This “to the administrator addressed” letter, released August 25, 2015, addresses legislation passed by the 84th Texas Legislature relating to truancy and on-campus discipline.
Homeless Liaison
Checklist for McKinney-Vento School Selection Considerations: School of Origin or Local Attendance Zone?
Checklist for McKinney-Vento School Choice Considerations: School of Origin or Local Attendance Zone?
Side-by-Side Comparison of the school choice considerations.
Student Residency Questionnaire/SRQ (Spanish) for the PEIMS Homeless Status Indicator
This sample template is meant only to be an example of how a district might combine various components into a form that could collect the required information. This is not a mandated form—it is an example prepared for a hypothetical school district to serve as a starting point for districts. Likewise, there is no requirement… Read more »
Student Residency Questionnaire/SRQ (English) for the PEIMS Homeless Status Indicator
This sample template is meant only to be an example of how a district might combine various components into a form that could collect the required information. This is not a mandated form—it is an example prepared for a hypothetical school district to serve as a starting point for districts. Likewise, there is no requirement… Read more »
Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento: How Local Liaisons Can Keep Homeless Students Safe
Children and youth in homeless situations, particularly unaccompanied youth and survivors of domestic violence, are at a high risk for experiencing violence and victimization. Frequently, unaccompanied youth become homeless after leaving abusive or destructive home environments. In turn, their homelessness, which often involves “couch surfing” or living on the streets, places them at risk of further victimization, including robbery and assault. Similarly, many survivors of domestic violence flee violent home environments only to find that their batterers continue to pursue them. Keeping their whereabouts secret is often a matter of life and death.
By protecting confidential information, communicating with care and sensitivity, and building collaborations with community service providers and advocates, schools can play a pivotal role in protecting the safety of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
It is important to remember that the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires the immediate enrollment of children and youth experiencing homelessness, even in the absence of records normally required for enrollment. School is the safest place to be for children who may be in danger. Use this checklist to help make your school district a safe place.
Determining Eligibility for Rights and Services Under the McKinney-Vento Act
This NCHE brief: explores in detail the definition of homeless included in Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and provides a step-by-step guide for making determinations of McKinney-Vento eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
Identifying Children and Youth in Homeless Situations
This NCHE brief: summarizes the key provisions of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act related to the identification of children and youth experiencing homelessness; and provides an overview of implementation strategies at the state and local levels.
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Students Experiencing Homelessness
Homelessness is a devastating circumstance for any child or youth; but for youth on their own, the stresses of homelessness are multiplied. The myriad of challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness on their own puts these students at risk of dropping out or school failure. Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized in… Read more »
Who Is Homeless?
Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.; hereafter the McKinney-Vento Act), reauthorized in 2015 by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), ensures educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This brief explains the legislation and offers strategies for implementing it… Read more »
TEA Legal Annual Letter – Re: Attendance, Admission, Enrollment Records, and Tuition
TEA’s Chief Legal Counsel updates this letter every year and releases it just prior to the start of the school year. This “to the administrator addressed” letter summarizes important statutes relating to student attendance, public school admission, enrollment records, and tuition. Part I of the letter relates to compulsory attendance, Part II relates to attendance… Read more »