National Center for Homeless Education

2017 State Coordinators Meeting

State Planning Session

Overview

General Instructions:

State Coordinators will self-select to participate in one of three roundtables. They will discuss the questions on the topic provided. Participants will select a recorder who will take notes (by hand or electronically, and provide them to NCHE staff), a facilitator who will lead participants through the questions, and a reporter who will present three “big ideas” the group generated.

Group 1

Some State Coordinators have requested input on information that should be included under each of the sections of the federal template for the consolidated plan. Group participants will discuss the most important information, goals, and strategies that should be included in the sections of the template.

Consider the following questions for each of the topics selected:

  1. What are the most effective strategies to include?
  2. What are the strategies that ED will most likely expect?
  3. What data will support the selection of goals and strategies?
  4. What is the level of specificity needed that will provide a clear idea of what the SEA will do and provide a framework for the SEA to implement the McKinney-Vento program?

Before you get started, review the topics in the template and prioritize the five most important areas the group would like to address. (It is unlikely that you will have time to address all topics, so this will enable you to target areas where you need the most discussion.)

Group 2

Some State Coordinators have noted that the consolidated state planning process (1) included homeless students in more statewide education goals and initiatives and (2) brought programs to the table that have had very little prior contact or coordination. These discussions increased knowledge of one another’s programs and of SEA initiatives in areas like chronic absenteeism and school climate and created a foundation for coordination. This group will discuss ways that the consolidated plan can result in greater integration of the McKinney-Vento program in the SEA and more services for homeless children and youth.

Consider the following questions:

  1. To what degree has your state included homeless children and youth throughout the Consolidated State Plan or fostered greater coordination with the McKinney-Vento program in the planning or development of the Consolidated State Plan?
  2. How will the consolidated planning process carry over into the work of program administrators to maintain the integration and coordination initiated in this process?
  3. What are some high-priority goals or desired outcomes for integration or coordination that will benefit homeless children and youth and improve the SEA’s or LEAs’ EHCY programs?
  4. What are some specific strategies that the SEA or State Coordinators can implement to build and sustain the integration and coordination for the EHCY program?

The group should discuss these questions both in a general sense and with regard to specific programs.

Group 3

The State Plan and annual state planning process are linked. The State Plan, despite how general or specific, will provide a framework to implement the McKinney-Vento Act. However, it is the annual action plan that will detail the way that the State Coordinator allocates his or her time and state resources. The federal office has set the expectation that state EHCY programs should review data on an annual basis and develop an annual action plan. How is your state EHCY program approaching this expectation?

Consider the following questions:

  1. What do you currently do for an annual needs assessment, data review, and action plan development?
  2. What are the benefits and challenges of general action plans? What are the benefits and challenges of specific action plans? What is a useful and practical balance between a general action plan and a specific action plan?
  3. Review the action planning tools currently available to State Coordinators: SEA informal needs assessment, LEA informal needs assessment, Standards and Indicators of Quality McKinney-Vento programs, Guide to Developing an Annual Action Plan for State Coordinators (to be revised to reflect ESSA)

Discuss:

  1. How do the purposes of each of these differ?
  2. How could each of these assist in annual action planning?
  3. What experience have you had in using these tools or other needs assessment or action planning tools?
  4. What recommendations do you have for developing annual action plans?

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