Standards and Indicators for Quality McKinney-Vento Programs: New and Improved National Center for Homeless Education May 2006

Standards and Indicators for Quality McKinney-Vento Programs:

New and Improved

National Center for Homeless Education

May 2006

National Center for Homeless Education • www.serve.org/nche

Standards and Indicators for Quality McKinney-Vento Programs

• Developed in 2000 by representative task force• Included in U.S. Department of Education

Guidance• Pilot tested in 2002-2004• Guidebook developed based on pilot test

group’s experiences• Revised in 2005 (

www.serve.org/nche/products.php)


Revised Standards and Indicators

• 10 performance standards—3 groups: outcomes, school/LEA support, collaboration

• Reflect 3 years of effective practice in implementing the McKinney-Vento Act

• Suggested indicators for each standard• Include items required for federal data collection• Utilize standard and indicator language that

focuses on quantifiable outcomes


Revised Standards (draft)

1. All homeless students, identified and enrolled at the time of the state assessment, take the state assessment required for their grade levels.

2. All homeless students demonstrate academic progress.

3. All children in homeless situations are identified.

4. Within one full day of an attempt to enroll in school, homeless students are in attendance.


Standards cont.

5. All homeless students experience stability in school.

6. All homeless students receive specialized and comparable services when eligible.

7. All preschool-aged homeless children enroll in and attend preschool programs.

8. All homeless unaccompanied youth enroll and attend school.


Standards cont.

9. All parents (or persons acting as parents) of homeless children and youth are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in their children’s education.

10. LEAs help with the needs of all homeless students through collaborative efforts both within and beyond the LEA.


What do performance standardsand indicators do?

• Reinforce an outcome-driven program, rather than an activity-driven program

• Provide a measure of accountability • Provide understandable and valid data• Serve as a framework for developing a data

collection model• Serve as a mechanism to monitor program

progress• Identify areas for improvement• Provide performance information to stakeholders


What do performance standardsand indicators not do?

• Do not tell why things happen the way they did.

• Are not a replacement for more rigorous and in depth studies of program processes and outcomes.

• Data can feed into an evaluation, but in and of themselves, are not an evaluation.


Raising good questions

• To what extent does our program align with the Standards for Quality McKinney-Vento programs?

• Are numbers or percentages increasing or decreasing from year to year? What does that tell us?

• How does performance compare to the school district average?

• What strategies or activities support outcomes? Are the strategies and activities appropriate or sufficient?

• Are current data sources sufficient for informing us about out program?

• What inferences can we make from the data that should be examined by further research?


Program coordinators using the Standards and Indicators say:

• Forced us to think about a lot of important issues• Provided us with statistical information to assist

with grant writing and program reporting• Helped us create a more effective data form• Helped us see what we need to be doing

comprehensively• Used as a tool for communication


How do I begin collectingMV Standards and Indicators data?

• Conduct an inventory of data your organization is currently collecting; identify gaps; assess how your program is currently collecting data related to the Standards

• Select the standards you’d like to focus on, or

• Select the program area you’d like to focus on (see how many standards are involved)


• Identify data that is already collected by your system

• Identify staff and resources available for data collection

• Review indicators; select those most appropriate and feasible; identify others

• Develop a data collection plan that is manageable (you can always scale up)

• Develop a plan for how the data will be reported and shared

How do I begin collectingMV Standards and Indicators data?


How could alogic model assist?

Helps to:• Strengthen program design• Link resources, activities, outputs, and

outcomes• Identify which standards are being

addressed• Assess underlying assumptions• Identify data collection strategies


Questions for You

• What benefits do you see for using the Standards and Indicators for data collection in your program?

• What challenges do you see?

• How can the challenges be overcome?


For More Information

Diana Bowman, Director

National Center for Homeless Education

[email protected]

800-755-3277

Documents

Standards and Indicators for Quality McKinney-Vento Programs: New and Improved National Center for Homeless Education May 2006