Report 2019-104 Recommendation 38 Responses

Report 2019-104: Youth Experiencing Homelessness: California's Education System for K-12 Inadequately Identifies and Supports These Youth (Release Date: November 2019)

Recommendation #38 To: Education, Department of

To ensure that all LEAs receive necessary guidance and training, Education should review the guidance documents and templates, including the housing questionnaire and poster, that Education makes available on its website for LEAs and ensure that all the documents reflect current best practices. For example, the questionnaire and the posters should include the rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families to alleviate any apprehensions of identifying themselves as experiencing homelessness. Education should then make all LEAs aware of these revised documents.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

As previously stated, Education reviewed the guidance documents and templates, including the housing questionnaire and poster, which is available on its website for LEAs, and ensured that all documents reflect current best practices. The housing questionnaire and posters are provided in all languages, and include the rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families, to alleviate any apprehensions of identifying themselves as such. Furthermore, Education provided and posted instructions and guidance for completing the questionnaire, which offers LEAs strategies to increase their identification of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This information can be accessed on Education's web site at Resources for Homeless Children and Youths and includes the following:

- Housing Questionnaire and Instructions (PDF);

- Guidance for Completion of Housing Questionnaire (DOCX);

- "You Can Enroll in School" Poster (English)(PDF).

Education has also made all LEAs aware of these revised documents through listserv announcements, training modules, and all professional development opportunities.

Completion Date: November 2021

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

Fully Implemented. Education reviewed the guidance documents and templates, including the housing questionnaire and poster, which is available on its website for LEAs, and ensured that all documents reflect current best practices. The housing questionnaire and posters are provided in all languages, and include the rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families, to alleviate any apprehensions of identifying themselves as such. Furthermore, Education provided and posted instructions and guidance for completing the questionnaire, which offers LEAs strategies to increase their identification of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This information can be accessed on Education's web site at Resources for Homeless Children and Youths and includes the following:

Housing Questionnaire and Instructions (PDF);

Guidance for Completion of Housing Questionnaire (DOCX).

Education has also made all LEAs aware of these revised documents through listserv announcements, training modules, and all professional development opportunities.

Completion Date: October 2021

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

The poster on Education's website does not include protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families to alleviate any apprehensions of identifying themselves as experiencing homelessness. Until Education revises the poster to include these protections, we will continue to report the recommendation as not fully implemented.

Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation

1-Year Agency Response

Fully Implemented. As previously reported, Education updated the training modules on its web page, Resources for Homeless Children and Youths, to reflect rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families; a listserv announcement to LEAs regarding the updates was disseminated on March 11, 2020.

In addition, Education posted the document, Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Letter dated January 2020. The letter outlines the LEAs responsibilities under the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act, best practices on outreach and coordinating services for youth, and reminds LEAs to (1) review policies and procedures; (2) use a housing questionnaire for identification; (3) provide and receive professional development; and (4) disseminate educational rights of youth experiencing homelessness in locations frequented by families. Lastly, the letter offers LEAs the option to download the poster in a variety of languages or contact Education directly to request posters in English and Spanish.

Education also developed a housing questionnaire, which includes stakeholder input, and a guidance document to LEAs that explains: (1) who should complete the questionnaire; (2) how data is shared; and (3) how to communicate with families during the process. Both the questionnaire and guidance document are posted on Education's web site on the following web page, Resources for Homeless Children and Youths; a listserv announcement informing LEAs of the new additions to the web site was disseminated on April 13, 2020.

Completion Date: April 2020
Response Date: November 2020

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Although Education developed a sample questionnaire that includes some rights and protections, it does not explicitly state that the information provided will not be shared with outside entities without the student's or parents' permission. Further, the poster that Education developed does not include any protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness. Until Education addresses these shortcomings, we will continue to report this recommendation as not fully implemented.

Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation

6-Month Agency Response

Fully Implemented. Education updated the training modules on its web page, Resources for Homeless Children and Youths, to reflect rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families; a listserv announcement to LEAs regarding the updates was disseminated on March 11, 2020.

Completion Date: April 2020
Response Date: June 2020

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation

60-Day Agency Response

Partially implemented. Education developed a draft housing questionnaire and is currently in the process of receiving stakeholder feedback (input window closes on January 15, 2020); the final questionnaire will be posted on its website. In addition, Education has begun; (1) updating training modules from its website to reflect rights and protections afforded to youth experiencing homelessness and their families; and (2) reviewing and updating its website for LEA resources to ensure that all relevant documents reflect current best practices. Education anticipates full implementation of this recommendation by November 2020.

Estimated Completion Date: November 2020
Response Date: January 2020

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2019-104

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.