Existing law requires a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools, as specified.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths, including informational materials on the educational rights of homeless children and youths and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths. The bill would require the department to adopt policies and practices to ensure that local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Existing law requires a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools, as specified.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths, including informational materials on the educational rights of homeless children and youths and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths. The bill would require the department to adopt policies and practices to ensure that local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Existing law requires a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools, as specified.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths regarding youths, including informational materials on the educational rights of homeless children and youths and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths. The bill would require the department to adopt policies and practices to ensure that local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Existing law requires a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools, as specified.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to provide training materials to local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youths and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths.

Date of Hearing: August 10, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1068

Author:(Leyva) – As Amended Ver:March 31, 2016

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide specified informational and training materials to local education agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons to assist them in providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
2. Requires CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons, including updates and changes to state and federal law, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless children and youths, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths.
3. Authorizes CDE to adapt informational and training materials from state or national sources when applicable and appropriate.

FISCAL EFFECT:

General Fund administrative costs of approximately $65,000 for the CDE to provide informational materials regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youth under state and federal law.

COMMENTS:

1. Background. Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth. States are required to review and revise any laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth. Federal law also requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a liaison for homeless children and youth to carry out specific duties. These duties include ensuring immediate enrollment, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth.

The federal ESSA, signed into law December 10, 2015, amended the McKinney-Vento program to require states to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons who serve homeless youth.

1. Comments. This bill requires the CDE to assist with providing professional development to school personnel providing services to homeless youth. These activities are consistent with the federal ESSA and no additional general fund would be needed to support these activities.

This bill also requires the CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youths under state and federal law, updates and changes to state and federal law, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless children and youths, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths. These activities appear to exceed federal law. CDE indicates they would need additional state resources to implement these provisions of the bill.

Analysis Prepared by: Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: June 15, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Patrick O'Donnell, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SB 1068

Author:(Leyva) – As Amended Ver:March 31, 2016

SENATE VOTE: 36-0

SUBJECT: Homeless children and youth: local educational agency liaisons: training materials

SUMMARY: Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide specified informational and training materials to local education agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth. Specifically, this bill:

1) Requires CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youth under state and federal law.

2) Requires CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons to assist them in providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

3) Specifies that the training materials are intended to support LEA liaisons in meeting the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

4) Authorizes CDE to adapt informational and training materials from state or national sources when applicable and appropriate.

5) Requires CDE to adopt policies and practices to ensure that LEA liaisons participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs that are deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), in accordance with ESSA.

EXISTING LAW:

Federal law:

1) Defines, in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children who are sharing the housing of other people, living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds, emergency or transitional shelters, abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care placement, or who are living in a place not generally used for sleeping, such as cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, and migratory children living in the circumstances above

2) Requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth. States are required to review and undertake steps to revise any laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth

3) Requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a liaison for homeless children and youth, and carry out specific duties, such as ensuring immediate enrollment and access to educational opportunities offered to other students, providing referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth

4) Establishes ESSA, which:

a) Requires state educational agencies to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and other personnel who provide services to homeless youth to improve the identification of homeless youth and heighten awareness of, and capacity to respond to, specific needs in the education of homeless youth

b) Requires the state plan to describe how the state education agency will provide support to LEAs, and requires the LEA plan to describe the services that will be provided to support the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless youth

c) Requires states to report disaggregated achievement and graduation data for homeless youth

d) Increases dedicated funding for LEAs for services to homeless youth.

5) Establishes general rights for homeless children and youth, including the right to:

a) Remain in the same school when they move

b) Enroll in a new school without typically required records such as proof of residency, immunizations, school records, or other papers

c) Comparable services, including transportation services, educational services, and meals through the school meal program

State law:

1) Requires LEA liaisons to ensure that the public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth is disseminated in schools

2) Requires LEAs to allow a student who is homeless to remain in his or her school of origin through the duration of homelessness, and requires that homeless students be immediately enrolled

3) Requires a school district to exempt a homeless student who transfers between schools any time after the completion of his or her second year of high school from local graduation requirements unless the school district makes a finding that the student can reasonably meet these requirements

4) Establishes homeless youth as a subgroup for purpose of, among other things, accountability, local control and accountability plans, renewal of charter schools, advice and assistance by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and intervention by the SPI.

FISCAL EFFECT:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, CDE estimates costs of about $50,000 to implement the requirements of this bill (Federal Funds).

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. According to the author’s office, “Federal law requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to designate a homeless student liaison to help identify these students and assist them in accessing the rights and resources available to them by law. Despite the many responsibilities of these homeless student liaisons, California does not provide a training program or instructional materials that would help liaisons better assist their students and train other staff on how to identify and help homeless students.

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act now also requires states to develop professional development programs for liaisons, requires liaisons to participate in professional development as well as train other school personnel who provide services to homeless students. While these requirements are important, they also significantly increase the workload of already strained staff who receive little support from the state to help serve California’s over 300,000 homeless students. SB 1068 seeks to address these issues.”

Homeless students in California. According to a 2014 report by the California Research Bureau (California State Library), 4% of California students (nearly 270,000) faced homelessness in the 2012-13 school year. This is twice the national average, and represents 21 percent of the homeless students in the country. The report also noted that this population is growing, due to the recent economic recession and improved reporting.

The report noted that homeless students encounter many obstacles to their education, such as poor access to basic necessities, supplies, and a reasonable environment in which to do homework. Their learning is also compromised by high rates of mobility, hunger, illness, mental health conditions, abuse, neglect, and trauma.

According to Columbia University’s National Center for Children in Poverty, students who experience homelessness are at high at risk for poor educational outcomes. Homeless children:

• Are more likely to be retained
• Are more likely to change school placement (nearly 40% changed school from two to five times in the last 12 months)
• Often have missed significant amounts of school (nearly 40% missed more than one week of school in the past three months)
• Have reading, spelling, and mathematics scores are more often below grade level
• Are more likely to require a special education evaluation (almost 50%), but less than 23% of those with any disability have ever received special education evaluation or special education services
• Are much less likely to complete high school

ESSA includes new requirements for professional development for homeless youth liaisons. The federal McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program is designed to eliminate the barriers that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school.

ESSA amended the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to require states to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and other school personnel who serve homeless youth.

This bill requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons in order to assist them in providing professional development to school personnel who provide services to homeless youth. Some states already provide training materials for LEA liaisons directly on their websites. The CDE does not currently directly provide training materials, but does provide links to related information on its website.

Prior legislation. SB 445 (Liu), Chapter 289, Statutes of 2015, provided that students who are homeless have the right to remain in their schools of origin and the right to immediate enrollment.

SB 252 (Leno), Chapter 384, Statutes of 2015, prohibited CDE from charging the fee required for the high school proficiency exam and the high school equivalency tests to homeless children and youth.

AB 104 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 13, Statutes of 2015, established homeless students as a subgroup for purposes of Local Control and Accountability Plans.

AB 1166 (Bloom), Chapter 171, Statutes of 2015, allowed homeless students to be exempt from local graduation requirements even if they are not notified of this right within 30 days of enrollment, if they are no longer homeless, or if they transfer to another school or district.

AB 1806 (Bloom), Chapter 767, Statues of 2014, extended to homeless students policies and procedures for suspension, expulsion, graduation requirements, and completed coursework to students who are homeless that were provided to students in foster care.

SB 177 (Liu), Chapter 491, Statutes of 2013, required school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to immediately enroll homeless students.

AB 951 (Medina) of the 2013-14 Session would have required school districts that designate a liaison for homeless children and youth, as required under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to ensure the liaison is properly trained regarding the rights of these children to receive educational services. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California Coalition for Youth

California School Boards Association

Junior Leagues of California

K to College

Los Angeles County Office of Education

National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youth

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Christine Aurre and Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SB 1068

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 9-0, 4/13/16

AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Huff, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 4/25/16

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST: This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth, and adopt policies and practices to ensure that liaisons for homeless youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs.

ANALYSIS: Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act:

1. Defines “homeless children and youths” as children and youths who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youths who, among other situations, are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; and are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations. (United States Code, Title 42, § 11431, et seq.)
   
2. Requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth. States are required to review and undertake steps to revise any laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth. (42, USC § 11431, et seq.)
   
3. Requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a liaison for homeless children and youth, and carry out specific duties, such as ensuring immediate enrollment, access to educational opportunities offered to other students, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth. (42, USC § 11432)
   
4. Requires state educational agencies, effective July 1, 2016, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and other school personnel who provide services to homeless youth to improve the identification of homeless youth and heighten awareness of, and capacity to respond to, specific needs in the education of homeless youth. (42, USC § 11432)
   
5. Establishes general rights for homeless children and youth as follows:
   
   1. The choice of schools the youth is eligible to attend.
      
   2. No homeless youth shall be required to attend a separate school.
      
   3. Homeless youth shall be provided comparable services, including transportation services, educational services, and meals through school meal programs.
      
   4. Homeless youth should not be stigmatized by school personnel. (42, USC § 111432)
      

Existing federal law, the Every Student Succeeds Act:

1. Requires the state plan to describe how the state education agency will provide support to LEAs, and requires the LEA plan to describe the services that will be provided to support the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless youth.
   
2. Requires states to report disaggregated achievement and graduation data for homeless youth.
   
3. Increases dedicated funding for LEAs for services to homeless youth. (United States Code, Title 20)
   

Existing state law:

1. Requires an LEA liaison for homeless youth to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools within the liaison’s LEA that provide services. (Education Code § 48852.5)
   
2. Requires LEAs to allow a student who is homeless to remain in his or her school of origin through the duration in homelessness, and imposes requirements related to the transition between grade levels. (EC § 48852.7)
   
3. Establishes homeless youth as a subgroup for purposes of, among other things, accountability, local control and accountability plans, renewal of charter schools, advice and assistance by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and intervention by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. (EC § 52052, § 476607.3, § 52060, § 52066, § 52071, § 52071.5, § 52072, § 52072.5)

This bill requires the CDE to provide specified informational and training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless youth, and adopt policies and practices to ensure that liaisons for homeless youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons for homeless children and youth regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youth under state and federal law, updates and changes to state and federal law regarding the rights of homeless students, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless children and youth, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youth.
   
2. Requires the CDE to adopt policies and practices to ensure that LEA liaisons for homeless children and youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs that are deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
   
3. Requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless children and youth to assist liaisons with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
   
4. Provides that the training materials are intended to support liaisons in meeting the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
   
5. Authorizes the CDE to use and adapt informational and training materials from state or national sources when applicable and appropriate.

Comments

Services for homeless youth. Existing law imposes general requirements for services, such as the immediate enrollment in school, access to educational opportunities offered to other students, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth. LEAs are authorized to use dedicated federal funds to provide tutoring or supplemental instruction, expedited evaluations of needs, professional development for educators, early education, and referral to other services. This bill requires the CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons for homeless youth regarding the educational rights of homeless youth, updates and changes to state and federal law regarding the rights of homeless students, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless youth, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youth. This information is generally available on CDE’s Web site, but in several different locations; this bill requires CDE to provide all of the information to liaisons, rather than relying upon liaisons to gather the information themselves.

Professional development. The recently reauthorized federal Every Student Succeeds Act, among other things, amended the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to require states to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and other school personnel who serve homeless youth. This bill requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless youth to assist liaisons with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services to homeless youth. The CDE does not currently directly provide training materials but provides links to related information on its Web site.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the CDE estimates costs of about $50,000 to implement the requirements of this bill. (Federal Funds)

SUPPORT: (Verified 4/25/16)

California Coalition for Youth

California Federation of Teachers
K to College

Los Angeles County Office of Education

Los Angeles Unified School District

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter

OPPOSITION: (Verified 4/25/16)

None received

Prepared by:

4/27/16 15:57:20

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2015 - 2016 Regular Session

SB 1068 (Leyva) - Homeless children and youth: local educational agency liaisons: training materials

This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth (liaisons), and adopt policies and practices to ensure that liaisons participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs.

Fiscal Impact:

• The CDE estimates costs of about $50,000 to implement the requirements of this bill. (Federal Funds)

Background:

Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth. (42, USC § 11431, et seq.)

Federal law requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a LEA liaison for homeless children and youth, and carry out specific duties, such as ensuring immediate enrollment, access to educational opportunities offered to other students, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth. (42, USC § 11432)

General rights for homeless children and youth under federal law establishes the choice of schools the youth is eligible to attend; prohibits a homeless youth from being required to attend a separate school; requires a homeless youth to be provided comparable services, including transportation services, educational services, and meals through school meal programs; and states that a homeless youth should not be stigmatized by school personnel. (42, USC § 11432)

Effective July 1, 2016 the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) amends requirements that are a condition of receiving federal grants for states and locals to provide education of homeless children and youths under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. State educational agencies are required to provide professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and LEA personnel to assist in identifying and meeting the needs of homeless youth. LEA liaisons must ensure that school personnel providing services to homeless youth receive professional development and other support. In addition, the state and LEAs are required to adopt policies and practices to ensure that LEA liaisons participate in professional development and other technical assistance activities, as specified. (42 U.S.C. § 11432).

Existing state law requires a LEA liaison to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools within the LEA liaison’s LEA that provide services. (Education Code § 48852.5)

Proposed Law:

This bill requires the CDE to provide informational materials to LEA liaisons regarding specified topics including:

1. The educational rights of homeless children and youths under state and federal law as well as updates to these rights under current law;
2. The responsibilities of LEA liaisons; and
3. The resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths.

This bill also requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons to assist them with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This bill provides that these materials are intended to support LEA liaisons in meeting requirement of the ESSA (as described above).

Finally, this bill requires the CDE to adopt policies and practices to ensure that LEA liaisons participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs, as specified, in accordance with the requirements of the ESSA (as described above).

Related Legislation:

AB 951 (Medina, 2013) required school districts that designate a liaison for homeless children and youths, as required under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to ensure the liaison is properly trained regarding the rights of these children to receive educational services. AB 951 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Staff Comments: New federal law requires LEAs to adopt policies and practices to ensure that liaisons participate in professional develop and other technical assistance activities, as specified. Initial estimates of the federal McKinney-Vento grant indicate California will receive additional funding that would likely be used to support these local requirements.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Carol Liu, Chair

2015 - 2016 Regular

Bill No: SB 1068

Subject: Homeless children and youth: local educational agency liaisons: training materials

SUMMARY

This bill requires the California Department of Education to provide specified informational and training materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth, and adopt policies and practices to ensure that liaisons for homeless youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs.

BACKGROUND

Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act:

1. Defines “homeless children and youths” as children and youths who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youths who, among other situations, are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations. (United States Code, Title 42, § 11431, et seq.)
   
2. Requires state educational agencies to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth. States are required to review and undertake steps to revise any laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth. (42, USC § 11431, et seq.)
   
3. Requires each LEA to designate a staff person as a liaison for homeless children and youth, and carry out specific duties, such as ensuring immediate enrollment, access to educational opportunities offered to other students, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth.

(42, USC § 11432)

1. Effective July 1, 2016, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, requires state educational agencies to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons other school personnel who provide services to

homeless youth to improve the identification of homeless youth and heighten awareness of, and capacity to respond to, specific needs in the education of homeless youth. (42, USC § 11432)

1. Establishes general rights for homeless children and youth as follows:
   
   1. The choice of schools the youth is eligible to attend.
      
   2. No homeless youth shall be required to attend a separate school.
      
   3. Homeless youth shall be provided comparable services, including transportation services, educational services, and meals through school meal programs.
      
   4. Homeless youth should not be stigmatized by school personnel.

(42, USC § 111432)

1. Existing federal law, the Every Student Succeeds Act:
   
   1. Requires the state plan to describe how the state education agency will provide support to local educational agencies (LEA), and requires the LEA plan to describe the services that will be provided to support the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless youth.
      
   2. Requires states to report disaggregated achievement and graduation data for homeless youth.
      
   3. Increases dedicated funding for LEAs for services to homeless youth.

(United States Code, Title 20)

Existing state law:

1. Requires an LEA liaison for homeless youth to ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools within the liaison’s LEA that provide services. (Education Code § 48852.5)
   
2. Requires LEAs to allow a student who is homeless to remain in his or her school of origin through the duration in homelessness, and imposes requirements related to the transition between grade levels. (EC § 48852.7)
   
3. Establish homeless youth as a subgroup for purposes of, among other things, accountability, local control and accountability plans, renewal of charter schools, advice and assistance by the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and intervention by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. (EC § 52052, § 476607.3, § 52060, § 52066, § 52071, § 52071.5, § 52072, § 52072.5)

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the California Department of Education to provide specified informational and training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless youth, and adopt

policies and practices to ensure that liaisons for homeless youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide informational materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless children and youth regarding the educational rights of homeless children and youth under state and federal law, updates and changes to state and federal law regarding the rights of homeless students, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless children and youth, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youth.
   
2. Requires the CDE to adopt policies and practices to ensure that LEA liaisons for homeless children and youth participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs that are deemed appropriate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
   
3. Requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless children and youth to assist liaisons with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
   
4. Provides that the training materials are intended to support liaisons in meeting the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
   
5. Authorizes the CDE to use and adapt informational and training materials from state or national sources when applicable and appropriate.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “Federal law requires LEAs to designate a homeless student liaison to help identify these students and assist them in accessing the rights and resources available to them by law. Despite the many responsibilities of these liaisons, California does not provide a training program or instructional materials that would help liaisons better assist their students and train other staff on how to identify and help homeless students. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act now requires states to develop professional development programs for liaisons, requires liaisons to participate in professional development as well as train other school personnel who provide services to homeless students. While these requirements are important, they also significantly increase the workload of already strained staff who receive little support from the state to help serve California’s over 300,000 homeless students. SB 1068 seeks to address these issues.”
   
2. Services for homeless youth. Existing law imposes general requirements for services, such as the immediate enrollment in school, access to educational opportunities offered to other students, referrals to appropriate services, and providing notice of the rights of homeless youth. LEAs are authorized to use dedicated federal funds to provide tutoring or supplemental instruction, expedited evaluations of needs, professional development for educators, early education, and referral to other services. This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to provide informational materials to local educational agency (LEA) liaisons for homeless youth regarding the educational rights of homeless youth, updates and changes to state and federal law regarding the rights of homeless students, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless youth, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youth. This information is generally available on the CDE’s website, but in several different locations; this bill requires CDE to provide all of the information to liaisons, rather than relying upon liaisons to gather the information themselves.
   
3. Professional development. The recently reauthorized federal Every Student Succeeds Act, among other things, amended the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to require states to develop professional development opportunities for LEA liaisons and other school personnel who serve homeless youth. This bill requires the CDE to provide training materials to LEA liaisons for homeless youth to assist liaisons with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services to homeless youth. The CDE does not currently directly provide training materials but provides links to related information on its website.
   
4. Prior legislation. AB 951 (Medina, 2013) required school districts that designate a liaison for homeless children and youths, as required under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to ensure the liaison is properly trained regarding the rights of these children to receive educational services. AB 951 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
   

SUPPORT

California Coalition for Youth

Los Angeles Unified School District

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter

OPPOSITION

None received.

-- END --