The ABC's of Educating Children Experiencing Homelessness in Orange County*

Many children experiencing Respondent LJSD provides opportunities throughout the homelessness are not identified as disagrees wholly or year to be identified as McKinney Vento. We such, and therefore do not receive partially with the use our Data Confirmation process to complete the support and benefits finding. the housing questionnaire. School sites and our authorized by the McKinney-Vento District Office also have a paper form for Act. families that come into the office or do not have online access. When families are identified, the school site, teacher, and district liaison are given the information. Families are notified about their rights and supports.

The lack of mandatory McKinney- Respondent The LJSD Homeless liaison connects with each Vento Act training of school site disagrees wholly or school principal and office staff to provide annual office staff, counselors, and partially with the information. Principals partner with the teachers contributes to a failure to finding. Superintendent of Schools: Jim Coombs Board of Trustees: Karen L. Shaw, Anastasia M. Shackelford, Anthony A. Zegarra, Christine J. Berg, Melissa A. Salinas 11019 Valley Home Avenue, Whittier, CA 90603-3098 Phone: 562 .943.0211 Fax: 562.947.7874 Web: www. lisd.org Lowell JointSchool District A Tradition of Excellence Since 1906 "Home of Scholars and Champions" identify children experiencing McKinney-Vento Liaison to present information to homelessness. the staff

Respondent There is disparity in the application LJSD participates in OCDE and CDE training on of McKinney-Vento regulations disagrees wholly or the McKinney Vento rights, regulations, and across Orange County public partially with the benefits to support students experiencing school districts which results in finding. homelessness. unequal access to educational LJSD ensures that all families complete the benefits for children experiencing McKinney-Vento Declaration Form as a homelessness. mandatory component of our data confirmation process. All Mc Kinney-Vento identified students are given the same access to educational programs and benefits.

The majority of McKinney-Vento Respondent agrees Liaisons are in full-time positions, with the finding but because their work includes multiple non-McKinney-Vento responsibilities, most do not have sufficient time to do the work required by the McKinney-Vento Act.

Many McKinney-Vento Liaisons Respondent The Lowell Joint School District's McKinney- lack needed experience due to a disagrees wholly or Vento Liaison has been in her position for 5 high turnover rate in those partially with the years. She is well-trained due to her participation positions. finding. in a variety of opportunities, including Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Homeless Outreach Promoting Educational Success (HOPES) meetings, CA Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center (HETAC) webinars, and CA Department of Education conferences. The District Homeless Liaison collaborates with the OCDE and CDE Homeless. Liaisons for questions and support when needed.

Respondent McKinney-Vento Act training is not The Federal Program Monitoring Program mandatory for the majority of disagrees wholly or Instrument for Homeless Education states that McKinney-Vento Liaisons. partially with the the LEA Liaison duties (3.0) include: (h) School finding. personnel, including principals and other school leaders, attendance officers, teachers, enrollment personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel, that provide services to homeless Superintendent of Schools: Jim Coombs Board of Trustees: Karen L. Shaw, Anastasia M. Shackelford, Anthony A. Zegarra, Christine J. Berg, Melissa A. Salinas 11019 Valley Home Avenue, Whittier, CA 90603-3098 Phone: 562 .943.0211 Fax: 562.947.7874 Web: www. ljsd.org Lowell Joint School District A Tradition of Excellence Since 1906 "Home of Scholars and Champions" children, youths, and their families receive professional development and other support. (42 U.S.C. Sections 11432[g][1][D], 11432[g][6][A][ix]; EC Section 48852.5[c]) To effectively conduct this professional development and support, the McKinney-Vento Liaison must also attend training. The Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) also asks if the Homeless Liaison has attended or participated in training within the past two years. which implies that this is required. The District Homeless Liaison attends National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE), Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center (HETAC), the annual National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAECHY) conference, and the OCDE Network meetings all provide opportunities to receive ongoing training.

Respondent While LJSD does not have a high school in our Students experiencing disagrees wholly or homelessness who are enrolled in district, we partner with our local high school partially with the an elementary district often do not district to ensure articulation and continuity of finding. continue to receive McKinney- services. Participation is not based on the Vento benefits when they move to previous school district's records. It is based on a high school district because the the current living situation and a new Federal Educational Rights and questionnaire is filled out each year regardless of Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents the sharing of this information between continuing in the same school/district or districts. moving/promoting.

Respondent McKinney-Vento funds depend on LJSD receives Title I, Part A funding and must school districts submitting grant disagrees wholly or reserve a portion to provide services to homeless partially with the proposals, but not all districts have children and youth. Training in grant writing is not finding. employees trained in writing grant necessary to complete the CARS report to applications, resulting in missed receive Title I funding. The CARS report is simple funding opportunities. and requires a district to mark "yes" to receiving Title I, Part A. Homeless program reports include yes and no questions about training, expenditure data, and homeless services provided. LJSD does not depend on grants for funding but will be using a newly hired grant writer to submit Superintendent of Schools: Jim Coombs Board of Trustees: Karen L. Shaw, Anastasia M. Shackelford, Anthony A. Zegarra, Christine J. Berg, Melissa A. Salinas 11019 Valley Home Avenue, Whittier, CA 90603-3098 Phone: 562 .943.0211 Fax: 562.947.7874 Web: www. ljsd.org Lowell JointSchool District A Tradition of Excellence Since 1906 "Home of Scholars and Champions" proposals in the upcoming year.

McKinney-Vento is an unfunded Respondent federally mandated program; disagrees wholly or partially with the however, school districts that qualify and apply for Title I, Part A finding. funds may obtain revenues that If the funds are insufficient, LJSD can opt to can be used for children increase the amount of Title I funding set aside experiencing homelessness. for homeless services. We have not had to do These funds are insufficient to this in the past, but given economic uncertainty meet the needs of the school and one-time funding expiration, the district will districts supporting children reexamine as needed. experiencing homelessness.

A lack of reliable transportation for Respondent Transportation is a barrier for some McKinney- children experiencing disagrees wholly or Vento families. The District connects with local homelessness often results in partially with the resources for getting McKinney-Vento students chronic tardiness and finding. on public bus routes, deploying OCTA bus absenteeism. passes, and providing parent mileage reimbursement.

Chronic Absenteeism Rates of Respondent agrees with the finding Homeless Students are LJSD chronically absent rates: disproportionately high in Homeless students is 33% comparison with the Chronic Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students is Absenteeism Rates of All Students 20% and Socio-Disadvantaged All Students is 17% Students.

Children experiencing Respondent As an elementary school district, LJSD does not homelessness in Orange County disagrees wholly or graduate students. perform at a lower level on partially with the standardized tests and have a finding. Lowell Joint's Academic Performance rates: lower graduation rate than All Homeless students: ELA = Low Band Students and Socioeconomically Homeless student Math = Low Band Disadvantaged Students. Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students ELA = Low Band Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students Superintendent of Schools: Jim Coombs Board of Trustees: Karen L. Shaw, Anastasia M. Shackelford, Anthony A. Zegarra, Christine J. Berg, Melissa A. Salinas 11019 Valley Home Avenue, Whittier, CA 90603-3098 Phone: 562 .943.0211 Fax: 562.947.7874 Web: www. lisd.org Lowell JointSchool District A Tradition of Excellence Since 1906 "Home of Scholars and Champions" Math = Low Band All Students is ELA = Medium Band All Students is Math = Low Band ELA has a discrepancy in performance, but there is not a significant difference in MATH.

Respondent The percentage of Homeless Students graduating who failed to disagrees wholly or meet state standards on English partially with the finding. Language Arts and Math tests is significantly higher than it is for All LJSD is a TK-8 district and does not graduate Students and Socioeconomically students. Disadvantaged Students.

Respondent Lowell Joint School Districts collaborates with There is a tendency by school disagrees wholly or districts to operate in isolation, community-based agencies to serve homeless which prevents productive partially with the students. The McKinney-Vento Liaison makes collaboration on addressing the finding. referrals to Friends and Family for resources issue of children experiencing including food, clothing, supplies, and counseling homelessness and the challenges services, respectively. The District Homeless of their education. Liaison attends the OCDE Homeless Liaison meetings and networks with other district Homeless Liaisons. The District Homeless Liaison communicates and collaborates with other district Homeless Liaisons to serve McKinney-Vento students when needed.

A significant lack of affordable Respondent agrees permanent housing contributes to with the finding many families being caught in the cycle of homelessness. Please see below for the responses to each required Recommendation as requested in the Orange County Grand Jury report and attached cover letter dated May 19, 2023.