Federal/State Programs

ESSER

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Poverty and the lack of affordable housing are the principal causes of family homelessness. It disrupts virtually every aspect of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of family members, interfering with children’s education and development, and frequently resulting in the separation of family members.

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.11431 et seq.), the definition of homeless is children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned in hospitals; migratory children; and unaccompanied youth (not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian).

Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings qualify as homeless under the act.

Homeless students are entitled to assistance with enrollment, necessary supplies for school, school clothing or uniforms, help with accessing educational services and programs, transportation and referrals to shelters and community agencies.

Birley Wright, McKinney-Vento State Coordinator

Rights of Homeless Children and Youth

Homeless students (preschool through high school) have access to a free appropriate public education consistent with the education that would be provided to other children.
The lack of school records such as birth certificates, proof of guardianship, residency requirements and immunization records should not delay or prevent enrollment of homeless students. Homeless students should be enrolled immediately; then the school should secure the proper documentation.
A homeless child or youth may remain in the school he or she attended before becoming homeless, if that is determined to be in the child's best interest.
Homeless students must be provided services comparable to those offered to students who are not homeless, including transportation, meals and special programs.

Links to Helpful Web Pages

Homeless for the Homeless: The Institute for Children and Poverty http://www.homesforthehomeless.com
South Carolina Department of Education https://ed.sc.gov/policy/federal-education-programs/essa-title-ix-part-a-mckinney-vento-homeless-assistance-act/

The Institute for Children and Poverty is a nonprofit group working to reduce homelessness through education and training.

National Coalition for the Homeless http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
National Law Center: On Homelessness and Poverty http://www.nlchp.org
Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) http://www.serve.org/nche

SERVE hosts the National Guard Center on Homeless Education

United States Department of Education http://www.ed.gov

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program

Definition of Homeless:

Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

Possible Signs of Homelessness:

· History of attending many schools.

· Erratic attendance and tardiness.

· Consistent lack of preparation for class.

· Sleeping in class.

· Hostility and anger or extremes in behavior. Examples of extreme behaviors could be shyness, withdrawal, nervousness, or depression.

· Needy, attention-seeking, or withdrawn behavior.

· Poor hygiene and grooming.

· Inadequate or inappropriate clothing for the weather.

· Hunger and hoarding food.

· Resistance to parting with personal possessions. An example of this resistance could be the child not wanting to leave a favorite toy unattended or put a coat in the locker.

The McKinney-Vento Act protects the educational rights of children and youth in the following situations:

· Children living in shelters, including domestic violence shelters.

· Children living in hotels or motels.

· Children living on the streets or in cars, abandoned buildings, and campgrounds.

· Children living in substandard conditions that are not fit for human habitation. Some of these conditions include no electricity, no heat, no running water, no windows or doors, holes in the roof or floor, and no way to cook or store food.

· Abandoned, runaway, or throw-away children and youth.

· Two or more families living together in crowded or undesirable living conditions because they have no place of their own to live where they can safely and healthfully meet their basic needs in privacy and with dignity.

The law gives children and youth in homeless situations the right to:

· Stay in their school even if they move.

· Have immediate access to school enrollment without proof of residency, immunizations, school records, or other papers.

· Receive transportation to school.

· Go to pre-school programs.

· Receive all the school services they may need.

· Have any disagreements with schools settled quickly and go to school while the disagreements are in the process of being settled.

What we can do:

· Identify homeless children and youth.

· Assist homeless students with school enrollment.

· Provide school clothing and uniforms.

· Help homeless students access educational services and programs.

· Provide referrals to shelters and community networking for homeless families.

· Assist with transportation services.

For additional information, please contact our Homeless and Foster Care Liaison, Rachel Traynham, at (864) 476-3186 or via email at rtraynham@spartanburg4.org.

Parent Right to Know

About Title I

Spartanburg District Four participates in the federally funded Title I program, an initiative of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to improve teaching and student achievement. Title I funds provide programs that would not otherwise be available to our students. Each year, funding is provided to the schools with the greatest need. For the 2024 – 2025 school year, Title I provides funds for 3K classes, reading assistants, class size reduction personnel, reading teachers, instructional materials. An emphasis is also placed on parent/family engagement. The district parent/family engagement policy includes information about how to be involved in your child’s education. Spartanburg Four holds an annual Title 1 meeting to discuss district goals and Title 1 funding.

2024 – 2025 Title I Plan

This year, Title I funds will be used for the following:

• 3K preschool programs (Woodruff Primary)

• Reading interventions (Woodruff Primary)

• Parenting sessions

• Class size reduction

• Reading Coaches and Assistants (Woodruff Elementary)

• Professional Development

• Supplies

Parent/Family Involvement Policy

Spartanburg Four Schools involve parents in all levels of school planning, review, and improvement through:

· SCDE Parent Survey – Parents are given instructions through an alert call on how to complete this survey.

· School Surveys – Schools will periodically ask for feedback through an electronic or paper/pencil survey.

· District Surveys – Surveys that are applicable to all families are sent out periodically. These surveys are usually done through the district webpage and families are notified through an alert call.

· School Improvement Council (SIC) Meetings – Refer to school calendars and webpages.

· PTO meetings/events – Refer to school calendars and webpages.

· Parent Conferences – Parent-teacher conferences may be requested by the teacher or the parent.

· Volunteer opportunities – Contact your child’s teacher or principal for volunteer opportunities.

· Parent/Family Engagement Events – Notification of parent/family engagement events will be advertised through the webpage and/or an alert call. Paper notifications may also be sent home.

· School-home communication through webpages, alert system, newsletters, district Facebook page, emails, etc. – In addition to all the ways the schools advertise information, the district Facebook page keeps the community up-to-date before and after events.

The Parent/Family Involvement policy will be distributed during the first parent meeting. With feedback from all stakeholders, the parent/family engagement policy is updated each year at the last SIC meeting. Parents can offer suggestions for change during SIC meetings, during PTO meetings, or by contacting a school administrator.

District Title 1 schools designate time at each SIC meeting to:

· Discuss and Solicit feedback on the District Title 1 plan

· Discuss ways to improve parent/family engagement

· Suggest changes to the parent-student-teacher compact

Title I Contacts

Spartanburg District Four is continually monitoring the implementation of our Title I Plan and Parent Involvement Policy and welcomes input from parents regarding the content and future plans. Any parent who would like to provide input into the Title I program should contact Ms. Rachel Traynham, Director of Federal and State Programs, at the District Office (864-476-3186 or rtraynham@spartanburg4.org). We encourage parent input into the revision of District Four’s Parent Involvement Policy. Parents are also encouraged to communicate any suggestions and/or concerns to Mrs. Casey Dover, principal at Woodruff Primary (864-476-3174 or cdover@spartanburg4.org) and Mrs. Giada Parris, principal at Woodruff Elementary (864-476-3123 or gparris@spartanburg4.org). If parents must leave a message, they can expect to be contacted within two days.

Goals & Results

The goal of supplemental programs and services provided through Title I is to increase student achievement. Since Title I funds have been utilized to provide supplemental instruction, Spartanburg District Four students have shown outstanding achievement. Most recently, these achievements were highlighted in the ESEA ratings, the federal accountability ratings based upon student achievement on standardized assessments. Spartanburg District Four received the highest ESEA rating in South Carolina.

School Improvement Council (SIC)

School Improvement Council meetings are a great way to learn about school programs and to provide input on school initiatives. The SIC is made up of the following representatives:

a. At least 2 parents elected by parents of the school

b. At least 2 teachers elected by teachers

c. At least 2 community members appointed by the principal

d. Two ex-officio members, including the principal and one other representative

e. (High School) At least 2 students

Parent elections are held before October 30^th and community members are appointed by November 15^th. You do not have to be on the School Improvement Council to attend meetings. Meeting dates will be posted on school calendars, newsletters, webpages, and or shared through the alert system.

Title I Compacts

Title I schools and programs develop a school-parent-student compact that outlines how parents, school personnel, and students share the responsibility for student achievement. Parent involvement is an integral component of Title I plans. Communication between teachers and parents is ongoing in Title I programs and includes parent-teacher conferences during which components of the compact are discussed along with student achievement and assessment.

Federal Programs Advisory Committee

The Office of Federal Programs Advisory Committee is a group of stakeholders composed of parents, community members, teachers, and administrators. These stakeholders provide comments and suggestions about the Federal Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV grants and programs. Title I provides resources for supplemental programs for schools that serve children who live in poverty. Title II provides funds for professional development for teachers, assistants, and administrators. Title III supports initiatives for English language learners.

Professional Qualifications

Parents have the right to request information regarding the professional qualifications of a student’s classroom teacher(s) and instructional assistant(s).

Professional Qualifications Include:

• Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and certification criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.

• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualifications or certification criteria have been waived.

• The baccalaureate degree major(s) of the teacher and any other graduate certificate(s) or degree(s).

• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessional(s) and, if so, their qualifications.

A parent who wishes to inquire about the qualifications of their child’s teacher may click here for further information.

Title I Programs