With Keynote Address by
Dr. Lorraine Monroe
Founder of the Lorraine Monroe Leadership Institute
Founding Principal of the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem
Author of The Monroe Doctrine: An ABC Guide to What Great Bosses Do and
Nothing’s Impossible: Leadership Lessons from Inside and Outside the Classroom

Exhibitor Information and Contact

Resources and Handouts from concurrent sessions, provided by presenters

In addition to these resources, you can find handouts and other resources presented at the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) through their web site.

Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit: McKinney-Vento 101
Patricia Popp, Ph.D., State Coordinator, Project HOPE-Virginia

Liaisons must build greater awareness of homelessness in their school systems, assist in the identification of homeless children and youth, provide community outreach, resolve disputes that may arise while working with homeless students, and ensure the success of students experiencing homelessness. A toolkit of materials has been developed for the National Center for Homeless Education and tailored for Virginia to support local homeless education liaisons as they fulfill their responsibilities.

Understanding the Child Welfare System
Kathleen McNaught, Assistant Director, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

When schools interact with state or local child welfare agencies, they are often confused about how reports and cases are handled, and the role of the court system in the process. This session will attempt to answer common questions from schools and shelter providers related to how the child welfare system works and how the two systems can coordinate to serve the best interests of children. Children and youth in foster care often lack a stable and long-term caregiver and have histories of abuse and neglect. As a result, these youth and the professionals who serve them in and out of school face unique challenges. Finally, the session will address the various interpretations of “awaiting foster care placement” and discuss legislative efforts, including Virginia’s SB1006.

Designing Parenting Programs for Homeless Families: What Works?
Mary Herrington, Regional Coordinator, Homeless Education Program, Richmond Public Schools

This workshop is designed to assist shelter directors, case managers, child advocates, mental health professionals, and school personnel to develop a psychoeducational parenting group for homeless parents. Workshop participants will gain an understanding of the basic constructs of a psychoeducational model of parenting and how to adapt this model to meet the needs in various shelter environments, i.e., domestic violence shelters, emergency shelters and transitional shelters.

Qualities of Effective Teachers and Tutors: What Makes Good Teaching
Good When Working With At-Risk Students?
James Stronge, Ph.D., Heritage Professor, School of Education, College of William and Mary
Diana Bowman, Director, National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
Leslie Grant, Ph.D., Instructor, School of Education, College of William and Mary

What do the best teachers do to make a difference in the lives of highly mobile and homeless students? This presentation focuses on qualities of effective teachers that have an impact on at-risk students’ success, featuring simulations regarding teacher quality and working with at risk students. Ultimately, “…nothing, absolutely nothing has happened in education until it has happened to a student.”

Identification & Tracking Tricks of the Trade: Working Smarter
Lisa Von Dohlen, LCSW, Coordinator of Social Work Services, Stafford County Public Schools
Al Falcioni, Supervisor of Student Services, Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Sharon Root, Homeless Education Liaison, Albemarle County Public Schools

McKinney-Vento mandates that school systems ensure students who are experiencing homelessness can enroll, attend, and experience success in school. A challenge for many school personnel is identifying who meets the federal definition for homelessness and how to collect needed documentation. This panel will share best practices and resources for successful identification and data collection.

Child Welfare System: Decision Making and Confidentiality
Kathleen McNaught, Assistant Director, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

Schools and child welfare agencies often struggle with their ability to exchange important information on children in foster care based on perceived confidentiality law restrictions. Another barrier to smooth information exchange and collaboration among schools and child welfare agencies is confusion over who can make education decisions. This session will address the common myths related to confidentiality and decision making and suggest ways to overcome legal barriers to help ensure educational success for children in foster care.

One Trauma After Another: The Impact of Homelessness Upon Children’s Mental Health
Brian Meyer, Ph.D., Executive Director, Virginia Treatment Center for Children

Before they become homeless, children without homes typically experience a traumatic event: an earthquake, a fire, child abuse, poverty, etc. Becoming homeless layers a second trauma on the first. It is therefore common for them to experience mental health problems, which may take the forms of anxiety, depression, explosive rage, and/or self-destructive behavior. This presentation will discuss the mental health problems of homeless children and youth, focusing on the diagnostic and behavioral consequences of experiencing multiple traumas. It will also provide participants with information about how to help children develop coping skills and reinforce protective factors in their lives to help them succeed in their school, community, and the environment in which they live.

An After-School Program with Dramatic Results: “Proud of the Skin I’m In”
Jessica Owens, Tutor and Drama Consultant, Region XIV Education Service Center, Texas

Students in elementary and middle school who meet the McKinney-Vento Criteria as homeless are provided with an opportunity to be “Proud of the Skin I’m In.” This presentation shows how to use storytelling to help students understand formal and informal speech. Discipline is taught through dance and choreography, and academic assessment is enhanced by increasing vocabulary and self-esteem.

Advocacy 101
Patricia Julianelle, Pro Bono Counsel, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Roundtable Presentation

This session will provide basic information on grassroots advocacy, including the difference between “lobbying” and “educating,” and practical techniques for meetings, letters, phone calls, and relationship-building. Come learn how you can make your voice heard on policies that have an impact on children, youth, and families in transition!

Tutoring Programs to Reach Homeless and Highly Mobile Students
Dawn Plum, Title I Reading Specialist, Henrico County Public Schools
Roundtable Presentation

Students in homeless situations experience many school moves throughout an academic year, causing gaps in learning that may lead to academic failure. Tutors in school and shelter settings need highly interesting activities and games that can be structured for various grade and achievement levels. Learn tools and instructional strategies that can help promote the academic success of students.

Prompt and Proper Placement: Enrolling Students Without Records
Diana Bowman, Director, National Center for Homeless Education
Roundtable Presentation

Attendees will receive concrete suggestions for useful tools to assist in making sound educational decisions for immediate placement of homeless children and youth in appropriate classroom settings when their records are not available.

Academic Support for Children and Youth
Gabie Frazer, Title I Specialist, Program Administration & Accountability, Virginia Department of Education
Roundtable Presentation

The McKinney-Vento Act requires collaboration with Title I and a Title I, Part A set aside to serve students experiencing homelessness. Find out how successful Title I collaborations can provide comprehensive academic services for children and youth to achieve school stability and academic success.

Financial Resources for Students and Families
Earl Johnson, Public Affairs Specialist, Social Security Administration
Loren Johnson, Senior Tax Specialist, Internal Revenue Service
Roundtable Presentation

Access to financial resources can make a huge difference to families in need. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a valuable tool for low-income workers that can help them keep more of the money they earn. The Social Security Administration provides various sources of funding for many people caring for children and youth or for youth on their own.

Community and School Collaboration: Nutrition Services for Children and Youth
Loretta Jones, Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula
Roundtable Presentation

Students cannot begin to learn and concentrate on classroom activities if they do not have proper nutrition or adequate food. The presenter will share ways that school and community programs help to nourish these growing bodies and minds.

Community and School Collaboration: Healthcare for Children and Youth
Tia Campbell, School Health Specialist, Virginia Department of Education (Handout)
Lynn Coursen, Public Relations Specialist, Colonial Services Board (Handout)
Roundtable Presentation

School nurses collaborate among their colleagues and within their communities to ensure that students and their families have access to quality healthcare. Behavioral health agencies help connect families to an array of services to ensure that children can grow into happy and healthy adults.

Community and School Collaboration: Academic Support for Young Children
Phyllis Mondak, 619 Coordinator, Virginia Department of Education
Tanisha Dorsey, Head Start Collaboration Consultant, Virginia Department of Social Services
Roundtable Presentation

Families with young children are the fastest growing subgroup experiencing homelessness. Together, schools and community service providers can meet the needs of young children experiencing homelessness by ensuring they have access to appropriate early childhood services.

McKinney-Vento 101: Law and Implementation
Diana Bowman, Director, National Center for Homeless Education
Joy Moses, Children and Youth Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty

This session will provide a basic overview of Title X, Part C of NCLB. Selected parts of the Title I statute will also be discussed. Presenters will offer concrete strategies for implementing the law in school divisions and assisting community providers in accessing services. Participants will learn how to solve problems that arise with implementing the law, so that they can apply it to real life situations that face them every day.

A New IDEA: Serving Children and Youth with Disabilities Experiencing Homelessness
Patricia Julianelle, Pro Bono Counsel, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Patricia Popp, State Coordinator, Project HOPE-Virginia

This session will highlight the legal rights of students under McKinney-Vento and IDEA, including the 2004 amendments and updates regarding the U. S. Department of Education IDEA regulations. The session will offer participants an opportunity to share promising practices and identify resources that can assist educators and other service providers in effective collaboration to serve this unique subgroup of students and their families.

Making Sense Of Children’s Intelligence Test Results: Everything You’ve Always
Wanted To Know About IQ But Were Afraid To Ask
Lynn Pelco, Professor and Co-Director, School Psychology Program, College of William and Mary
Sandy Ward, Professor, School of Education, College of William and Mary

This presentation will describe what intelligence tests for children measure and how information gleaned from intelligence tests can be used to improve children’s educational performance. The presentation will also highlight the kinds of information that intelligence test results do not provide and will introduce other constructs that influence children’s development such as temperament and personality.

“It’s Different Here Than it is Back Home:” Engaging Non-English Speaking Families in Education Services
Katy Pitcock, Program Coordinator, Community Prenatal and Language Access
Charlotte Fritts, Bilingual Community Outreach Coordinator, Winchester Police Department
Justine Beck Rose, Student Support Specialist, Winchester City Schools

This panel presentation will provide an overview of best practices in communication strategies and family services. Issues related to documentation status, unaccompanied youth and cultural factors will be addressed.

Community Collaboration Tricks of the Trade: Maximizing Existing Support for Homeless Families
Kathi Sheffel, Homeless Liaison, Fairfax County Public Schools
Andrea Therrien, Assistant Director, Reston Interfaith

Homeless families are often working with multiple agencies in addition to school staff. This workshop will focus on one model of collaborative efforts, and share some strategies for creating relationships between agencies. An overview of case examples will be discussed for a portion of the workshop. The workshop will include interactive exercises using case studies to brainstorm strategies for maximizing services for children and families.

Strategies for Serving Unaccompanied Homeless Children and Youth
Joy Moses, Children and Youth Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
Patricia Julianelle, Pro Bono Counsel, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Leah Hamaker, Legislative Policy Analyst, Virginia Commission on Youth

Unaccompanied homeless children and youth are homeless and not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Often, they are young people who have run away, been asked to leave home, been abandoned, or left home with the consent of a parent. This session will present information about the unique needs of these students, review general legal issues, and offer practical strategies for implementation. The panel will address issues such as identification, special education, negotiating education and social service systems, accessing higher education, and housing and health.

Creating an Environment that Promotes Social Emotional Competence in Young Children Experiencing Change
Lynn Wiley, Director, Training and Technical Assistance Center, George Mason University
Linda Ingleson, Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, VDOE Training and Technical Assistance Center At Old Dominion University

When children understand routines and adult expectations, they are less likely to engage in challenging behavior. By designing the environment in a way that supports positive experiences, teaching children about the expectations for their behavior, and implementing a schedule that is appropriate and predictable, teachers can focus on promoting the social emotional development in the children in their classroom. This presentation will help participants identify strategies for creating environments, schedules, and routines to help young children develop positive social behaviors.

Transportation Tricks of the Trade: Challenges and Solutions
Diana Bowman, Director, National Center for Homeless Education
Larry Hardesty, Director of Transportation, Clarke County Public Schools
Frank Labrecque, Director of Transportation, Newport News Public Schools
Jane Moreland, Coordinator-Student Leadership, Newport News Public Schools

This session will address challenges school divisions face with providing transportation for homeless children and youth.  Local liaisons and transportation directors will discuss strategies that have worked in their respective communities for interdepartmental and regional coordination. In a discussion format, participants will be invited to share strategies they use, present transportation challenges they face in their school divisions, and brainstorm possible solutions. Topics will include: inter-division transportation, timely arrangement of services, limited school and public transportation options, working with parents, and limited funding. Sample forms and a checklist will be provided.

Beyond Compliance: Renewing Our Commitment to All Students
Patricia Popp, State Coordinator, Project HOPE-Virginia

This session will focus on the complex array of programs and activities in which successful liaisons are involved that link children and their families to vital, stabilizing services; key ingredients to understanding the target population; and the underlying factors that inspire an effective liaison’s commitment to overcoming the formidable roadblocks encountered when serving students in transition. Many schools and school divisions are not equipped to understand and meet the needs of highly mobile and homeless students. These students present many challenges to school districts. As districts are charged with ensuring that all students receive comparable services and meet performance standards, schools and districts must be willing to develop approaches that work for these students who are in challenging, nontraditional situations. Participants will learn about successful strategies that districts use to help students in highly mobile and homeless situations succeed in school.                            

The Lawyers Are In
Joy Moses, Children and Youth Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
Patricia Julianelle, Pro Bono Counsel, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Robyn Seabrook, School Board Attorney, Richmond Public Schools

How many lawyers does it take to answer your legal questions about children and youth in homeless situations? At this session, you’ll have three. Bring your tough questions and real-life dilemmas on a wide array of issues, including McKinney-Vento rights and responsibilities, other education laws, immigrant students, and unaccompanied youth. This panel of attorneys will do their best to provide information and resources to support your work.

____________________________________________________________________________

Resources and handouts from 2006 seminar, Flinging Our Arms Wide: Providing School Stability for Students in Need