Academic Success and Stability in High School and Beyond for Youth Experiencing Homelessness.
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Project Connect- Cincinnati Public Schools
Second Presenter's Institution
Project Connect- Cincinnati Public Schools
Third Presenter's Institution
NA
Fourth Presenter's Institution
NA
Fifth Presenter's Institution
NA
Location
Session 6 (Scarbrough 5)
Strand #1
Social & Emotional Skills
Strand #2
Mental & Physical Health
Relevance
While our presentation relates to all five strands, it most closely relates to the Head (academic achievement and leadership) and the Home (family and community engagement). The heart strand is relevant because our program collaborates with a multitude of shelters, social service programs and agencies and post secondary providers. The head strand is relevant because we have utilized our resources to ensure graduation and post-secondary success for our youth who are experiencing homelessness
Brief Program Description
This session will discuss best practices for working with high school students experiencing homelessness. Strategies will include programming to achieve both high school and postsecondary success.
Summary
Our focus as is determined by the McKinney-Vento Act is to ensure youth experiencing homelessness are identified and receive appropriate services, which include immediate enrollment, transportation, school supplies, uniform/clothing, school breakfast/lunch, tutoring, counseling, medical/dental services and other services/referrals as needed. Due to changes in the ESSA guidelines, requiring more accountability with regard to graduation rates, we have developed a model where to a licensed guidance counselor provides targeted graduation pathway support by closely monitoring credits and ensuring that post-secondary programs meet the unique needs of each student. Under our model we meet regularly with high school students to ensure their education plan is executed. Enlist, Enroll, Employ are the potential pathways and the counselor will ensure that transitional supports are in place to increase retention in these post-secondary programs.
Evidence
Over the past five years, our graduation rates have exceeded 90% with the 2018 graduation rate being 95%. We subscribe to the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) model of academic, career and social/emotional development. By utilizing a holistic model we factor in adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and use these to inform strategies and programming that build resilience and self-efficacy. Our model uses a strength based approach to assist our district's most vulnerable students.
Biographical Sketch
Rebeka Beach is the manager of Project Connect and is a licensed school counselor. Leslie Hattemer is a licensed school counselor employed by Project Connect. Both Leslie and Rebeka have worked in Cincinnati Public Schools with children experiencing homelessness for the last 10 years
Keyword Descriptors
Homelessness, high school, trauma, at risk, resilience
Presentation Year
March 2020
Start Date
3-10-2020 1:00 PM
End Date
3-10-2020 2:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Hattemer, Leslie and Beach, Rebeka, "Academic Success and Stability in High School and Beyond for Youth Experiencing Homelessness." (2020). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 84.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2020/2020/84
Academic Success and Stability in High School and Beyond for Youth Experiencing Homelessness.
Session 6 (Scarbrough 5)
This session will discuss best practices for working with high school students experiencing homelessness. Strategies will include programming to achieve both high school and postsecondary success.
