Welcoming Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness into Our Schools

Christina Dukes, NCHE, cdukes@serve.org Margaret MacDonnell, BRYCS, mmacdonnell@usccb.org Jan Moore, NCHE, jmoore@serve.org Karen Morgan, CCPS, morganka@collier.k12.fl.us

Bienvenidos, Byenvini, Wilkommen:

Session Outline
Who are immigrants, refugees, and migrants and

what are their life experiences? How do we know if an immigrant/refugee/migrant student is McKinney-Vento eligible? How can immigrant/refugee/migrant programs collaborate with homeless education programs to serve eligible children? How has your district collaborated? Group activity and discussion
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Plyler v. Doe: A Reminder When Working with Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students
Undocumented children and youth have the same

right to attend public school as U.S. citizens and are covered by the McKinney-Vento Act to the same extent as other children and youth (Plyler v. Doe)

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Who are immigrants?

Lots of definitions US Dept of Educations Emergency Immigrant Education Program definition students not born in this country who have been enrolled in US schools for less than three years and who are between the ages of 3 and 19. Includes refugees and migrants Wide-ranging ethnic backgrounds Key reason for US population growth Urban vs rural population increases Mixed status families
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What are immigrants life experiences?

Unique stressors Initial drop in status and earnings Fewer options for housing Family separation Uncertainty and anxiety Generational culture clash Parents vs the American way of life

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Immigrants and schools

Most children of immigrants fare as well as or

better than their native peers in school

Subpopulations lag especially Mexican and Central

Americans
LEP students - fastest growing population in public

schools
5% of total school population is LEP; 40% of foreign born

are LEP 350 language groups

Parental involvement affected by language/cultural barriers Difficulty learning to navigate educational system
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Refugee Definition
Refugee /Asylee Legal immigrant with special status Refugees have been interviewed/screened overseas by U.S. Government and granted legal status before coming to the U.S. Fleeing persecution Migration unplanned; often have long, difficult journey, have lost family members, endured physical/emotional trauma Others eligible for refugee benefits:
Asylees come to the U.S. undocumented or as immigrants and apply

for asylum once here. Once they receive asylum, they are eligible for the same benefits as refugees.
Cuban/Haitian entrants Trafficking victims

U.S. resettled almost 60,000 refugees in FY08 7

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A Refugee is a Person Who:

"owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country..." (United Nations, the Convention Related to the Status of Refugee, 1951)
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USCCB Migration & Refugee Services

Served refugees and immigrants since early 1900s

1 of 10 national voluntary agencies that resettle

refugees Resettle ~ 30% of all refugees through a network of over 100 local Catholic Charities Serve unaccompanied refugee children (URM programs) Serve victims of international human trafficking Serve undocumented children in federal custody Provide Technical Assistance on migrating children and families
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Our Changing Demographics...

Over 30 million immigrants
and refugees live in the US today (highest number in US history). More than one in four children in the U.S. today are immigrants or children of immigrants (up from 13% in 1990).

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Where They Come From

Established Communities Southeast Asia: Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Hmong Europe: Former Soviet, Bosnian, Albanian Africa: Somali, Ethiopian, Sudanese Latin America: Cuba and Colombia New Arrivals: Africa: Somali Bantu, Liberians, Burundi Asia: Burmese Europe: Meskhetian Turks Middle East: Iraqis
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Life Experiences

Experiences Overseas and Upon Arrival

Unaccompanied and attached minors fragile families

Child reunification with parents or other relatives

Lack of formal schooling, interrupted schooling (camp vs.

urban setting)
Families arrive with only the shirts on their backs and

assistance through the resettlement agency

Recent arrivals have lower education, less English/

literacy, agrarian background, few urban work skills, years in refugee camps so steady employment may be difficult initially

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Experiences Overseas and Upon Arrival

May initially live together with other family members

May move several times before they find permanent

housing
Some families may become disconnected from

resettlement agencies and other social supports

School as bridge promoting cultural integration for

the whole family

May be very committed to education, though

cultural practices and expectations disguise this

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Strengths
Children of immigrants typically are imbued with a strong sense of family obligation and ethnic pride, and with the importance of education. As a result, the children of immigrants tend to have higher educational aspirations and are less likely than children of U.S.-born families to engage in risky behaviors...
Shield & Behrman, Future of Children, 2004, p. 6

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Cultural Differences in Expectations of Schooling

Education as school vs. education as upbringing

Talking with teachers, involvement with school

Role reversal culture broker role Behaviors viewed as positive in U.S. may be seen

as negative by other cultures Discipline

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What makes a student a migrant?

The child himself/herself or the childs parent or

spouse is a migratory agricultural worker, migratory dairy worker, or migratory fisher The child has made a move within the last 36 months to seek temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work

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What makes a student a migrant? (cont)

The move in search of employment
was from one school district to another
in a state comprised of a single school district, was

from one administrative district to another in a school district of more than 15,000 square miles, was 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in a fishing activity

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What is the migrant lifestyle like?

The migrant lifestyle is tentative by nature; it

depends on many things that are out of the familys control The migrant lifestyle is highly mobile

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What is the migrant lifestyle like? (cont)

The majority of migrant families live in poverty

In migrant families, individual needs and desires

often become secondary to the survival of the family Children may be asked to work to help provide for the family An excellent resource on the migrant lifestye: The Culture of Migrancy by Bridget McGilvra at www.serve.org/nche/ibt/sc_migrant.php
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How does education fit into the migrant lifestyle?

In some of the families native countries, education

is not mandatory; the U.S. education system may be very different for them Migrant parents value education as a ticket to their childrens futures However

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How does education fit into the migrant lifestyle? (cont)

Education can be viewed as a luxury and is

secondary to survival Poor nutrition and lack of medical care associated with the migrant lifestyle mean that migrant children often arrive to school too sick or too tired to learn Migrant parents often have low levels of education and may be intimidated; educators are viewed as the experts View of my job is to provide; the schools job is to educate

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Typical Migrancy Streams

Source: www.palmbeachpost.com

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Migrant Living Arrangements

Many live in employer-owned migrant camps

Many migrant camps avoid being subject to

housing codes and standards Migrant families are often at the mercy of their employer in terms of the cost of their housing and other issues, as well Many migrant living arrangements would be considered substandard Families that do not live in migrant camps are left to find housing on meager incomes
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Migrant Living Arrangements

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Migrant Living Arrangements (cont)

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Migrant Living Arrangements (cont)

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Migrant Living Arrangements (cont)

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Similarities Between Migrant and Homeless Families

What similarities do you see between the migrant

lifestyle and the homeless lifestyle?

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The McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless

Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular

and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless. This includes children and youth who are:
Living in emergency or transitional housing; Sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic

hardship, or other similar reason;

Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds

due to lack of alternative adequate housing;

Awaiting foster care placement;

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The McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless (cont)

Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings,

substandard housing, or bus or train stations; Abandoned in hospitals; Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations; or Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in the circumstances described above.

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Determining Eligibility of Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Students

Immigrant, refugee, and migrant students are not

automatically considered homeless Immigrant, refugee, and migrant students are considered homeless inasmuch as their living arrangements meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless

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Determining Eligibility: The Nature of the Beast

Determining eligibility is a case-by-case

determination made by examining the living arrangement of each individual student Some instances will be clear-cut; others will require further investigation and then a judgment call Determinations of eligibility must be made expeditiously so that immediate enrollment and the prompt provision of services can occur.

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Is This Student Homeless?

Steps to determining eligibility:
Get the facts about the students living arrangement
Does the students living arrangement fit into one of

the examples of homelessness listed in the law? If not, does the student live in another type of living arrangement that does not meet the laws fixed, regular, and adequate standard? Check out the Determining Eligibility brief handout

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Student Rights Under McKinney-Vento

Immediate enrollment, even if lacking paperwork

School selection: Right to attend the school of origin (if

feasible) or local school Transportation to/from school of origin, if requested by the parent (or, for unaccompanied youth, by liaison) Comparable services Public posting of rights Free school meals (under the Child NutritionAct) Title I, Part A support (under Title I, Part A of NCLB) Special education, where necessary (under IDEA)
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Welcoming Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness into Our Schools

Educational Barriers
Deficits in previous education

Stress-related emotional problems

Perceived lack of parental support for education Language barriers Different culture/ learning styles Lack of parental materials in native language Discrimination/rejection due to cultural

misunderstandings

Community Collaboration

Collaborating to Serve Immigrant Students Experiencing Homelessness

Schools must recognize the importance of informal

networks in the help-seeking behavior of immigrants and incorporate these into their existing collaboratives
Title III / LEP programs
Translation services Medical organizations

Faith-based organizations
Newcomer programs School-based community centers
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U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

30-90 days of core services- local Voluntary Agencies

(e.g. USCCB/Catholic Charities, USCRI, LIRS, World Relief, etc.)

Locate and rent safe and sanitary housing, nr transportation,

sufficient space, basic furnishings for all family members Airport reception, initial food, medical screenings School registration for children, immunizations Basic cultural orientation Cash assistance, medical assistance

Cash assistance and housing 4-8 months Social services (adults) up to 5 years Employment ESL
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Promising Practices
To learn about the local service system: Contact state refugee coordinator & community organizations who work with refugees Attend state/community refugee task force/coalitions, educate them about McKinney-Vento Get contact information for at least 1 person from each agency Work with Resettlement agencies/ECBOs to: Provide interpretation/translation and cultural consultations Meet basic needs, provide family support Bring in community leaders to talk to older students about the importance of education and careers Reach out to parents, orient them to schools
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Promising Practices (cont)

Contact BRYCS (www.brycs.org):
BRYCS staff can assist with research on

cultures/backgrounds/ promising practices BRYCS staff can also provide case consultations, guidance on working with families, and information on other resources for children, such as the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Program.

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Promising Practices, cont.

Work with schools (e.g. ESL teachers) and

community agencies to:

Develop refugee community liaisons Establish a relationship with families before discussing weighty

academic or behavioral issues Hold meetings and events at varied times Create afterschool clubs to bring students of similar ethnicities together for mutual & positive support Create homework clubs, recruit volunteer tutors Provide school-wide, regular recognition of diversity Create individualized learning plans WITH students Multi-sensory classroom activities Peer mentoring (same ethnicity or U.S.-born)
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Welcoming Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness into Our Schools

Collaboration with Resettlement Agencies and Ethnic Community Based Organizations (ECBOs)
Cultural Consultations/ Training Community Refugee Task Force

Interpretation/ Translation

Cultural Liaisons/ Community Leaders

Resettlement/ECBO or other ImmigrantServing Organization

ESL/Family Literacy

Linking Parents with Schools

Immigration Services

Social Services for Basic Needs

Morland/BRYCS (2006)

44

45

www.BRYCS.org

Contact:
info@brycs.org

1-888-572-6500
www.BRYCS.org

Collaborating to Serve Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness

Learn who the Director of your school districts

Migrant Program is and communicate frequently Get to know the Migrant staff (home-school liaisons, migrant recruiters, etc.) Attend the monthly Migrant support staff meetings Present information on the Homeless Education Program to the Migrant staff Be available for questions via phone and e-mail Make home visits with migrant staff, as needed
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Collaborating to Serve Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness (cont)

Be familiar with the data tracking system for both

programs Have MIS develop a program to identify the students who qualify for both programs Collaborate with Food Services to identify joint students Attend Migrant Matrix and other information fairs to learn and share Attend Interagency meetings together Pool resources to serve students
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Collaborating to Serve Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness (cont)

Additional ideas
Present at Migrant Parent meetings
Attend local Hispanic/Latino Coalition meetings Homeless Education program reviews the Migrant

Certificates of Enrollments for possible identification Identify a school based person to work with both programs

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Benefits of Migrant/Homeless Collaboration

Benefits offered to migrant students from the

homeless education program

Immediate enrollment without documentation

normally required for enrollment Right to stay in school of origin Ability to purchase school uniforms and shoes Direct certification for meals Transportation of Head Start students

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Benefits of Migrant/Homeless Collaboration

Benefits offered to homeless students from the

migrant education program

Coordination of after-school activities and summer

programs to access transportation Ability to transport families for services More staff

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Collaboration in Your District

Are there others ways you collaborate to serve

homeless immigrant, refugee, and migrant students in your district?

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Scenarios

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OMAR
Omar is a 17 year old Somali Bantu refugee who has just arrived in the United States from a refugee camp in Kenya. He is living with his aunts family. They do not have legal guardianship and there seems to be family conflict at home - especially pressure to earn money for the family. He appears to have had minimal formal education and speaks little English - yet he is supposed to graduate from high school next year!
1. Does Omar qualify for services under McKinney-Vento? 2. How can you learn more about Omars background, culture, and language 3.

4.
5. 6.

in order to make more informed decisions about serving him? Who can help with his family problems? What, if anything, would you do about the guardianship issue? Would you encourage more family involvement in his education? If so, what strategies would you use? What other school or community resources might be helpful to Omar and his family?
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Welcoming Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness into Our Schools

LUISA
Luisa and her family were living in a growerowned trailer in the growers migrant labor camp. Production has been low and so Luisas parents havent been making much money lately. They can no longer pay the rent that the grower is charging, so theyre evicted. They move in with Luisas aunt, who lives in a mobile home park by the train tracks a couple of miles down the road.

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LUISA (cont)
Is Luisas family homeless, according to

McKinney-Vento? Why or why not? If Luisas family was never evicted and still lived in the trailer
Would you consider Luisas family homeless? Why

or why not? What questions would you ask to determine if the living arrangement would meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless?

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LUISA (cont)
Production picks back up and Luisas family and her aunts family decide to pool their money to move out of Luisas aunts mobile home and rent a bigger place close by once Luisas aunts lease is up. Both families are in agreement with this and think it will be a good long-term arrangement. Are these families homeless? Why or why not?

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MAY
May, a 13 year old Hmong refugee, was adopted by a large family while in the refugee camp in Thailand. She arrived in the United States just under a year ago, is learning English, and seems very motivated to do well. Recently, she suddenly began to skip school on a regular basis. Her ESL teacher found out she is couch surfing at the home of friends due to conflict with her family.
1. 2.

3.
4. 5.

Does May qualify for services under McKinney-Vento? What issues can you identify that she may need help with and to which school department or outside agency would you refer her? What strengths does she bring to this situation and how can she be empowered to capitalize on those strengths? How would you handle the situation with the family? What else would you recommend for May and her family?
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Welcoming Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Students Experiencing Homelessness into Our Schools

JEAN
Jean, a 16-year-old, comes to your school in March to enroll. He said he left home because he cant get along with his stepfather and is now staying with his girlfriends family. His mom wants him to come home, says he as a perfectly good home to come to and does not want him to enroll in another school. In addition, it is so late in the school year, that he is unlikely to complete the coursework needed to attain full credit for some of his courses.
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JEAN (cont)
Is Jean homeless according to McKinney-

Vento? Why or why not? How will you handle Jeans moms objections to enrolling him in a different school? If Jean drops out, saying that he needs to work to support himself, are there things you can do to encourage him to stay in school? What if he refuses?

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