McKinney-Vento Resources

Step-by-Step Commentary Accompanying Flowchart for School Responsibilities Regarding Truancy, April 2020

The Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) contains the official attendance accounting requirements that all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas must meet.

TEA released a To The Administrator Addressed (TAA) Correspondence on 8/15/24 to provide guidance regarding disciplinary actions for students experiencing homelessness. 

This document provides a brief overview of disciplinary challenges and considerations for students experiencing homelessness, including prevention measures for chronic absenteeism and truancy.

The TEHCY Discipline Toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of how to support and respond to students experiencing homelessness related to discipline.

Charter School Admission and Enrollment Guidance 2020-2021 School Year

NCHE Brief: Serving Homeless Children and Youth in Charter Schools.

NCHE Brief: Access to Food for Homeless and Highly Mobile Students.

This toolkit was created to address the gap between Domestic Violence and homeless service systems. By laying the groundwork to understand the intersection between Domestic Violence and homelessness, this toolkit offers practical strategies that providers can follow to improve service integration.

NCHE Brief: Children and youth who flee violent homes with a parent survivor and who become homeless as a result face many barriers. Young people who flee violent homes are at heightened risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Discusses the effects of domestic violence on children and their education, the connection between domestic violence and homelessness.

“Housing plays a central role in the lives of families; it is the largest single cost for most families, and its location determines a parent’s access to employment and a child’s access to education”. Lack of affordable housing is a principal cause of homelessness.

NCHE Brief: When Working Together Works: Interagency Collaboration between McKinney-Vento Programs and Homeless Service Providers.

NCHE: Provides an overview of education and workforce programs that serve youth experiencing homelessness, and suggests strategies for cross-system collaboration among these programs to support youth experiencing homelessness.

This memorandum provides policy clarification that will help to ensure that eligible homeless youth can access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released this resource entitled Youth Specific FAQs for Coordinated Entry.

This data and statistics resource is prepared by NCHE - Dec 2023 report includes an examination of data collected for the 2019-22 school years. Information on the number of students experiencing homelessness, their primary nighttime residence, subgroups of students, and race/ethnicity of students experiencing homelessness is included.

Federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (ECHY Program) Profile.

The national Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) has many resources to help school districts, campuses, and local homeless liaisons prepare for and deal with disasters of many kinds, including hurricanes.

During a disaster, youth may be separated from their parents or guardians. Parents who have lost their homes may place youth temporarily with friends or relatives; or youth may be separated from their parents during an emergency evacuation. Additionally, some youth could be on their own before a disaster occurs.

Disasters can cause uncertainty that impacts students’ emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Moreover, disasters create circumstances where additional students and families may qualify to be served under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Connecting Schools and Displaced Students Brief Series What Relief Agencies Should Know About the Educational Rights of Children and Youth Displaced by Disaster. This brief is directed towards relief agencies.

Connecting Schools and Displaced Students Brief Series What School District Administrators Should Know About the Educational Rights of Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters. This brief explains key aspects of the legislation, particularly as it relates to students affected by natural disasters.

This NCHE brief summarizes the key provisions related to dispute resolution included in the McKinney-Vento Act, and suggests strategies for implementation at the SEA and LEA levels.

This document is a companion to the dispute resolution materials developed by TEA and TASB. The letter is intended to serve as a template for an LEA to notify a parent/unaccompanied youth that it is disputing a student’s homeless living situation or some aspect of the student’s school enrollment or school selection.

This resource provides a link to the Texas Education Agency website page that outlines the dispute resolution process and timelines for LEAs in Texas.

Best Practices in Homeless Education Brief Series: Early Care and Education for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness.

Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile. Current research establishes a strong connection between a young child’s early experiences and the developing of his or her brain structure. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the early years of life can provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning, behavior and health.

Students experiencing homelessness are eligible for free public prekindergarten. 

Summary of Final Head Start Regulations Related to Homelessness: On September 1, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the first comprehensive revision of the Head Start Performance Standards since their original release in 1975. These final regulations apply to Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

The Texas Department of State Health Services makes free birth certificates available to families for school purposes only. Information on acceptable identification to use for purposes of the birth certificate application is available at: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vs/reqproc/Acceptable-IDs/

This NCHE brief: describes common enrollment barriers experienced by students in homeless situations; summarizes the key school enrollment provisions included in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; and suggests strategies for ensuring the immediate school enrollment and full school participation of McKinney-Vento students.

This brief explains the provisions in the law related to school selection and offers strategies for implementing them in a school district.

All children in the United States are entitled to equal access to a basic public elementary and secondary education regardless of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or the status of their parents/guardians.

The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) (McKinney-Vento Act). The McKinney-Vento Act was originally authorized in 1987 and most recently re-authorized in December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

ESSA increases resources for homeless students by expanding the availability and use of Title I A funds, and by raising the authorized funding level for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program.

This is the full text of the 2016 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, with amendments, as signed into law.

This summary provides a brief overview of the key provisions of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized in December 2015 by Title IX, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The U.S. Department of Education released Non-Regulatory Guidance: Early Learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The guidance summarizes key supports for young homeless children included in ESSA amendments to the McKinney-Vento Act.

Statutory Language and Summary on Homelessness and Foster Care in “The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015” This document provides the statutory language of the major amendments on homelessness and foster care in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Federal Program Compliance Division: Providing Services to Homeless Students with LEA’s Title I, Part A Reservation

Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced a new comprehensive strategic plan outlining the Agency’s transformative effort to improve alignment, focus, and performance in service of strengthening academic outcomes for over five million students in public schools across Texas.

The purpose of Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA; 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.) is to provide all children with a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.

This letter from the U.S.

StudentAid.gov provides guidance to homeless youth navigating the Federal financial aid process.

People with disabilities are rapidly becoming more and more prevalent as college students. According to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), students with disabilities made up 11.1 percent of all college students in the 2011-2012 school year. That number is nearly doubled among students who are also veterans.

College is a time for learning and growth, not only on an academic level, but at the social level as well. Fitting in and feeling accepted is important to many college students. 

View on learnhowtobecome.org

A recent report from the National Center for Education Statistics states that over 2.5 million college students, around 11%, live with a disability. As part of their effort to support students in their pursuit of a rewarding and successful college experience, BestColleges.com has compiled a collection of resources for students with disabilities.

The AVG provides information to college financial aid administrators and counselors who help students with the process of seeking federal student aid for post-secondary education. Unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) are considered independent students for purposes of applying for federal student aid.

There are unusual situations where you will need to exercise your discretion as a financial aid administrator: when modifying the student’s data that calculate the EFC, performing dependency overrides, resolving conflicting information, reporting cases of fraud, and determining a student to be an unaccompanied homeless youth.

This resource provides tips for responding to questions on the 2024-25 FAFSA that may cause difficulty for youth who are, or have been, homeless.

The Financial Aid Toolkit provides school counselors and other college access mentors with information and resources about federal student aid. This site contains material about different types of financial aid, the FAFSA, outreach, and training opportunities.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report on the challenges and barriers affecting the ability of homeless and foster youth to pursue a college education. GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.

Figuring out how to pay for college is a challenge for any student, but for those coming from homeless or low-income situations, this may seem like a barrier that’s nearly impossible to overcome. This guide includes resources to cover extra expenses of school such as housing, text books, medical care and more.

The burden of paying for college and adjusting to college life can be tough enough – but it only gets harder for LGBTQ students, who may be ostracized for being different. This guide aims to reduce the stress of college for LGBTQ students by assisting with one key element: financial aid.

This form, developed collaboratively by NCHE and NAEHCY, is to be completed by a college financial aid administrator (FAA) who is evaluating a student’s eligibility for independent student status.

Sample Letter for Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determination.

Best Practices in Homeless Education Brief Series Supporting College Completion for Students Experiencing Homelessness This CCRAA provision has helped to ensure that unaccompanied homeless youth have access to the financial support necessary to pay for college.

On Friday, July 19, 2024, the USDE issued an electronic announcement reminding financial aid administrators of their roles and responsibilities with respect to unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness (UHY). This announcement is an update to guidance that was issued in April 2023.

Under Federal law, State and local educational agencies (hereinafter “districts”) are required to provide all children with equal access to public education at the elementary and secondary level.

This document contains the summary of legal requirements for student immunizations in Texas, along with the state implementation language for the McKinney-Vento Act immunization provisions.

The incarceration of a parent may leave a young person with no safe and stable place to stay and in the physical custody of someone who is not their parent or guardian. These young people may be struggling with a variety of difficult emotions and questions about what has happened to their parent and what will happen to them as a result of their parent’s incarceration.

State and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) must develop, “review and revise, policies to remove barriers to the identification of homeless children and youths, and the enrollment and retention of homeless children and youths in schools in the State, including barriers to enrollment and retention due to outstanding fees or fines, or absences.” 42 USC §11432(g)(1)(I) This document is de

Includes a brief history of the program, state funding summary, and program data.

This brief describes some of the challenges faced by families, children, and youth experiencing homelessness; and provides an overview of the educational rights and supports available.

This NCHE brief: summarizes the key provisions related to eligibility included in the McKinney-Vento Act; provides recommended practices for confirming the McKinney-Vento eligibility of children and youth; and informs training and collaboration practices on confirming eligibility.

NCHE Brief: Determining Eligibility for McKinney-Vento Rights and Services : 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.

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.

Local homeless education liaisons are Local Educational Agency (LEA) staff responsible for ensuring the identification, school enrollment, attendance, and opportunities for academic success of students in homeless situations. Some of these activities may be performed by the local liaison himself or herself, while others are accomplished by coordinating the efforts of other staff.

The purpose of this brief is to provide the reader with the information about two important legislative supports that address these challenges for the benefit of migrant students who are experiencing homelessness.

This NCHE brief discusses specific issues related to immigrants and homelessness, and highlights strategies for schools to support the education of immigrant students experiencing homelessness.

This information will help determine if the student meets eligibility requirements for services under the McKinney-Vento Act.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released new McKinney-Vento posters. There are two versions of the poster, one to assist parents of school-age youth and a second to assist unaccompanied youth. The posters are available in both English and Spanish.

A look at a Nationwide survey of homeless students and school liaisons highlights challenges and opportunities, just as ESSA requires states to report high school graduation rates for homeless students.

Homelessness in America series, Focus on Youth: Summarizing the most relevant data and research regarding different subpopulations to help inform the work we must do, together, across the federal government, states, and local communities, to end homelessness once and for all.

Research-to-Impact briefs by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago on understanding and addressing youth homelessness.

Homelessness and Education – Cross-System Collaboration: Applied Research Summary and Tools, 2018.

This brief is designed to help teachers, administrators, and local homeless education liaisons maximize opportunities for students experiencing homelessness to accrue and recover credits and graduate from high school in a timely manner.

Best Practices in Homeless Education Brief Series Navigating the Intersections of the McKinney-Vento Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Coordination to Help Homeless Children and Youth with Disabilities The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal program concerning the education of children with disabilities.

This NCHE tip sheet: summarizes the key provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act related to credit accrual;provides credit accrual strategies at the State and local levels, and; recommends credit accrual training and collaboration practices.

This document provides a brief overview of school discipline, shares research on the discipline of students experiencing homelessness, and offers tips for implementing positive school discipline for students experiencing homelessness. It also shares stories and suggestions from SchoolHouse Connection Young Leaders who experienced homelessness.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. 20 USC §1232g; 34 CFR Part 99. Specifically, it prohibits a school from disclosing personally identifiable information from students’ education records without the consent of a parent or eligible student, unless an exception to FERPA’s general consent rule applies.

Helping You Help Your Child: Information for Parents Brief Series School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities: Information for Parents Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If you and your family are experiencing homelessness, you may be struggling to enroll and keep your children in school.

McKinney-Vento Law Into Practice Brief Series Supporting Homeless Children and Youth with Disabilities: Legislative Provisions in the McKinney-Vento Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Children and youth who are homeless face additional educational challenges when they have disabilities.

Developed by TEA, this sample letter provides a template for districts to use when informing parents, guardians, or unaccompanied youth of transportation arrangements.

This NCHE brief summarizes the key provisions related to the transportation of children and youths experiencing homelessness.

Transportation Rural: The following strategies were compiled by the National Center for Homeless Education in March 2008 from local homeless education liaisons, state coordinators for homeless education, and state pupil transportation directors. All strategies must be reviewed for their alignment with your state’s or school district’s laws and policies related to pupil transportation.

This NCHE brief provides an overview of the importance of extracurricular activities in supporting school engagement and success, reviews McKinney-Vento Act requirements related to the extracurricular participation of students experiencing homelessness, and suggests strategies for ensuring the extracurricular participation of students experiencing homelessness.

UIL publishes this document to provide member schools notice of Texas Education Agency regulations which relate to UIL and all other extracurricular activities sponsored or sanctioned by the school district.

Eligibility and Enrollment Provisions for homeless student participation in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) are available at: https://www.uiltexas.org/policy/tea-uil-side-by-side/admission

Schools in the United States have always welcomed new immigrant children to their classrooms – according to the most recent data, there were more than 840,000 immigrant students in the United States, and more than 4.6 million English learners.

NCHE Brief: Partnering to Support Educational Success for Runaway and Homeless Youth

This brief is designed to provide educators with an overview of the issue of minor sex trafficking and suggest specifc steps that schools can take to respond to signs of trafficking among its students.

NCHE Brief: A brief Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Students Experiencing Homelessness.

This NCHE flowchart provides a simple process of determining the McKinney-Vento eligibility of students living apart from parents and guardians. Using common living arrangements, it guides users to make accurate determinations of a student’s eligibility as an unaccompanied homeless youth.

The laws about runaway, homeless, or unaccompanied youth can seem to be confusing and vague. While physically apart from their parent or guardian, homeless youth lack certain rights that can lead to confusion about legal issues of consent, eligibility for emancipation, parents’ rights, accessing shelter, public education, health care, and public benefits.

Youth engagement is a strategy to value and include the insights of youth in service planning and delivery. Often youth and their families know best what they need and how to make services work for them. This toolkit was developed by the Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS).