Liaison Toolkit Update

The Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit was designed by Project HOPE-Virginia staff for the National Center for Homeless Education's (NCHE) and a national audience to help school divisions fulfill their role in providing services to students experiencing homelessness. We have since adapted parts of the toolkit to be more specific to the needs of Virginia school divisions. The toolkit is available for download below. The supplemental documents listed below are the updated sections of Virginia's Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit.

In addition to these toolkit resources, NCHE produces guides and training resources to assist school divisions in implementing McKinney-Vento and for developing and evaluating quality programs for students experiencing homelessness. Some materials you will find on their web site are:

• A McKinney-Vento Toolbox: Constructing a Robust and Rigorous Homeless Education Program, In Case of Disaster and Every Day
  This toolbox is designed to help school districts implement the McKinney-Vento Act fully, so they can address the needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness on a daily basis and in times of disaster.
• Homeless Education Issue Briefs - in-depth focus on selected issues, such as:
  • Best Practices in Homeless Education series
  • Connecting Schools and Displaced Students series
  • McKinney-Vento Law Into Practice series
    

Toolkit Sections: (Note that these appendices sections have been updated to correlate with the Virginia Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit.)
Chapters
Appendices A-F
Appendix G
Appendices H-M and O-S plus Glossary
Appendix N
(Also see Supplemental Sections below.)

Supplemental Sections for Virginia Schools:

• Appendix A
  Chapter 500 of Virginia code, May 2004
  Replace SB270 if your toolkit contains that version of the law.
• Appendix E
  These enrollment documents are designed to be more specific to the needs of Virginia schools.
• Appendix G
  Sample LEA policies, including Sample School Board Policy, JECA, released by the Virginia School Boards Association.
• Appendix N
  The PowerPoint presentation includes a slide showing Virginia's Homeless statistics.
  The slides and notes have been modified to be more specific to Virginia.
  Questions and Answers is Project HOPE-Virginia information brief #5, adapted from the Q&A in the NCHE Toolkit, to better answers questions regarding educating homeless students in Virginia.
• Appendix P Nutrition
  Information on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2004. For frequent updates, visit the Food Research and Action Center.
  Superintendent's Memo #8 September 24, 2004 – Implementation of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.
• Appendix Q US Department of Education Guidance
  July 2004 US Department of Education Draft Non-Regulatory Guidance addressing the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
  Replace March 2003 and July 2003 guidance if your toolkit contains those documents. Further Guidance from the US Department of Education will be added to this section.
• Appendix R Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Memos
  Superintendent's Memo #43 (Adm) September 21, 2007 – Education of Children in Foster Care – Fiscal Year 2008 Reimbursement of Fiscal Year 2007 Local Costs
  Superintendent's Memo #56 October 14, 2005 – Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Revised Dispute Resolution
  Superintendent's Memo #51 March 28, 2003 – Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
  Superintendent's Memo #125 June 24, 2005 - School Enrollment of Foster Care Children
  Use this section to file additional Virginia policy guidance from the State Superintendent of Instruction addressing the Education of Homeless Children and Youth in Virginia.
• Appendix S Serving Unaccompanied Youth
  Guidance from the Fall 2003 meeting of State Coordinators for Homeless Education Best Practices document from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
  NLCHP booklet on legal tools for serving homeless youth
• Appendix T Data Collection
  Sample data collection forms to use for tracking students experiencing homelessness
  Superintendent's Memo #25 July 14, 2006 - Student Data Collection for Homeless Children and Youth