. The poster has been translated into Spanish,

Polish, and Arabic. Similarly, the Pennsylvania homeless program distributes a “Homeless Children 

Have a Right to a Free, Appropriate Education” poster to every district in the state, so that staff can then 

make copies or request more. 

Use Local Newspapers 

Santa Cruz promotes awareness of its homeless 

education program by asking for donations to the 

homeless education program in the local newspaper. 

Not only does the ad solicit donations, but it tells 

homeless families and the community that homeless 

students have rights and a program to facilitate their 

education. 

Pamphlets Answer Basic Questions Quickly 

In Baltimore County, widely distributed pamphlets include: 

 

• FACTS About Education for Homeless Children and Youth. This pamphlet, which is created by the 

Maryland State Department of Education and personalized for every district in the state, answers 

questions regarding the rights of parents and their children to a free public education, contains a brief 

excerpt from the McKinney Act stating the purpose of the Education for Homeless Children and 

Youth program, and gives information on whom to call with questions. Its distribution includes all 

Baltimore County homeless education liaisons, shelters, principals, and secretaries. 

• Homeless Education: Background and Programs. This pamphlet contains facts about homelessness 

in Baltimore County and homeless programs in BCPS as well as homeless services available t

Baltimore County Schools. It is distributed to every school in the BCPS system and service agencies 

located within the BCPS boundaries.

o

e

• Information Sheet About Educating Homeless Students. Updated each year, this sheet provides quick 

reference to information, including: The McKinney definition of homelessness; BCPS procedures for 

homeless students, such as providing Title I services, a waiver of proof of residence, immunization, 

or other records; and priority placement in early childhood programs as well as contact/resourc

information. 

29
Immediate Enrollment 

3⁄4 Minimize enrollment barriers through policy

3⁄4 Use a systematic process for records transfer and assign a staff member the 

responsibility to oversee this process.

The McKinney Act: Immediate Enrollment 

States and districts must develop or revise policies to remove school enrollment barriers facing 

homeless children and youth. States must: 

• Address school enrollment problems, including delays caused by requirements for immunization 

records, residency records, guardianship records, birth certificates, and school records, 

• Describe procedures (in the state plan) for the prompt resolution of disputes regarding the 

educational placement of homeless children and youth, and 

• Ensure that homeless children have equal access to the same public preschool programs, 

administered by the state, that are provided to other children; and that homeless students can 

participate in all federal, state, or local before- or after-school care programs for which they are 

eligible. 

Districts must: 

• Select which school a homeless child or youth will attend according to his or her best interest. 

This may mean keeping the student in the school of origin for the remainder of the academic year 

or (if the family becomes homeless between academic years) for the subsequent year. Districts

may enroll the child or youth in any school that serves his or her attendance area, and must 

comply, to the extent feasible, with the request made by a parent or guardian regarding school

selection, and 

• his

ecords, birth certificates, guardianship records, and evaluations for special services or 

programs. 

Transfer a homeless student’s records promptly between the former district and new district. T

provision applies to any record ordinarily kept by the school, including immunization records, 

academic r

State coordinators cite homeless students’ frequent movement from school to school as the 

leading barrier to their academic success.1

 The McKinney Act requires that states and districts minimize 

barriers to the immediate enrollment and placement of homeless students in schools. A survey of state 

homeless coordinators indicates that the enrollment of homeless students has speeded up significantly in 

the last five years.2

 Some of this progress is due to the fact that states have reduced many legislative 

barriers to enrollment, such as securing health, academic, residency, and guardianship records.3

 

30
Many states have made substantial progress toward removing barriers to immediate school 

enrollment by revising laws or policies to eliminate immunization-records barriers completely. Some of 

these states have developed systems to immunize students at school sites, coordinate with a local health 

agency, or verify immunization by telephone.4

 Other barriers remain, however, particularly when school 

staff and enrollment clerks are unaware of the legal rights of homeless students. Requirements for proof 

of guardianship persist as an obstacle to immediate enrollment; many schools require these records to 

protect themselves from liability and over-enrollment.5

 

Many districts, including those we visited, have developed or revised policies to ensure that 

homeless students can enroll in school right away, by, for example, allowing a 30-day grace period to 

provide records. One district in particular, the Baltimore County Public Schools, demonstrated its 

commitment to immediate enrollment by allocating some of its McKinney funds to assist families with 

the costs of tracking down records and participating in meetings for school enrollment and placement. To 

expedite the enrollment of homeless students, funds may be used to cover taxi fees and paperwork fees. 

Funds have also been used to enable homeless parents or guardians to participate in enrollment and 

placement meetings, such as meetings to develop an individualized education program (IEP) for students 

eligible for special education services. Members of the BCPS Homeless Education Steering Committee 

have accompanied some homeless families to hearings, including their due process hearings under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to serve as advisors. Other promising ways to ensure 

the timley enrollment and placement of homeless children and youth include: 

• A policy to clarify immediate enrollment and minimize enrollment barriers, and 

• A systematic process for records transfer, with one person in charge. 

Minimize Enrollment Barriers Through Policy

Limit school transfers. One way to avoid having to transfer records in the first place is to limit 

school transfers. The McKinney Act supports this by declaring that all homeless children have the right 

to attend their school of origin to minimize educational disruption. The Victoria Independent School 

District in Texas limits school transfers through their One Child, One School, One Year policy, which 

supports the homeless student’s right to attend their school of origin. 

Staff of the homeless education programs we visited note that local policies would not be 

effective if they weren’t supported from the top down. Not only do district and school administrators 

need to be aware of the policies, but school liaisons need to remind school staff and homeless students 

themselves of students’ rights. 

31
Look to relevant state policy. The Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania looks to its 

state educational policy, entitled the Basic Education Circular, for guidance on school enrollment 

procedures. The Pennsylvania circular states that the educating district should begin to instruct students 

as soon as it receives proof of age and evidence of immunization, or evidence that an immunization 

program has been started. In the case of homeless students, however, the educating district should make 

special exceptions when it comes to waiting on records to enroll students, contacting the student’s prior 

district to verify immunization by telephone if necessary. The circular cites the state’s policy in affirming 

that oral confirmation between professionals provides sufficient basis for enrolling a student, with written 

confirmation to follow within 30 days. The circular also states that instruction should begin as soon as 

possible after the enrollment process begins. 

Use a Systematic Process for Records Transfer and Put Someone in Charge

Seventy percent of state coordinators report difficulties in obtaining some or all of the necessary 

records of homeless children who transfer to their schools.6

 Although some states amended their laws 

regarding records transfer in response to the McKinney Act, many of the most effective solutions to the 

problem of records transfer have been designed by local districts. 

Staff in several districts we visited say that channeling many of homeless students’ needs through 

a single person ensures an efficient enrollment process. Homeless families will likely have difficulty 

keeping track of records, contacting previous schools to initiate transfers, and working around school 

bureaucracies. Many have found that when a liaison or other specified contact person leads a homeless 

student through the process -- going with the student from the shelter to the school and completing forms 

and requirements, such as a doctor’s appointment if immunization records cannot be found -- the length 

of time it takes to access a student’s records decreases significantly.

In Chicago, the homeless liaison/contact person in the student’s new school must enroll the child, 

contact the previous school for records, and make any immediate referrals for medical documentation or 

immunizations. When the homeless liaison submits the appropriate forms and paperwork to the 

Homeless Education Program, the data go into a central computer system. About 75 percent of homeless 

students identified by Chicago schools are already in the district’s data system, greatly simplifying 

records transfer. Because about 80 percent of the homeless students in the district transfer from other 

schools within the district, most documents can be easily tracked down by searching the district’s

database. 

Each Baltimore County public school has a Pupil Personnel Worker. This individual verifies the 

homeless status of the student and transfers records. By immediately involving the Pupil Personnel 

32
Worker, who is familiar with the law and local policy, the enrollment process is shortened considerably. 

Specifically, the Pupil Personnel Worker will: 

• Coordinate with appropriate school personnel to obtain missing records, 

 

• Facilitate the transfer process when a homeless student changes schools within the same 

district or between school districts, 

• Deliver records to the receiving school, and 

• Initiate a request for education records (for either transfer or withdrawal) through a 

telephone call with the student’s school. 

 1

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A follow-up study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page 13). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

2

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 13. 

3

 Anderson, L.M., Janger, M.I., Panton, K.L.M. (1995). An evaluation of state and local efforts to serve 

the educational needs of homeless children and youth (page 12). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

4

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 10. 

5

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 10. 

6

 Vissing, Y. (1998, November). Homeless children: Addressing the challenge in rural schools (EDORC-98-1). ERIC® Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. 

33
Transportation 

3⁄4 Develop state law and policy to clarify the McKinney Act provisions

3⁄4 Develop local transportation policy that facilitates the attendance of homeless students 

3⁄4 Collaborate with the district department of transportation to provide the most 

appropriate transportation to homeless students

3⁄4 Develop a systematic process to meet the transportation needs of the children

The McKinney Act: Transportation and School of Origin 

States and school districts must review and revise any policies that impede enrolling homeless 

children and youth in school, including transportation barriers.

School districts must provide homeless children and youth with services comparable to those offered 

to other students, including transportation services.

McKinney funds may be used to supplement transportation costs for homeless children and youth.

A national survey of 2,000 homeless and impoverished families found that one-quarter of the

parents had problems enrolling or keeping their children in school. About half of these parents cited 

transportation as a barrier.1

 Further, in 1998, 24 state coordinators named transportation as among the top 

three barriers to homeless students’ school success.2

 

Specific transportation barriers can include: 

• Parents and guardians not knowing how to voice their needs to the district 

They may not know their rights, or not know whom to call to arrange for transportation, 

or they may have more immediate survival concerns. 

• Complicated and costly transportation if the school of origin is far from a student’s 

temporary residence, or if a student requires transportation across district or state lines 

 

• Lack of communication and coordination 

It is not a simple task to identify the transportation needs of homeless children and youth, 

communicate these needs to the right person, and resolve problems, given the hectic 

schedules of staff at both schools and shelters. 

• Finding additional local financial and staff resources 

Often districts must pay for public transportation tokens, taxi fares, and expanded bus 

routes or driver time. Further, districts already struggling to fund basic transportation to 

schools find it exceptionally difficult to transport homeless students to before- and afterschool activities.3

 

34
• Lack of a school transportation policy

The McKinney Act leaves some districts confused.4 Specifically, it does not require that 

homeless students be transported to their school of origin, nor does it affix responsibility

in cases of inter-district transportation. 

Nevertheless, many states and districts successfully address these problems. Promising strategies 

identified by the states and districts in our sample include: 

• Developing state law and policy to clarify the gray areas of the McKinney Act 

• Developing local transportation policy

• Collaborating with the local department of transportation 

• Developing a systematic process to identify and meet needs 

Develop State Law and Policy to Clarify the McKinney Act Provisions

The McKinney Act’s guidance on all matters related to the transportation of homeless children 

and youth is not always clear. For example, the McKinney Act does not address: (1) exactly how long a 

homeless student may remain in the school of origin; (2) who is responsible for transporting homeless 

students across district lines, or (3) procedures for filing and resolving enrollment disputes. Furthermore, 

many district administrators may not be aware of the McKinney Act and its provisions at all.5 State law 

and policy can not only increase awareness of transportation issues among school and shelter staff in nonMcKinney districts but also clarify the gray areas of the McKinney Act. 

In 1995, the Illinois legislature passed the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act (SB 881), 

which district staff describe as being more effective than the McKinney Act in providing explicit 

guidance. The Illinois law clarifies McKinney transportation provisions in three ways: 

 

• It clearly gives parents and guardians the option of keeping their children in the school of 

origin for the rest of the school year. The McKinney Act gives this option “to the extent 

feasible.” Additionally, parents who must move because of their homelessness have an 

option to convene a meeting with a teacher and principal representative to discuss what 

arrangement might be in the best interest of their child. 

 

• Illinois law describes how districts should resolve disputes when homeless students cross 

district lines to attend their school of origin. If the parents or guardians decide to keep 

the student enrolled in a school of origin across district lines, the two districts involved 

must share the responsibility and costs, unless they decide otherwise. 

35
• The law lays out a process for parents to dispute a school’s or district’s refusal to enroll 

homeless students. In these situations, the state law designates regional superintendents 

(or other appropriate individuals) as ombudspersons to facilitate dispute resolution. In 

the meantime, the student remains in the school of origin. 

Although not in our sample, other states have made notable progress in this area. For example, 

Iowa’s 1989 state homeless education policy was one of the first to define responsibility for inter-district 

transportation. It established that if a homeless student must cross district lines, the sending district 

assumes responsibility for transporting the student to a bus stop in the district of origin. In 1999, the 

Maryland State Board of Education adopted an article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (Title 

13A.05.09) that requires districts to “confer to determine the feasibility of transportation options” when a 

student must travel across district lines to remain in the school of origin. It also elaborates on factors in 

determining which school will best serve the interests of the homeless student, requires districts to 

establish a grievance process, and provides parents with the power to appeal decisions all the way to the 

state board of education. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Education regularly disseminates Basic 

Education Circulars to provide districts and schools with guidance regarding transportation. 

Develop Local Transportation Policy

The support of the local board of education and administration is critical in establishing and 

maintaining a successful transportation system for homeless students.6

 Without local scrutiny, state and 

federal laws and policies can be rendered meaningless until local practices are challenged in court. 

However, with local commitment, local policy can provide crucial monetary and human resources. In the 

sites we visited, local policies focus on the guarantee of transportation (1) for all homeless children and 

youth and (2) to the school of origin. 

Guarantee transportation for all homeless children and youth. Chicago developed district 

policy to guarantee transportation for homeless students to the school of origin. The local policy not only

reemphasizes the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act, but clarifies local intent and commitment. 

The Chicago Board of Education and district officials demonstrated their commitment to transporting 

homeless students to and from school by committing adequate funding. Although the district receives 

$350,000 in McKinney funds, the district spends approximately $500,000 on bus passes and $1,600,000 

on school bus service for homeless students. 

Chicago is exploring two new ideas to increase its efficiency and save money when transporting 

homeless students to and from school: 

36
“It takes a great deal of coordination between 

[the student’s school, the district homeless 

education program], and the transportation 

department to ensure that this is a successful 

system...however, most importantly, it takes a 

transportation department committed to seeing 

every child succeed.” 

Victoria Independent School District

Homeless Ed Program Staff

• Working with the city and Chicago 

Transit Authority to institute a 

reduced-fare pass for homeless 

students and their families 

• Developing a database to track 

where and when students become

homeless and where they

temporarily reside. With this 

information, shelters can relocate 

where the need is greatest. 

 Guarantee 

transportation to the 

school of origin. The 

Victoria Independent 

School District adopted a 

policy known as the 

“One Child, One School, 

One Year” policy, which 

means that homeless 

students need not change 

schools before the end of 

the current academic 

year. The district 

provides transportation to

enable the student to 

remain at his/her school 

of origin. 

Steps to Improve Transportation for Homeless Students

District directors of pupil transportation can take steps to support the 

transportation of homeless children and youth: 

• Communicate regularly with the district homeless liaison 

• Establish procedures to receive information about the transportation 

needs and pickup location of homeless students 

• Know the rights of homeless students regarding transportation to school 

and to the school of origin 

• Train bus drivers and dispatchers on the rights and needs of homeless 

students, as well as on the need for sensitivity and confidentiality

• Develop a bus routing system that can respond flexibly and quickly to 

new pickups 

• Be aware of new shelter locations and prepare to include bus stops 

nearby

• Lobby for increased district commitment to provide homeless students 

transportation to school, as well as to before-and after-school programs.

37
Collaborate with the District Department of Transportation 

Those whom we interviewed underscored the importance of working with the district’s 

department of transportation to organize and sustain an effective way to transport homeless students to 

and from school. By making the department of transportation an active partner, the homeless education 

program can capitalize on the experience and knowledge of local transportation staff. Two specific 

suggestions for maximizing these contributions include dedicating adequate staff time and resources and 

using existing bus routes when possible. 

Although not in our sample, districts in six rural counties around Vancouver, Washington, have

found a creative way to work with the transportation office of their regional intermediate school district to 

improve transportation for homeless students. The Education Service District 112 provides transportation 

services to special education students in the region’s 11 member districts. This service eventually

developed into a transportation cooperative organized to serve homeless students as well. Now homeless 

students are transported to their schools of origin partly through special education bus routes, enabling 

districts to maximize their resources and serve remote areas. Success of the program relies on the 

coordination of the special education transportation staff and the regional homeless liaison.7

Develop a Systematic Process to Meet Transportation Needs 

A systematic process -- with agreed-upon steps and individual roles -- can get homeless students 

to and from school efficiently and reliably. The districts we visited offered these suggestions: 

• Identify one individual as the key contact regarding transportation 

• Include a process to determine the best interests of the student regarding travel to a 

particular school 

• Standardize transportation-related data collection and processing 

• Plan for emergencies 

Identify one individual as the key contact. District and school level liaisons -- or contacts -- are 

key to an effective transportation system for homeless students.8

 Easily identified when problems arise, 

they can explain legal rights and alternatives to parents, work with departments of transportation, and, in 

emergencies, even drive students to school. School liaisons can pinpoint homeless students’

transportation needs and pass the information along to others quickly and efficiently. 

38
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, when a school or shelter notifies the district liaison of a transportation 

issue, the liaison works with the departments of student services and transportation to make whatever 

arrangements are necessary. In this district, 95 percent of homeless students who receive district 

transportation take district busses, which transport many students outside of their attendance area as part 

of the district School Choice program. The liaison works with bus dispatchers to adjust pre-existing 

routes, sometimes within 24 hours. The liaison then notifies parents and shelter staff of the time, bus 

number, and pick-up point. When possible, the district follows its policy of picking up students at 

shelters first on the route and dropping them off last to minimize any stigmatization among their peers. 

The Victoria, Texas, homeless program designates three district staff members to work closely 

with school-level parent liaisons and administrators. The parent liaison at each school assumes primary

responsibility for coordinating all services, including transportation, for homeless children and youth. 

When the parent liaisons identify a homeless student and determine his/her transportation needs, he/she 

contacts a district liaison, who in turn notifies the district transportation department. 

Develop a process for determining which school is in the student’s best interest. Several 

districts have developed processes and related materials to help determine which school is in the student’s

best interest. Transportation needs are often a major consideration in that decision. Many times the 

decision requires a meeting of concerned parties. For instance, the Illinois law requires that if a parent 

wants a child to remain in the school of origin, “that parent or guardian, a teacher of the child, and the 

principal or his or her designee from the school of origin may meet at the option of the parent or the 

school to evaluate whether travel is in the [student’s] best interest” (Section 1-15). Bucks County, 

Pennsylvania, has a “school selection checklist” for parents or guardians to use when deciding which 

school a child should attend. The list also asks parents to consider the length of stay in a school, possible 

means of transportation, mileage and transportation time, a school’s ability to meet student needs, the 

family’s final relocation plans, student safety, and whether or not a sibling attends the school. 

Standardize data collection and processing. In Chicago, school liaisons complete a 

Transportation Request Form and a Homeless Education Program Information Form, and submit both to

the district Homeless Education Program. District program staff then share this information with the 

Department of Transportation to make appropriate arrangements. The district typically processes requests

for transportation within two to three days, staying well ahead of district policy, which states that 

transportation services for homeless students must be arranged within two weeks of the request. 

In Baltimore County, a senior administrator from the school system’s Transportation Division 

serves on the systemwide Homeless Education Steering Committee. As soon as a homeless student is 

identified, this administrator arranges transportation to the school of origin, or to the school selected as in 

the student’s best interest, usually within twenty-four hours. If bus transportation cannot be provided 

39
immediately, the Homeless Education Program may provide temporary taxi transportation so that the 

student can enroll immediately.

Deciding Which School Is in the Student’s Best Interest: 

Some Considerations 

Length Of Stay: Long term? Short term? 

Transportation possibilities: Established bus route? 

Public transportation? 

Other methods? 

Mileage to the original school: Under or over 10 miles ? How many? 

Geographical area in which the family plans to 

relocate: 

To original school area? 

Near the shelter area?

Other area?

Child’s special needs: Can those needs be met in the new school? Original

school? 

Both schools?

Whether the student is close to a school break/or 

close to the end of the school year: 

Would it be best to finish out the year? 

Make the break when there is a school break? 

Use of public transportation: Can the parent accompany the child?

Does the shelter schedule permit it?

Is the student old enough to travel alone? 

Other school aged children: Are there siblings that will be in the same school? 

Different schools? 

Domestic violence issues: Will the original school place the student in any

danger? 

Is the shelter feeder school free from danger? 

School requirement: Does the new school require a uniform/dress code? 

Did the original school require the same type? 

Notifying school about homeless situation: Does the original school know the status of student? 

Does the original school agree that returning there is 

in the best interest of the student?

Parent school choice: Original school? Feeder school? 

Teen with a child: Child care on school site: 

Original? Feeder school? 

Source: Adapted from the school selection checklist used by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, Pennsylvania 

Plan for emergencies. When transportation cannot be arranged immediately, school liaisons or 

other staff in Chicago provide homeless students with emergency public transportation passes. In fact, 

the district provides every school in the district with a CTA Emergency Pack that includes student-rate 

public transportation passes, $6 in cash, and an adult 7-day pass. The adult pass makes it possible for a 

parent to accompany an elementary-age student. Similarly, in rare and temporary situations where district 

buses cannot transport homeless students, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, school district uses public 

transportation or special education busses to transport homeless students to school. 

40
 1 Homes for a: A

children’s story (page 14). New York: Author. 

the Homeless and the Institute for Children and Poverty. (1999). Homeless in Americ

2

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page iii). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

3

Children and Youth Proceedings (pg. 10). Greensboro, NC: Author. 

4 tional Center for Homeless Education, 2000, 21 

5

6

 National Center for Homeless Education 2000, 32. 7 tional Center for Homeless Educ

8

Develop a Systematic Process to Transport Homeless Students 

Sites we visited suggested taking the following steps to ensure that homeless students can get to school: 

1. A shelter, school, or district staff member identifies the homeless student and informs the family of their 

rights regarding transportation to school

2. The staff member completes an intake form that notes the family’s temporary residence and helps them

decide what school would be in the student’s best interest 

3. The staff member immediately informs the district homeless education liaison (or other district staff who 

are assigned this responsibility)

4. If necessary, the district homeless education liaison discusses options with the family, addresses 

disputes, or informs and answers questions from the school

5. The district homeless education liaison contacts and coordinates with the district department of 

transportation to arrange transportation for the student 

6. The district homeless education liaison contacts the family with transportation information 

7. If transportation cannot be immediately arranged, provide temporary transportation, such as taxi fare 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A follow-up study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

 National Center for Homeless Education. (2000). National Symposium on Transportation for Homeless 

Na

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 23. 

Na ation, 2000, 29-30.

 National Center for Homeless Education, 2000, 34. 

41
In-school and Related Services 

3⁄4 Accurately identify the need for programs and services by identifying homeless children 

 and youth 

3⁄4 Ensure access through policy

3⁄4 Create networks and partnerships to stretch resources

The McKinney Act: In-school and Related Services 

Each homeless child or youth must be provided services comparable to services offered to other 

students in the school, including services provided by: 

• Title I of the ESEA or similar state or local programs 

• Programs for children with disabilities S 

• Students with limited English proficiency

• Vocational education 

• Gifted and talented programs 

• School meals programs 

• Head Start, Even Start, and preschool programs 

• Referrals to health care services, including dental services, mental health services, and other 

appropriate services (e.g., violence prevention counseling) 

Source: Title VII, SubTitle B, of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 

11431 et. Seq. 

The McKinney Act requires states and districts to ensure that homeless children and youth have 

access to appropriate educational services and that they have opportunities to meet the same challenging 

state content and student performance standards to which all children are held. In addition to specific 

publicly funded education programs (e.g., Title I, gifted and talented programs), homeless children and 

youth need school supplies and access to services such as before- and after-school programs and health 

and social services that enhance their chances for school success. 

However, many homeless students experience difficulty in gaining access to educational services. 

For example, the Report to Congress Fiscal Year 2000 on the Education for Homeless Children and 

Youth Program indicates that roughly a quarter (24 percent) of states report that homeless students have 

difficulty accessing Title I services.1

 Homeless children also have difficulty gaining access to gifted and 

talented programs, special education services, and Head Start or other publicly funded preschool 

programs.2

 In fact, the low numbers of enrolled preschool age homeless children suggest that this age 

group is greatly underserved.3

 In addition, school and district staff in non-McKinney districts often do 

not ensure that homeless students have access to these programs because they are unfamiliar with the 

requirements of the law.4

 

42
Other barriers include: 

• Limited resources for identifying needs and for providing services. Most time and energy

goes into identifying and enrolling homeless children and youth; the nature and quality of 

the services these students receive once they have arrived at school, if considered at all, 

may be viewed as a secondary issue5

• Programs that fill up to capacity. Programs whose limited enrollment slots fill up at the 

beginning of the school year cannot admit homeless children and youth who arrive at 

school later in the year.6

As noted, state coordinators in our sample have made great strides in ensuring homeless children’s 

access to special education and Title I services. Most staff in the districts we visited described strategies to 

provide in-school services such as tutoring, enrichment, or homework help, or to provide school supplies 

and health and social services. To overcome some of the many barriers noted above, districts can: 

• Accurately identify the need for programs and services by identifying homeless children 

and youth 

• Develop policy aimed at ensuring access 

• Create networks of service providers and partnerships among local 

businesses/organizations to stretch resources 

Accurately Identify the Need for Programs and Services

A smart first step in providing in-school services to homeless students is to determine the extent 

of the need for particular services. As noted earlier, the district and/or school homeless liaison/contact, 

because he/she can serve as a point person for contacting shelters, community agencies, and school staff, 

can play a key role here. The liaison can identify which homeless students need school supplies or who 

needs in-school and related health and social services, and then follow through with other staff to ensure 

that the needs are met. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, for example, shelter staff collect and regularly

update information for a centralized database. The database contains a student’s attendance record, need 

for counseling, weakest school subject, the Individualized Education Program for special education 

(where appropriate), and health-related needs (e.g., eye exam, hearing evaluation). Liaisons can refer to 

the database to speedily determine which educational and related services homeless students need. 

Conduct a school survey. Another way to assess the need for in-school and related services is to 

conduct a school survey. The director of the homeless education program in the Santa Cruz County 

Office of Education surveys school principals annually to find out how many homeless students are in 

their schools and targets those schools that need immediate or extensive help in providing in-school and 

43
related services to their homeless student populations. Survey items determine the top five priority needs 

for serving homeless students (e.g., counseling, tutoring, enrichment, school supplies). They also ask 

about any resources the school receives that might contribute to educational programming and enrichment 

activities for homeless children and youth, such as the Title I Part A Set-aside, which provides 

educational services to homeless students, or publicly funded community child care programs. 

The Liaison: A Critical Link to In-school and Related Services 

The community in Victoria, Texas, credits the success of its homeless education program to the 

placement of a parent liaison on every elementary and middle school campus, as well as on one 

high school campus. These liaisons are certified teachers who provide a link between the home 

and school. To identify homeless students and help them to succeed in school, liaisons: 

• Monitor student attendance and conduct home visits if there is a problem

• Initiate interventions (e.g., tutoring or homework help) for students with academic problems

• Coordinate referrals to community health and social services 

Ensure Access Through Policy

If publicly funded preschool or other such programs fill to capacity, a district cannot guarantee 

access for homeless students. To address this problem, the homeless program in Baltimore County

Public Schools distributes an information sheet to all schools making it clear that the district’s policy is 

that homeless children are eligible for early childhood programs and that, under certain circumstances, 

they may be placed in those programs, even if those programs are already filled to capacity. Readers are 

directed to call the homeless education office for more specific guidance and information. 

Create Networks and Partnerships to Stretch Resources

Develop a network of service providers. Providing the many services that homeless students 

need to succeed in school is costly in terms of both financial and human resources. One way to offer a 

range of in-school and related services is to develop a network of service providers, a strategy used in 

several of the districts we visited. Creating such a network took an estimated three years in Santa Cruz, 

California, where the director of the homeless education program worked with school staff and local 

health and social service providers to create the Homeless Action Network. The first thing she had to do 

was convince the various service providers that there were homeless students in the area who needed 

their help. To do this, the director presented data from the survey of school principals (see above). To 

keep the network active, the homeless program director regularly attends monthly staff meetings of the 

44
various service providers and encourages local newspapers to run stories on the benefits of these services 

to homeless students. After developing the network, the director worked with individual schools to 

identify a contact person who could assume responsibility for coordinating these services for individual 

students. 

Develop local 

partnerships. The Santa 

Cruz homeless program

also works with a local 

university to help homeless 

students achieve to high

academic standards. 

Work-study students from

the University of 

California at Santa Cruz 

(UCSC) tutor homeless students, concentrating on building literacy and math skills. To prevent any

stigma associated with homelessness, students do not know that the tutors specifically target homeless 

children and youth. 

A Partnership to Build Literacy and Math Skills 

The Santa Cruz Homeless Education Program provides one-on-one inclass tutoring to help homeless students build literacy and math skills. 

The tutoring program uses work study students from the University

California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), who assist homeless students during the 

school day. Pulling students out of the regular classroom was not only

disruptive, but also served to stigmatize the students as having problems. 

According to the homeless outreach program director, avoiding the stigma 

of being homeless is essential to the program’s success.

of

Local Community Members, Service Providers, 

and Organizations Partner to Develop a Preschool Program 

When a preschool program for children at a transitional housing center was introduced in Lancaster, 

Pennsylvania, local advocates for the homeless soon realized that children living in other area shelters 

did not have equal access to the program. A task force was formed to locate classroom space, which 

the local YWCA readily provided. All five shelters and the residential treatment program in Lancaster 

now make regular referrals to the two preschool locations. 

The school district funds the preschool teacher’s salary (she works at both preschool locations) and 

some of the supplies, while the rest of the supplies are provided by shelters and other service 

providers, such as The Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Junior League of Lancaster County. In 

addition to the preschool teacher, many community members volunteer through the Junior League and 

local colleges to help in the classroom -- and all are recruited and screened by the homeless 

educational liaison. Because the two preschool locations are located near the shelters they serve, 

transportation is not a problem for parents who bring their children. For this reason, preschool 

programs located on site at shelters are a good idea. However, transportation problems may arise once 

families leave the shelter. In Lancaster, because community members make special arrangements for 

homeless families as often as possible, many children continue in the preschool program from motels 

or other temporary locations after they leave a shelter.

Under the guidance of the school community liaison, tutors work closely with classroom teachers to 

address individual student needs. They also help homeless students enroll in after-school extended 

45
learning programs, homework assistance programs, enrichment programs and other services as needed. 

In addition, tutors escort students to the UCSC campus for special events. Both the university and the 

district contribute to paying tutors’ salaries -- the university pays 60 percent and the district pays 40

percent. 

In Victoria, Texas, the district offers tutoring for homeless students after school through eight 

neighborhood-based homework centers. Collaborative funding by the Victoria homeless education 

program (KIDZConnection,) the Victoria Youth Home, the Victoria Housing Authority, Mid-Coast 

Family Services, the YMCA, the University of Houston-Victoria, the Boys and Girls Club, and district 

federal programs sustains the There’s a Teacher in Your Neighborhood program. Qualified teachers and 

assistants staff the centers, where free snacks and small computer labs are available. This year, two 

additional homework centers were located on the two high school campuses to serve all students, 

including homeless students, four afternoons a week. 

 1

 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2000). Report to 

Congress: Fiscal Year 2000 (Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program [Title VII,

Subtitle B of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act]) (page 7). Washington, DC: 

Author. 

2

 Phillips, C.M.,Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A follow-up study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Education. 

3

 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Report to Congress: 

Fiscal Year 2000, 8. 

4

 Phillips et al., forthcoming, 34. 

5

 Anderson, L.M., Janger, M.I., & Panton, K.L.M. (1995). An evaluation of state and local efforts to 

serve the educational needs of homeless children and youth (page xi). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

6

 Anderson et al., 1995, 63. 

46
Outreach To Youth 

3⁄4 Collaborate with local youth-serving organizations/programs

3⁄4 Form a multi-disciplinary team

The McKinney Act: Outreach to Youth 

The State Plan (developed and implemented by the state coordinator) must 

describe programs for school personnel (including principals, attendance 

officers, teachers, and enrollment personnel) to heighten their awareness of 

the specific needs of runaway and homeless youth. 

Serving homeless youth (i.e., those youth between 12 and 18 years of age) is difficult on a basic 

level because simply identifying members of this highly mobile group is problematic. In addition to the 

challenge of identifying members of this hidden population, homeless youth face extreme barriers to 

school access. For example, curfew laws can make these youth guilty of a crime simply because they

have nowhere to go, and schools in some states refuse to admit homeless teens due to liability concerns (if 

they do not live with a parent or legal guardian).1

 In addition, some school personnel may be reluctant to 

enroll homeless youth because they assume school safety or discipline problems will develop. 

The problems of attendance and accruing the credits necessary to graduate from high school 

continue to be barriers to school success for these students. For instance, state or district attendance 

policies often specify a minimum number of days that a student must attend school to stay enrolled, to be 

promoted to the next grade, and to earn a diploma.2

 For these reasons and more, states and districts look 

for new ways to specifically address the problems that homeless youth face, although many acknowledge 

that this is an area where far more work is needed. 

As noted earlier, the admissions manual developed by the Oregon state coordinator provides 

guidance to identify homeless youth and to alleviate some of the reluctance of schools to enroll homeless 

youth. And in Texas, district and school personnel can consult state law (Chapter 25, section 25.001(d)) 

of the Texas Education Code) when making decisions about the enrollment and admission of children and 

youth living away from parents or legal guardians, which is more likely the case for homeless youth 

rather than for younger children. At the district level, staff with whom we spoke suggested: (1) 

collaborating and coordinating with local youth-serving organizations and agencies, and (2) forming a 

multi-disciplinary team to provide homeless youth with the supports they need to re-engage in school or 

to get a job. 

47
Collaborate with Local Youth-Serving Organizations/Programs

Establishing and maintaining contact with local youth-serving organizations and programs can

increase the chances of identifying and enrolling homeless youth in school. In Victoria, Texas, the 

McKinney program staff includes a teacher liaison for the Students Taking Action and Responsibility 

(STAR) program, a Victoria ISD teen parenting program. The STAR teacher liaison identifies and 

enrolls pregnant and parenting teens who lack permanent housing, provides parenting classes, and helps 

to arrange transportation for any teen parent enrolled in the STAR program (and his/her child) to attend 

the school of origin. In addition, the STAR-sponsored day care centers are located on high school 

campuses. If a student does not have transportation to the STAR program office to join the STAR 

program, the STAR teacher liaison or other staff may visit the student at the school, or where the student 

is staying, and provide a travel voucher for use on the public transportation system. 

In Santa Cruz, the homeless coordinator works closely with a drop-in educational center called 

The Bridge. Homeless and runaway youth can stop in between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

The Bridge provides them with lunch (with food donated by the community), befriends them, and 

encourages them to re-engage in school or work. Bridge staff provide services that include designing an 

independent study program, as well as medical and counseling services. A medical doctor stops by 

regularly to provide physical exams, and conduct workshops on topics such as hygiene, taking care of 

wounds, avoiding sexually transmitted disease, and birth control. 

Some Oregon districts pool their McKinney and Title I, Part A dollars, and, for example, 

subcontract the position of homeless liaison to a local non-profit youth services agency. Because that 

individual is employed by the youth services agency, the liaison has increased knowledge of and access to 

other community youth-serving organizations that can help locate homeless children and youth as well as 

provide them with the community supports (e.g., health care, counseling) that they may need. 

Form a Multi-disciplinary Team

The Santa Cruz homeless education coordinator helped to form a multidisciplinary team to 

address the multiple needs of homeless youth. The team consisted of the Santa Cruz Police Department 

Juvenile Officer, the downtown narcotics officer, a Child Protective Services social worker, the mental 

health homeless outreach worker, the Youth Services Homeless outreach worker, the director of the 

homeless resource center, and staff from the Santa Cruz AIDS Project and needle exchange program. 

Taking advantage of a California Child Welfare and Institution Code allowing agencies to share 

confidential information, everyone on the team signed an oath of confidentiality. According to the 

homeless liaison, “this was an extremely helpful approach to putting together the pieces of information 

48
regarding a homeless street youth. Each agency [may have a different] piece of the puzzle, and together 

we [can] develop a plan of strategies and interventions to assist the referred youth.” 

Districts without a shelter or other services for youth can pull together a multi-disciplinary team

that includes: 

• Local law enforcement - particularly the juvenile officer from areas where youth 

congregate 

• Mental health worker 

• Child protective service worker 

• A high school counselor 

• Homeless liaison 

• Representatives of local youth serving organizations (e.g., the YMCA) 

 

 1

 Anderson, L.M., Janger, M.I., & Panton, K.L.M. (1995). An evaluation of state and local efforts to 

serve the educational needs of homeless children and youth (page 70). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

2

 Phillips, C.M.,Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A follow-up study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page 12). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

49
Conclusions: Some Cross-Cutting Strategies 

3⁄4 Law and policy can strengthen and reinforce the McKinney Act 

3⁄4 Every school district needs a homeless liaison 

3⁄4 Collaborations and partnerships maximize district resources

3⁄4 Create a comprehensive and coordinated homeless education program

Visits to our three states and six districts uncovered many promising practices for helping 

homeless children and youth enroll and succeed in school. In addition to the strategies that address 

specific problem areas, such as transportation or awareness-raising, for example, we uncovered some 

strategies that hold promise for meeting challenges across a range of issues that homeless children and 

youth confront every day. These are: 

• Enact law and policy to remove barriers to the successful education of homeless children 

and youth 

• Ensure that districts appoint a homeless liaison/contact 

• Collaborate and create partnerships to maximize the resources available to serve 

homeless children and youth 

Law and Policy Can Strengthen and Reinforce the McKinney Act

“The legislation is my Bible. It provides the backing and gives my efforts direction. It is simple and 

clear, and is only five pages long. It is easy to refer to and to understand. The legislation is 

particularly useful in [clarifying] school of origin [issues]. Often, I act as an intermediary with the 

law.” 

 State Coordinator

Illinois Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

“The law is everything for us. We refer to both the McKinney and Illinois laws. The Illinois law 

clarifies the gray areas in McKinney and broadens [its reach] to include all districts/schools, not just 

the funded ones.”

 

Coordinator

Illinois Opening Doors Program

The McKinney Act requires that states review and revise attendance laws and “other laws, 

regulations, practices or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment or success in school of 

homeless children and homeless youth” (McKinney Act, Section 721). The vast majority of states 

comply with this requirement by changing their laws or by creating special statutes for homeless children 

and youth.12 The states we visited have enacted new legislation and/or adopted new policy either to 

clarify definitions in the McKinney Act or to strengthen the Act -- even extending its reach to more

homeless students (e.g., through using the Title I, Part A Set-aside to serve homeless children and youth). 

50
Keys to Enacting a State Law for Homeless Children and Youth 

Work with advocacy groups to determine needs:

“The first step was to contact, via letter and telephone, shelters statewide and local McKinney project 

directors to get their take on what a state law should include. The largest network of emergency shelters in 

Illinois is the PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) -- faith-based volunteers run these shelters...we

contacted the local PADS shelters and shared our concerns and plans with them. We ended up with a list of 

13 items on the wish list. You need to be able to exert muscle -- say, ‘Look, there are 2000 shelters that want 

this to happen, and we have the data to prove it -- get yourselves on the legislators’ radar screen.’” 

Give a name and a face to the law: 

“We got a photo journalist to take some pictures of homeless children -- so that we could put a face on the 

legislation. The chosen photo was of ‘Charlie’ -- holding his cat, no shoes, belly out. We asked his mom if we 

could use the photo. The legislation became known as Charlie’s Bill. Then every letter we sent out -- all 

communications with sponsors, shelters, etc., had this logo -- Charlie’s Bill -- with the picture. This was the 

best thing we did -- to give the legislation a name and a face.” 

Lobby with persistence and fearlessness to get bipartisan support: 

“We developed a list of those we would need to sponsor the bill -- both Republicans and Democrats.... The 

Executive Director (of the Coalition) spent every week of the spring legislative session in Springfield -- 

lobbying, explaining, getting support ... asking others, ‘Who needs to get on board here?’ The answer was 

many, including the entire education committee. So we brought in moms and homeless people and shelter 

folks from all over the state, especially to make the point that this is not just a suburban or inner-city issue -- it 

affects the entire state.” 

 

Program Coordinator, Illinois Coalition to End Homelessness

Districts can also adopt policy to reinforce and strengthen the McKinney Act. Chicago Public 

Schools, for example, recently published Chicago Public Schools Homeless Education Program Policy 

and Other Important Documents: 2000-2001. The Chicago Board of Education adopted the policy to

reiterate the significant provisions of the state homeless education program, to affirm the board’s 

commitment, and to implement guidelines for resolving issues affecting the education of homeless 

children and youth. The policy provides guidance on identifying, enrolling, and transporting homeless 

children and youth. Some ways in which Chicago’s policy strengthens the state and federal laws include: 

(1) requiring annual in-service training for all school principals, who must then train other school staff, 

and (2) targeting specific Chicago community organizations and agencies for collaborative relationships. 

Every School District Needs a Homeless Liaison

51
While only about 4 percent of school districts receive McKinney grants, homelessness is

everywhere. Each district that receives a McKinney subgrant must designate a homeless liaison. The 

liaison works to identify homeless students, enroll them in school, and arrange transportation for them to 

get to the school. The liaison also makes referrals to health care and other services as appropriate while 

coordinating the activities of local service providers. Liaisons work hard to raise public awareness about 

homelessness. Our interviews with people at the state and district levels indicated the grave need for a 

homeless liaison, or “point person” in every district. Whatever the particular challenge at hand, homeless 

program staff emphasize the vital role of the homeless liaison as the critical link between homeless 

children and youth and the services to which they are entitled. 

The Illinois state coordinator for homeless education recently initiated a process to identify a 

contact person for issues related to homelessness in all 900 Illinois school districts. Such a strategy was 

suggested at a conference sponsored by the National Center for Homeless Education. As a result, 

upwards of 750 or more Illinois school districts (out of 900) now have a contact person for issues related 

to homelessness. 

Every District Needs a Homeless Liaison 

“It just takes someone committing to doing it. There aren’t any secrets. So my office sent a form 

to every district, as it usually does, asking for the number of homeless students in the district. 

This time we included a contact request at the bottom, and said that the superintendent will 

receive the information if a contact name isn’t given.... Now we have a statewide directory of 

contacts. Kathy Conrad at the Opening Doors program uses the directory for their mailings. I 

also use it if I need to talk with a district about a student. In the future, I hope to improve the 

process.... By that I mean having contacts who invest more into addressing homeless issues --

someone with an advocacy bent and more time to commit to it.” 

 

State Coordinator

Illinois Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

52
Collaborations and Partnerships Maximize District Resources

The McKinney Act requires school districts to collaborate and coordinate. Specifically, they

must: 

• Coordinate with local social services agencies and other agencies or programs providing 

services to homeless children or youth and their families 

• Where applicable, coordinate with state and local housing agencies responsible for 

developing the comprehensive housing affordability strategy described in section 105 of 

the Cranston-Gonzales national Affordable Housing Act to minimize educational 

disruption for children who become homeless 

Collaborate to maximize 

resources. In our sample, we 

found many examples of districts 

that collaborate and partner with 

each other, or with local agencies 

and organizations to identify and 

provide services to homeless 

children and youth. Coordination 

can be especially important at the 

local level, not only to avoid the 

duplication of services that might 

otherwise occur, but also to

maximize the resources directly

available to those in need. One 

collaborative relationship crucial in identifying homeless children and youth is between school district 

staff and/or the school homeless liaison and staff from local shelters. 

Ways for Districts to 

Collaborate and Coordinate 

• Share or pool resources, such as consultants and specialists 

• Arrange for courtesy enrollments, tuition exchanges, and 

transportation agreements for students in neighboring districts 

to assist with placing homeless students 

• Co-author grant applications for shared resources such as 

regional summer schools, area recruiters and liaisons, multidistrict career fairs, or staff development presentations 

Oregon State Coordinator

Partner to maximize resources. Inter-district partnerships also provide creative venues to serve 

homeless children and youth. In Texas, a partnership linking four school districts reportedly maximizes 

the efficient use of McKinney funds. Two of these districts, the Plano and Greenville Independent School 

Districts (ISDs), act together as the fiscal agent for the partnership. The other two partners are the 

McKinney and Sherman ISDs. Plano and Greenville subcontract the combined grants from the state to 

the University of Texas at Dallas to manage the homeless program for all four districts. This arrangement 

provides cost-efficiency, realizing economy of scale with regard to technical assistance and staff training 

in the four districts. In addition, the combined resources of the four districts and their manager have 

resulted in one substantial and creative learning opportunity for some homeless students; the university

operates a Kid’s College for students living in shelters. Kid’s College students stay on the campus for a 

53
week and learn about a particular topic (e.g., cultures from around the world) through hands-on and 

interactive activities. 

Create a Comprehensive and Coordinated Homeless Education Program

Homeless students will be 

best served when promising 

practices are implemented as part 

of a comprehensive and 

coordinated homeless education 

program. Promising practices that 

are implemented in isolation are 

likely to result in some homeless 

students falling between the 

cracks. A homeless education 

program should align and integrate 

the efforts of all stakeholders, and 

do so in a systemic, planned, and 

sustainable way. A key strategy to 

ensure that a homeless education 

program maintains coordination is 

to create a homeless education 

steering committee, consisting of 

representation from district offices (e.g., Title I, transportation, curriculum, homeless education), schools 

(e.g., teachers, nurses, secretaries, social workers, special educators, food and nutrition staff members), 

students, parents, government agencies, and homeless service providers. Such a committee should create 

a homeless education plan that organizes and directs district and community activities. Furthermore, the 

committee should meet regularly to assess the plan’s implementation. The ultimate success of any 

homeless education program requires that the efforts of many individuals are coordinated and measured 

by whether all homeless students are identified, enrolled, and educated appropriately. 

Create a Comprehensive and Coordinated 

Homeless Education Program 

1. Enlist key school and community leaders to participate in a 

homeless education steering committee 

2. Conduct ongoing awareness raising activities throughout 

schools and the community

3. Train and designate homeless education liaisons at each 

school to serve students and educate staff 

4. Provide ongoing staff development 

5. Collaborate continuously with homeless service providers and 

other civic groups 

Coordinator

Baltimore County Homeless Education Program

 * * * *

This guide has described promising practices that state coordinators for homeless education and 

other state, district, and school staff can use to meet the requirements of the McKinney Act, as well as 

some of the most pressing challenges to enrolling homeless children and youth in school and providing 

them with the supports they need to reach the same high standards as others. Although success in 

54
meeting these challenges rarely comes easily, when it does come, it is well worth the effort in improving 

the lives of these vulnerable children, youth, and families. 

 1

 Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. A follow-up study to the 1995 National Evaluation of 

the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (page 6). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

55
Appendix A 

Promising Practices Highlights: State Participants 
Promising Practices Highlights: State Participants 

State Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Illinois 

Gary Dickirson 

State Coordinator 

Illinois Homeless Education Program 

Illinois State Board of Education 

100 North 1st Street 

Springfield, Illinois 62777 

(217) 782-3370 

(217) 782-9224 fax 

gdickirs@smtp.isbe.state.il.us

Kathy Conrad 

Coordinator 

Opening Doors Project 

Adult Learning Resource Center 

1855 Mount Prospect Road 

Des Plaines, Illinois 60018

(847) 803-3535 

(847) 803-3231 fax 

kconrad@irc-desplaines.org

The Opening Doors web site can be found 

at: 

http://www.lth3.k12.il.us/openingdoors

• Opening Doors is an Illinois McKinney subgrant project with 

the primary mission of raising awareness statewide. Its web 

site is easy to use and provides access to many on-line

resources 

• Exploring awareness raising possibilities for pre-service 

teachers and social workers through collaboration with higher 

education and preparation program standards boards 

• Aggressive state law, known as the Illinois Education for 

Homeless Children Act (SB 881), enacted in 1995 that 

includes provisions mandating immediate enrollment of 

homeless children and strengthening the McKinney Act. 

• District contacts/liaisons for homeless education in every

district 

• State law (Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act) 

strengthens transportation and school of origin issues by 

giving homeless parents a stronger voice in choosing schools, 

clarifies responsibility in interdistrict transportation situations, 

and establishes a clear dispute resolution process. 

• Statewide survey to assesses awareness of homeless issues 

and needs. 

• Broad net for awareness raising -- includes “1-800” hotline 

number; web site; press releases; public service 

announcements; “tip sheets” designed for various individuals 

that serve homeless students (such as teachers, nurses,

secretaries and enrollment clerks, principals, and social 

workers) 

• State board of education policy encourages school districts to 

conduct awareness raising activities for districts and schools. 

A-1 
State Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Oregon 

Dona Horine Bolt 

State Coordinator 

Homeless Education Program 

Oregon Department of Education 

255 Capitol Street NE 

Salem, Oregon 97310 

(503) 378-3606 x600 

(503) 373-7968 fax dona.bolt@state.or.us

• Oregon Student Admission Manual addresses immediate 

enrollment of homeless students, and provides guidance on 

identifying and enrolling homeless youth. 

• Innovative use of state Title I, Part A “set-aside” funds

enables districts, especially those that do not receive 

McKinney funds, to provide Title I services to homeless 

students, and to serve more homeless students. 

• Some districts designate a homeless liaison from a youth 

services agency, which heightens the identification of, 

outreach to, and services for homeless youth. 

• Training document addresses how to collaborate with partners 

locally and at the statewide level. 

Texas 

Barbara James 

State Coordinator 

Office for the Education of Homeless 

Children and Youth 

The Charles A. Dana Center at the 

University of Texas at Austin 

2901 North IH-35 

Austin, Texas 78722 

(512) 475-8765 

(800) 446-3142 toll-free in Texas 

(512) 232-1853 fax 

babawawa@mail.utexas.edu

The Office for the Education of Homeless 

Children and Youth web site can be found 

at:

http://www.tenet.edu/OEHCY/

 

• Training manual on homeless education issues and services 

for use by districts, schools, and service providers in raising 

awareness.

• Statewide uniform data reporting to monitor McKinney

subgrantee activities and needs, as well as to track trends in 

the achievement and demographics of homeless students. 

Includes standard form, computer software, and training. 

• Homeless students in Austin receive additional in-school and 

related services related to technology through the Support for

Homeless Education: Linking Technoogy Resources to

Shelters (SHELTRS) project (http://www.tenet.edu/shelters/. 

• Questions and Answers Guide on the Eduation of Children 

and Youth in Homeless Situations includes a section on 

special education in relation to homeless students. 

• 1-800 Hotline provides speedy resolution of enrollment 

disputes. 

A-2 
Promising Practices Highlights: District Participants 

District Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Baltimore County Public Schools, 

Maryland 

Jill Moss-Greenberg

Homeless Education Consultant

Baltimore County Public School District 

 6901 Charles Street 

Baltimore, MD 21204

 (410) 887-3763

(410) 887-2060 fax

• Formation of Homeless Education Steering 

Committee, with representatives from all key school 

system divisions, to assure systemic, coordinated 

identification and support for homeless students. 

• Comprehensive staff development program that 

includes awareness raising training for school teams 

and school secretaries. Program was co-developed 

by the Homeless Education Steering Committee, the 

BCPS Office of Staff Development, and the Baltimore 

County Coalition for the Homeless. 

• Immediate enrollment facilitated through each 

school’s Pupil Personnel Worker who helps parents 

obtain necessary student records. Necessary costs 

may be covered by McKinney or Title I funds. 

• All schools have a Homeless Education Liaison who 

assists in identifying homeless students, obtaining 

resources to meet their needs, and informing staff at 

the school about regulations, effective strategies, 

materials and activities related to homelessness and 

educating homeless students. 

• Criteria and checklist for determining if the school of 

origin is in the student’s best interest. 

• District takes special steps to ensure that homeless 

children participate in early childhood education

special education, gifted and talented, and service 

learning programs. 

• Parents Rights Brochure, “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: 

Facts About Education for Homeless Children & 

Youth” developed by Maryland State Department of 

Education in collaboration with local school districts. 

• Homelessness and information about educating 

homeless students is included in the Multicultural 

Education Inservice Course that is required for all 

teachers. 

A-3 
District Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Bucks County Intermediate Unit, 

Pennsylvania

Tom Norlen

Educational Liaison 

Bucks County Intermediate Unit # 22

705 N. Shady Retreat Rd. 

Doylestown, PA 18901-2507 

(800) 770-4822 x1361

(215) 340-1964 fax

• Bucks County IU is contracted by the Pennsylvania 

Department of Education program to develop 

awareness raising materials and facilitate awareness 

raising activities for the entire state. 

• A workshop and accompanying materials entitled 

“How Do I Do That?” that presents concrete strategies

and programs for serving homeless students. 

• Documents on designing a successful state or local 

homeless initiative. 

• “Parent Pack” folder raises parental awareness of 

their legal rights and what they should do if they move 

again in order to facilitate immediate enrollment.

• Resource guide of all Pennsylvania shelters, as well 

as a directory of local resources. 

• Criteria and checklist for determining if the school of 

origin is in the student’s best interest. 

• Database of homeless student information. 

• The BCIU has developed a countywide homeless 

committee of key school, shelter, and agency

personnel to stay abreast of issues and needs. 

• Coordinates with youth services and youth shelter to 

facilitate youth access to education 

A-4 
District Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Chicago Public Schools, Illinois

Mary Kelly Dowd – Coordinator 

Homeless Education Program

Chicago Public Schools 

125 South Clark Street, 10th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60603

(773) 553-2242

(773) 553-2182 fax

Leslie Jones – Homeless Education 

Consultant

Chicago Public Schools 

125 South Clark Street, 10th Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60603

(773) 553-2230

(773) 553-2182 fax

• Promotes awareness by sending two times a year The 

Notice of the Chicago Public Schools Policy on 

Education of Homeless Children and Youth to all CPS 

parents/guardians. 

• Mandatory awareness raising training program for 

approximately 500 schools. All district principals 

must attend a workshop on homeless education issues 

and service strategies, after which they must each train 

their entire school staff. 

• Comprehensive district manual raises awareness and 

serves as a single authoritative guide on all homeless 

education-related issues. The 66-page document 

addresses policy and law, school level requirements, 

standard district procedures and forms, and frequently

asked questions. 

• Homeless education poster distributed to every school 

and must be prominently hung to raise awareness of 

parents and school staff. 

• All Chicago public schools have a homeless liaison 

and a clerk. Therefore, the Chicago Public Schools 

has 1,200 school personnel plus 600 principals who 

are specifically trained to work with issues pertaining 

to homeless education. 

• In 1999-2000, CPS committed over $2,100,000 from

the district general budget, in addition to its 

McKinney funds, to ensure that homeless students 

have the appropriate transportation. 

• During the 2000-2001 school year, the CPS identified 

approximately 6,300 homeless children and youth. 

• Standardized forms and procedures for processing 

transportation requests and collecting related student 

data. District homeless student database tracks 

identification, enrollment, and school records. 

• All schools receive a “CTA Emergency Pack” for 

short-term homeless student transportation needs 

that includes student-rate public transportation passes, 

an adult pass for the parent of elementary student, and 

limited cash funds. 

A-5 
District Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Fort Wayne Community Schools, 

Indiana

Jerry T. White 

Director of Student Services 

Fort Wayne Community Schools 

1200 South Clinton Street 

Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 

(219) 425-7278 

(219) 425-7501 fax 

Jerry.White@fwcs.k12.in.us 

George A Fields, Jr. 

Homeless Liaison Coordinator 

(219) 425-7788 

(219) 425-7501 fax 

Fieldga01@excite.com

Dawn D. Sterba 

Administrative Aide for Homeless 

Education and Title I 

(219) 425-7255 

(219) 425-7722 fax

• Monthly newsletter provides updates on homeless 

education issues and raises awareness throughout the

community. 

• Integrates the transportation of homeless students 

into existing districtwide school choice program, 

which nearly guarantees that they will remain in their 

schools of origin. 

• District liaison coordinates transportation with 

department of transportation. The district attempts to 

make shelter stops first in the morning and last at the 

end of the day in order to minimize stigmatization. 

• Most McKinney funds are used by Fort Wayne to

support a tutoring program. 

A-6 
District Contact Information Program Description and Promising Practice Highlights 

Santa Cruz County Office of 

Education, California 

JoAnn Allen 

Director 

Homeless Education Outreach Program

Santa Cruz County Office of Education

809 H Bay Avenue 

Capitola, California 95010

(831) 479-5246 

(831) 476-5294 fax 

joallen@santacruz.k12.ca.us 

Karen Lemon

Educational Coordinator 

 

(831) 477-5422 

klemon@santacruz.k12.ca.us

• Two-page principal survey collects data on in-school 

services for homeless students, while simultaneously 

raising awareness of legal requirements. 

• Annual awareness raising training is attended by

nurses and bus drivers, in addition to principals, 

teachers, social workers, and secretaries.

• Co-creator and facilitator of the local Homeless 

Action Network of school, health, and social service 

providers. 

• Partners with local university to provide homeless 

students with in-school tutoring services. 

• Small-group and individual counseling for homeless 

students. 

• Homeless children receive a backpack with school 

supplies in it. 

• Drop-in educational center and extended-day

programs for homeless youth.

• Multi-disciplinary team developed strategies for 

serving homeless youth.

Victoria Independent School 

District, Texas 

Gail V. Brocklebank, LMSW-AP 

Community Specialist 

102 Profit Drive 

P.O. Box 1759

Victoria, TX 77902 

(361) 788-9905 

(361) 788-9903 fax 

• Guarantees all students may remain enrolled in, and 

be transported to, their school of origin through 

“One Child, One School, One Year” policy. 

• Every school has a parent liaison, who ensures 

immediate enrollment and coordinates 

transportation and in-school services. 

• Tutoring program for homeless students at 8 

neighborhood Homework Centers. 

• Teen parenting program, “Students Taking Action and 

Responsibility” (STAR), helps identify homeless

youth with children who lack permanent housing. 

The STAR liaison can help arrange transportation to

school. 

A-7 
Appendix B 

Organizations and Advocacy Groups: On-line Resources 
B-1 

Organizations and Advocacy Groups: On-line Resources 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

Children’s Defense Fund 25 E St, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 628-8787 http://www.childrensdefense.org

Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundations, corporate grants and individual donations. CDF advocates for all children, but especially for those that are poor, minority, or disabled. The CDF web-site addresses the following: • Web-site links - this site has links to over 30 web-sites that 

address children’s and homeless issues 

• Facts and Statistics - CDF reports on hardships faced by lowincome youth and affordability of child care • Event Information – information about CDF’s annual 

convention 

• Services Strategies and Activities - Parent Resource Network 

and listserves 

• “The State of Childre

on youth violence, edetc. 

• “All Over the Map: A 

Children's Health Insranks state progress in addresses other health 

• A newsletter about im

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless 1325 South Wabash Suite 205 Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 435-4548 E-mail: info@chicagohomeless.org

http://www.chicagohomeless.org

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless organizes and advocates to prevent and end homelessness. • Service Strategies and Activities - lists Chicago-area 

initiatives, including those related to women and youth, task force and coalition groups, the Law Project and other initiatives 

• Facts and Statistics - causes of and statistics about 

homelessness and welfare reform 

• A training manual for 

homeless children’s e

The Homeless Homepage (from Run by an economics professor through the University of N/A 
B-2 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

Communications for a Sustainable Future) http://csf.colorado.edu/homeless/index.html

Colorado, this site presents links to approximately 500 international internet sites about homelessness. Its mission is “to enhance communications with the objective of working through disparate views and ideologies to secure a more promising future.” The children and youth page offers links to homeless education sites. 

Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program 701 North Fairfax Street Suite 310 Alexandria, VA 22314-2064 (703) 706-9660 http://www.efsp.unitedway.org/ 

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) began in 1983 with a $50 million federal appropriation. Congress created the program to meet the needs of hungry and homeless people. • Web-site Links to those organizations that receive funding 

from the EFSP, sponsor the EFSP, or address homeless issues with a focus on emergency aid 

N/A 

Health Care for the Homeless Information Resource Center 345 Delaware Avenue Delmar, NY 12054 (888) 439-3300 ext.247 E-mail: hch@prainc.comhttp://www.prainc.com/hch

The Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach to delivering care to homeless persons, combining aggressive street outreach with integrated systems of primary care, mental health and substance abuse services, case management, and client advocacy. • Service Strategies and Activities - state by state directory of 

HCH projects 

HCH publications generalissues. • “Opening Doors” – a 

care issue for low-inc

• Annotated bibliograp

emphasis on health 
B-3 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

The Institute for Children and Poverty at Homes for the Homeless 36 Cooper Square, 6th Floor New York, NY 10003 (212) 529-5252 E-mail: hn4061@handsnet.org

http://www2.homesforthehomeless.com/hfh

Homes for the Homeless, a non-profit organization, provides educational training services to homeless families and helps them build independent lives. The Institute for Children and Poverty provides information to educational institutions, policy makers, and the non-profit community through publications, symposia, training events and technical assistance. • Homeless Education Programs - educational programs for 

homeless youth including, Jump-Start Child Development Centers, Accelerated After School Programs for homeless youth, recreational and cultural programs, and educational summer camps 

• Web-site Links - over 50 links to national, private and nonprofit agencies that address homelessness, housing, health, 

education, literacy and youth issues 

• Facts and Statistics – federal statistics about homelessness 

and homeless youth including demographics and causes of homelessness 

• Service Strategies and Activities – offers programs on adult 

education and literacy, employment training and job placement, and independent living 

• “Access to Success: M

of Homeless Children 

• Children’s books abo• Journal of Children a

the presentation of rethe areas of educationpolicy, and welfare reyouth and families in 

• Full reports and book

care, case studies of hdemographics of hom
B-4 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

Illinois’s Opening Doors Program Illinois State Board of Education 100 North First Street Springfield, Illinois 62777-0001 (217)782-3370 http://www.lth3.k12.il.us/openingdoors

Opening Doors is an Illinois State Board of Education subgrant project funded through the McKinney Act. The goal of this statewide initiative is to raise awareness in Illinois schools and shelters of the educational rights and needs of homeless children and youth. The Opening Doors web site is a key resource for learning about homeless education in Illinois. • Law and Policy – gives descriptions of laws and policies 

regarding homelessness and advice for parents of homeless youth 

• Web-site Links – links to project partners, McKinney grant 

recipients, Illinois agencies that address homelessness, Illinois shelters 

• Contact Information – for Illinois schools, shelters, homeless 

programs and other resources 

• Facts and Statistics – a composite picture of homelessness in 

the U.S.; demographic data on homeless youth 

• Service Strategies and Activities – information for school 

personnel to understand youth homelessness and issues they may face; educational programs to increase awareness about homelessness 

• Event Information – lists conferences that address 

homelessness and education of homeless children 

Through their on-line ordeoffers over 30 printed docoverview of homeless eduhunger and homelessness examples are: • “Lunch Box News” – 

teachers and school p

• Tip sheets for secreta

support service staff, 

• “School Notification 

schools 

• “Should My Child Ch

Homeless” 

• Overviews of and gui

state laws and policie

• “Where Can I Build M

homelessness from a 

Opening Doors also offers practices for educating hohomelessness issues. 

Iowa’s Center for Homeless Education and Iowa’s Center for Homeless Education and Information and The following are provide
B-5 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

Information at William Penn College 201 Trueblood Avenue Oskaloosa, IA 52577 (515) 673-1113 http://www.wmpenn.edu/PennWeb/LTP/

LTP2.html

The web-site is designed to provide information and resources for service agencies and educators of homeless families and youth. • Homeless Education Programs - Literacy Tutoring Program 

matches college students with at-risk homeless youth for tutoring opportunities; CAMP VISION is a summer camp for homeless children 

• Web-site Links – to the University of Wisconsin Campus 

Homeless Project, The Homeless Home Movie, the Iowa State Homepage, and The National Center for Homeless Education 

• State and Local Resources – lists organizations, publications, 

and resource guides 

• Facts and Statistics – “Homelessness in Iowa” and 

“Homeless in America” provide statewide and nationwide survey results from a study of homeless families and youth 

Education and Informatio• Iowa Department of E

materials for school phomelessness 

• “Homelessness: A Re

12” – curriculum and homelessness 

• “Shelter Boy” - FOX 

about a homeless stud

• List of publications d

homeless youth as weand administrators th

• List of McKinney Ac

Missouri Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program Missouri Department of Education Division of Instruction – Federal Discretionary Grants Amy James, Supervisor (573) 522-8763 http://www.dese.state.mo.us/divinstr/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/index.html

The Missouri homeless education program. • Law and Policy – describes the McKinney Act and 

compulsory attendance and residency requirements 

• Service Strategies and Activities – includes standards and 

criteria used to evaluate district implementation of the homeless education program; describes what steps are taken by school districts to provide appropriate instruction for their homeless students 

• “Keeping Kids in Sch

Homeless Children” – comprehensive manuthat homeless childreare legally entitled 

• Training manual, pos• Sample enrollment fo• Homeless program ch

program compliance 
B-6 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) 1518 K Street, NW, Suite 206  Washington, DC 20005 (202) 638-1526 naeh@naeh.org

http://www.naeh.org

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit 

membership organization whose mission is to mobilize individuals and the nonprofit, profit and public sectors of society to end homelessness. The Alliance is composed of over 2,000 members and its primary goal is to increase federal resources for permanent housing and support services. It also works to improve federal policy on related issues. 

• Homeless Education Programs – age appropriate fact sheets 

to educate the general student population about homelessness 

• Law and Policy – describes some of the policies and laws 

that effect homelessness in the U.S. 

• Facts and Statistics – demographics of the homeless 

population, causes and solutions to homelessness 

• Service Strategies and Activities – lists organizations and 

people under “best practices and profiles” that deal with homelessness 

• Event Information – links to articles about news and events 

regarding homelessness, housing, services, trainings and conferences 

• Life Skills Manual • Fact Sheet for Kids • Ten Year Plan to End • The Alliance - month

agencies about homel
B-7 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) http://www.tenet.edu/OEHCY/NASCEHCY.html

The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is an association of state coordinators with responsibility for implementing Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. State coordinators of homeless education work to ensure that children and youth residing in homeless situations receive equal access to appropriate educational services and to effect systemic changes within the educational system that help to foster the academic success of homeless children and youth. • Contact Information – provides a list of state coordinators of 

the Education of Homeless Youth and Children programs 

This web-site has a links t• “Making the Grade: C

Providing EducationaChildren and Youth, tthe NASCEHCY”. Suprogress of efforts to youth, profiles 30 selprograms, and offers improving the McKinChildren and Youth p

The more recent incarnatiNAEHCY, collaborated wthe Homeless to update “M

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) 915 Northridge Street 2nd Floor Greensboro, NC 27403 (800) 755-3277 dbowman@serve.orghttp://www.serve.org/ncheNational Center for Homeless Ed i (NCHE)

NCHE, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a national resource center for research and information addressing the education of homeless children and youth. It serves state and district administrators, teachers, lawyers, social service providers, parents, researchers, and others by disseminating information, making referrals, synthesizing research, and facilitating collaborations. This web-site is comprehensive and a good resource for information on homeless education. Web-site topics include: • Homeless Education Programs - state and local McKinney 

program profiles; requests for proposals addressing homeless education 

• Law and Policy - the McKinney Act • Web-site Links – The NCHE web site provides links to just 

about every organization involved in homeless education, including state homeless education programs; homeless housing organizations; legal organizations; advocacy groups; research organizations; education networks and organizations; ERIC clearinghouse; and resources for homeless families and children 

• Contact Information – current state coordinators of homeless 

NCHE has developed four downloaded from the web• “The Education of Ho

A Compendium of Reincludes issues such aeducational considerastructures, the educatyouth, and an annotat

• “Parent Pack” - a fold

of school records 

• Proceedings from the 

Transportation for Hoincludes an overview strategies to address t

• Parent brochure “Wh

Your Child Do Well educational rights of for homeless parents contact information, acontact information 

The NCHE web-site prov
B-8 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

Education (NCHE) (Continued) 

education 

• State and Local Resources - NCHE has a Help Line (800-

308-2145), through which individuals can request information on resources for homeless children and families 

• Facts and Statistics - NCHE provides overview information 

on issues related to homelessness and the education of homeless children and youth 

publications, which can be well as links to other docuincluding: • Awareness raising • Research reports on h

law, and welfare 

• Books on homeless e• Curricula and resourc

• Legal sources • Products to aid educa

ERIC Clearinghouse such, it is the central materials related to hothe documents to the 

National Coalition for the Homeless 1012 Fourteenth Street, NW, #600 Washington, DC 20005-3410 (202) 737-6445 or 737-6444 E-mail: nch@ari.net

http://nch.ari.net/

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is a national advocacy network of homeless persons, activists, service providers, and others committed to ending homelessness through public education, policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, and technical assistance. NCH receives its support from individual contributions, the Combined Federal Campaign, foundation grants, special events, and telemarketing. • Law and Policy – Legislative Alerts inform viewers about 

current legislative issues that may affect the homeless or agencies that serve them; describes the McKinney Act and other issues regarding homelessness 

• Web-site Links – lists web-sites for a variety of agencies that 

serve the homeless including a directory of state contacts for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 

NCH provides the followi• “Making the Grade: S

Educating Homeless 

• “Safety Networks” – 

updates on trends and homelessness at the lowith emphasis on fedinformation on NCH etc. 

• List of publications a

various sources that m
B-9 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

National Coalition for the Homeless (Continued) 

• Facts and Statistics – about homelessness and why people 

become homeless 

• Service Strategies and Activities – NCH projects touch on 

the many issues that deal with homelessness including the Educational Rights Project that addresses the education of homeless youth 

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty 918 F Street, NW #412 Washington, DC 20004 (202) 638-2535 E-mail: nlchp@nlchp.org

http://www.nlchp.org

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty was established in June 1989. It is governed by a seventeen-member board of directors that includes lawyers, activists, researchers, and individuals who have experienced homelessness. The Law Center pursues three main strategies: impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education. • Facts and Statistics about homelessness 

The Law Center provides policies and legislative iss

New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless StudentsEquity Support Services/Eastern Suffolk BOCES 969 Roanoke Avenue Riverhead, New York 11901 (631) 208-2072 E-mail: NYSTEACHS@sricboces

http://nysteachs.sricboces.org/

New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students 

The New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students is a New York State Education Department grant project under the McKinney Homeless Children and Youth Program. The fundamental objective is to provide technical assistance to school districts throughout New York State in establishing equitable education services for students affected by homelessness. • Law and Policy – describes some of the policies and 

legislation that effect the homeless including policies that influence the education of homeless children; describes the McKinney Act 

• State and Local Resources – lists NY state health and 

education departments and their programs as well as other resources 

• Event Information – current listings of NY conferences and 

grants 

This web-site provides maeducation of homeless chiinclude: • “Will Their Future Be 

state homeless educat1997 

• “Making the Grade: S

Educating Homeless Youth. 

• The McKinney Act a

personnel to meet Mc

• Tip sheets for school 

that serve the homele
B-10 

Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

(Continued) • Resources for schools 

students 

North Dakota’s Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program 600 East Boulevard Ave Bismarck, ND 585505-0440 (701) 328-3265 http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/title1/homeless/

index.shtm

The Educational Program for Homeless Children and Youth is administered by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. • Homeless Education Programs – “Homeless Awareness 

Week” provides educators with information, lesson plans, and activities to educate the general student population about homelessness 

• Law and Policy – describes the McKinney Act and how 

North Dakota is meeting the requirements of that Act 

• Contact Information – lists contact information for North 

Dakota McKinney funds recipients 

• Facts and Statistics about homeless children and youth 

As a part of the “Homelesthis site offers the followi• “Five Thing You Can 

– a guide for school p

• Five videos about hom• Poster about homeles• Lesson plans • Survey results from th

survey of principals 

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program 333 Market Street, 5th Floor 

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 (717) 772-2813 http://www.pde.psu.edu/homeless/esedhomec

h.html

Pennsylvania Department of Education (Continued) 

The Pennsylvania Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program offers information on: • Homeless Education Programs - contact information and 

profiles of local McKinney programs 

• Law and Policy - includes links to Basic Education Circulars 

(BECs), which provide policy guidance related to homeless education in Pennsylvania 

• Facts and Statistics - Pennsylvania homeless population; 

state program findings; frequently asked questions 

• Service Strategies and Activities - addresses how the state 

intends to meet its goals 

The Pennsylvania homeleincludes links to Basic Edwhich provide policy guiddistricts and schools on th• The education of hom• School immunization • Acceptable evidence • District obligations fo

their natural parents 

• Access to student recThe website also makes othrough phone order, inclu• Overviews of the stat

education program
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Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

education program 

• Pennsylvania shelter 

information 

• School staff training m• Curriculum guide on 

South Dakota Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program Department of Education and Cultural Affairs 700 Governors Drive Pierre, South Dakota 57501 (605) 773-5669 http://www.state.sd.us/deca/ta/programs/Homeless/STEWARTB.HTM

The South Dakota Department of Education and Cultural Affairs oversees the McKinney grants awarded in South Dakota. This web-site provides: • Website Links – links to state and federal sites about 

homelessness including nutrition, education, health, housing, employment, transportation, immigration, family planning, etc. 

• Contact Information – to the two McKinney sites in South 

Dakota; lists South Dakota shelters 

South Dakota’s DepartmeAffairs offers the followin• Seven videos about h

by the South Dakota Sioux Falls Education Youth Program, and oEducation Offices 

Brochures and fl

homelessness and you

Texas Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 2901 North IH-35, Austin, Texas 78722-2348 (512) 475-9702 Toll-free in Texas: 1 (800) 446-3142 http://www.tenet.edu/OEHCY/http://www.tenet.edu/sheltersalso see: http://www.utdanacenter.org

Texas Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (continued) 

The Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (OEHCY), which is housed at the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas-Austin, serves as the Texas state homeless education program. • Law and Policy – describes the McKinney Act and Texas 

state law on education the of homeless children and youth; it also describes the rights of homeless children related to free and reduced lunch, transportation, special education services, and other educational programs 

• Web-site Links – links to state and federal web-sites that 

address homelessness and/or education 

• Contact Information – provides contact information for 

Texas school districts that received McKinney grants 

The Dana Center develops resources and provides technical assistance to strengthen Texas education and community life. Funded through private and government grants, the Dana Center lists OEHCY as one of its programs. 

OEHCY provides the foll• Campus Self-Assessm

tool that schools can uof their current servicsituations 

• “Pieces of the Puzzle

in Homeless Situationtraining tool for raisinhomelessness, and deeducational barriers fhomelessness.

• “Questions and Answ

Students in Homeless addresses the most coabout homeless educa

• Project brochure and 

students' educational 
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Organization Organization Description and Web-Site Topics Selected Publ

• Service Strategies and Activities – A Dana Center project 

entitled Support for Homeless Education: Linking Technology Resources to Shelters (SHELTRS) provides computers and tutors for homeless children at Austin shelters. 

• Event Information - offers a variety of workshops and 

conferences on educating poor and minority students, as well as other educational issues 

• As of June 2001, the 

document that outlineeducation programs th

Virginia’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, Project HOPE The College of William & Mary School of Education P.O. Box 8795 Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795 (757) 221-4002 Toll Free in Virginia 1-877-455-3412 http://www.wm.edu/education/HOPE/Homeless.html

The Virginia Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. • Law and Policy – describes Virginia policies that affect 

homelessness; history of the McKinney Act 

• Web-site Links – federal, state, non-profit and private 

funding resources; local McKinney subgrantees 

• Facts and Statistics – estimates of the number of homeless in 

Virginia 

N/A 
Appendix C 

Selected Recent Publications 
Selected Recent Publications 

Anderson, L.M., Janger, M.I., & Panton, K.L.M. (1995). An evaluation of state and local efforts to 

serve the educational needs of homeless children and youth (page xi). Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

The Better Homes Fund. (1999). Homeless children: America's new outcasts. Newton, MA: Author. 

Bunn, S. (2000). Admission of students to Oregon Public Schools: Guidance for schools and districts. 

Salem, OR: Oregon Department of Education. 

California Department of Education. (1999). Enrolling students living in homeless 

situations. Sacramento, CA: Author. 

Children's Defense Fund. (1998). The state of America's children, yearbook 1998. Washington, DC: 

Author. 

Connecting Title I and the McKinney Homeless Act: Providing services for homeless children and 

youth. (2000, May). Title I Monitor, (5)5. 

Fosburg, L.B., & Dennis, D.L. (Eds.). (1999). Practical lessons: The 1998 National Symposium on 

Homelessness Research. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Homes for the Homeless and the Institute for Children and Poverty. (1999). Homeless in America: A 

children's story. New York: Author. 

The Institute for Children and Poverty, Homes for the Homeless. (1999). Homeless in America: A 

children's story, Part one. New York: Author. 

The Institute for Children and Poverty, Homes for the Homeless. (1998). A snapshot of family

homelessness across America. New York: Author. 

Lowe, E. T. (2000, December). A status report on hunger and homelessness in America's cities, 

2000: A 25 city survey. Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Mayors. 

Marek, L.I., Mancini, LA., & Brock, D.J. (2000). Continuity, success, and survival of 

communitybased projects: The National Youth At Risk Sustainability Study. Richmond, VA: 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 

Markowitz, J. (1999, December 5-7). Educating children with disabilities who are homeless 

(proceedings document) [Policy Forum]. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 

Office of Special Education Programs. 

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Coalition 

for the Homeless. (1999). Making the grade: Successes and challenges in providing 

educational opportunities to homeless children and youth. Washington, DC: Author. 

C-1 
National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE. (February 2000). National Symposium on 

Transportation for Homeless Children and Youth. Proceedings, February 20-21, 2000, 

Williamsburg, VA. 

National Coalition for the Homeless. (1999, June). Education of homeless children and youth. 

(NCH Fact Sheet # 10) [On Line]. Available: http://nch.ari.net/edchild.htxml. 

National Coalition for the Homeless. (1999, April). The McKinney Act (NCH Fact Sheet # 18) [On 

Line]. Available: http://nch.ari.net/McKinneyfacts.html.

National Coalition for the Homeless. (1998). Homelessness in America: Unabated and increasing: A 

ten-year perspective. Washington, DC: Author. 

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. (September 1997). Blocks to their future: A report 

on the barriers to preschool education for homeless children. Washington, DC: Author. 

Phillips, C.M., Wodatch, J.K., & Kelliher, C.T. (forthcoming). Access and achievement: Reducing 

barriers for homeless children and youth. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 

The Regional Educational Laboratory at SERVE. (1999). Terrific transitions: Ensuring continuity of 

services for children and their families. Greenboro, NC: Author.

Stronge. J.H., & Reed-V.E. (Eds.). (2000). Educating homeless students: Promising practices. 

Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. 

Stronge, J.H., & Popp, P. (Eds.). (1999). The education of homeless children and youth: A 

compendium of research and information. Tallahassee, FL: SERVE. 

Vissing, Y. (1998, November). Homeless children: Addressing the challenge in rural schools (EDORC-98-1). ERIC® Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. 

Vissing, Y.M. (1996). Out of sight, out of mind: Homeless children and families in small-town 

America. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. 

United States Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2000). Report 

to Congress Fiscal Year 2000. Washington, DC: Author. 

Wilson, W.J. (1996). When work disappears: The world of the new urban poor. New York: Knopf 

(distributed by Random House). 

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Appendix D 

Questions and Answers Guide on the Education of Children and Youth 

In Homeless Situations: 

Special Education and the Homeless Student 
Appendix D 

Questions and Answers Guide on the Education of Children and Youth 

in Homeless Situations 

Part 5: Special Education and the Homeless Student 

Texas Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 

July 1999 

As defined by federal law, the purpose of Special Education is to ensure that all children with disabilities 

have available to them a free, appropriate public education that includes special education and related 

services designed to meet their unique needs. Additionally, it is the intent of the law to ensure that the 

rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected and to assist states and localities in 

providing for the education of all children with disabilities and to assess and ensure the effectiveness of 

efforts to educate those children. 

5.1 What is required of special education programs related to the education 

of students in homeless situations? 

Not all homeless students are students with disabilities. However, some homeless children and 

youth are students with disabilities and are not receiving appropriate special education services. 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, each school district is required to have 

policies and procedures in effect to ensure that all children with disabilities residing in the district 

and all homeless children with disabilities enrolled in the school district who are in need of 

special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that districts annually undertake to identify 

and locate every qualified person with a disability residing in the district's jurisdiction that is not 

receiving a public education. The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the U.S. Department 

of Education (in a letter to the Chief State School Officers dated October 15, 1990) drew attention 

to the need to conduct child find activities to identify unserved children with disabilities who are 

homeless. Also, because Section 722(g)(4) of the McKinney Act requires that each homeless 

child be provided services comparable to those offered to other students, school districts must

ensure that each homeless child has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as 

provided to children who are not homeless. 

5.2 Should all students experiencing homelessness be referred for special education evaluation? 

 

No. Homeless students must be referred and evaluated for special education on the same basis as 

non-homeless students. The school district should consider the individual educational needs of

homeless students and make a determination regarding a referral for a special practitioners 

outside the school district to expedite a homeless student's evaluation education evaluation on the 

same basis and in the same manner it makes determinations regarding the referral of nonhomeless 

students for special education evaluations. 

5.3 Is there any provision to treat homeless children differently from other students regarding 

receipt of special education services?

D–1 
No. Homeless children should be granted the same rights, privileges, processes, and services as 

children who are not homeless. 

5.4 If a homeless student who is receiving special education services from a school district 

leaves the school district and enrolls in a new school district, can the new school district 

begin providing special education services immediately? 

Yes. According to 19 TAC §89.1050(e), for a student who is new to a school district, the 

student's Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee may meet when the student 

registers and the parents verify that the student was receiving special education services in the 

previous school district or the previous school district verifies in writing or by telephone that the 

student was receiving special education services. Special education services that are provided 

immediately by the new school district (based on confirmation that the student was receiving 

special education services in his or her previous school district) are temporary, contingent upon 

receipt of valid evaluation data from the previous school district or the collection of new 

evaluation data. A second meeting of the student's ARD committee shall be held within 30 

school days after the first ARD committee meeting to finalize or develop a new Individual 

Education Plan (IEP) based on the evaluation data. 

5.5 Can the evaluation of a homeless student for eligibility for special education services be 

given precedence over pre-existing referrals of other non-homeless students?

Yes. The policy establishing the sequence in which students are referred or tested is generally 

developed by the local school district, without guidance from the state or federal government. 

Unfortunately, many homeless students may not have been determined to be eligible for special 

education services because they have not remained in any district long enough to complete the 

referral and evaluation process. Hence, districts are encouraged to expedite evaluation of a 

homeless student for special education services. School districts that have a backlog of special 

education evaluations may contract with qualified 

5.6 If a homeless student moves prior to the completion of the referral and assessment process, 

can the student's new school district simply complete the unfinished portion of the process 

or is it necessary to reinitiate the referral process?

Once the new school district has received the student's special education referral 

and evaluation packet, the new school district may resume the process where the former school 

district left off. However, the new school district is permitted to take the full 60 days to complete 

the process, as provided by law. Because of the transitory nature of students in homeless

situations, districts are encouraged to expedite the process. 

5.7 Can a student experiencing homelessness under the age of 18 who does not have a parent or 

legal guardian participate in special education? 

Yes. The school district may, in special circumstances, appoint a surrogate parent to act on the 

child's behalf in matters relating to special education and related services. However, the state and 

federal laws that authorize a surrogate parent to act on behalf of a child on matters dealing with 

the identification, evaluation, and educational placement vary according to the circumstances. It 

is important to make certain that the child's legal guardian or surrogate parent has the legal 

authority necessary to sign consent forms for special education issues: 

D–2 
D–3 

5.8 Must a district provide transportation for a physically disabled homeless student who lives 

within the two-mile limit but is unable to use conventional transportation methods? 

Yes, if the student's ARD committee determines that transportation is necessary for the student to 

receive educational benefits. 

5.9 If a physically disabled homeless student is initially assigned to a campus that is not 

equipped to meet the student's special education needs, what is the maximum length of 

time that may pass before the school district must provide transportation to another 

school? 

The student must be placed appropriately as soon as is reasonably possible, and modifications to 

accommodate the student's needs in the current placement must be made until the placement is 

changed.