Education Resources

DHS works with families and community partners to improve the educational outcomes for children who receive human services. This section contains information and resources that support those efforts.

Resources for Families

Child Care and Early Learning

Find out if your young child qualifies for great programs designed to prepare them for their school years and for life.

Learn more on the Allegheny Childcare and Educational Resources website.

Enrollment

Find all you need to know to get your child registered for kindergarten or to start in a new school district.

Learn more on the Allegheny Childcare and Educational Resources website.

Homelessness and School Stability

Each time a child enters a new school, he or she has to adjust to new school material, new teachers, new transportation and new friends. Much of the research suggests that a child falls between four to six months behind in school with each school move.

According to a federal education law called the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, homelessness is defined as "the lack of a regular or adequate night-time residence." Examples include:

  • Temporarily staying in a homeless shelter or domestic violence shelter
  • Living in cars, motels/hotels, bus or train stations
  • Temporarily staying OR doubling-up in the home of another relative/friend because of a significant life event or crisis
  • When a young person is out of the care of a parent or guardian

Public schools must provide help to students in a housing crisis so they can succeed in school.

Help can include:

  • Immediate enrollment without necessary enrollment documents
  • Free school meals
  • Transportation to and from student's school of origin.

Contact

If you are experiencing a housing crisis, consider identifying yourself to the homeless liaison in your school district. Every school district in the country has a homeless liaison. This helpful school staff person is there to help you maintain your child’s school placement in the school he knows, or immediately enroll your child in a new school.

School District Liaisons to Assist Homeless Students
Web-based, searchable directory of liaisons

Nicole Anderson
Regional Coordinator
Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program
(412) 394-5894

Foster Care and School Stability

When a child is placed in a foster home or child welfare congregate care setting, the resulting move can also mean living in a new school district. Research has shown that unplanned school changes can lead to worse educational outcomes, such as lower test scores and graduation rates.

Children in shelter, foster care or group home placement with the Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) have the right to continue attending their school of origin for the length of time they are in that placement according to changes in the Every Student Succeeds Act from 2015. Contact the CYF Education Stability Team Supervisor at EdStability@alleghenycounty.us or contact the school district’s foster care liaison for more information.

Special Education

Special education is the use of specially designed instruction and related services that take into account a child's unique needs to ensure that the child has access to the general curriculum provided to children without disabilities. To be eligible for special education services in schools, a child must have a disability that impacts their ability to learn. 

Helpful Resources

The PA Office of Dispute Resolution offers a ConsultLine which is a toll-free information help line for parents and advocates of children with disabilities who have questions or concerns about the education of a school-aged child. ConsultLine specialists answer questions and provide information about special education, gifted education, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. ConsultLine specialists provide service to non-English speaking callers through the assistance of a confidential, third party interpreter.
1-800-879-2301 (Voice/TTY)

Educational Law Center
Provides documents to assist parents and others in understanding the special education process in public schools.

PA Training and Technical Assistance Network
Provides source material including annotated Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Extended School Year guide.

Wright's Special Education Law
Provides basic information and instruction for families as well as current updates on case law.

All Contacts for Education-related Questions

DHS Educational Supports for all school related issues/concerns including school attendance, data sharing efforts and school stability.

Resources for Service Providers

Homelessness and Education

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is federal legislation that addresses the education of homeless children and youth. The law mandates that services are provided to homeless students in order to ensure academic achievement, school selection, enrollment, dispute resolution, transportation, local liaisons and segregation based on homelessness.

According to McKinney-Vento, homelessness is defined as "the lack of a regular or adequate night-time residence." Examples include living in: homeless shelters or domestic violence shelters, cars, motels/hotels, bus or train stations, temporarily staying OR doubling-up in the home of another relative/friend because of no other available housing option due job loss, eviction, fleeing abuse or domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, loss of utilities, or abandonment also qualifies as a housing crisis.

Public schools must provide help to students who are experiencing a housing crisis so they can succeed in school.

Help can include:

  • Immediate enrollment without necessary enrollment documents
  • Free school meals
  • Transportation to and from student's school of origin

The Right of Homeless Children to Attend School in Pennsylvania
A series of publications from the Education Law Center that provides useful information about who is considered a student experiencing homelessness, a homeless child's right to enroll promptly in school, troubleshooting disagreements about the school placement of a homeless child, and links to additional resources on this topic.

Toolkit to Ensure School Success for Students Experiencing Homelessness(PDF, 2MB)
A downloadable toolkit with information about the educational challenges faced by students experiencing homelessness, a brief description of the law and policies that establish rights of students and responsibilities of schools, critical questions and answers and information about where to go to get more information or additional help.

Homeless Children's Education Fund
The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth Awaiting Foster Care Placement Strategies for Improving Educational Outcomes through School Stability

  • Full Report Executive Summary
  • National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty

Foster Care and Education

Every Student Succeeds Act

A 2015 federal mandate, The Every Student Succeeds Act, requires that school districts and local child welfare agencies ensure that children in child welfare placements remain in their home school – unless it is determined not to be in the student’s best interest – so as to maximize a student stability and educational outcomes.

When a child is placed in a foster home or child welfare congregate care setting, the resulting move can also mean living in a new school district. Research has shown that unplanned school changes can lead to worse educational outcomes, such as lower test scores and graduation rates.

Empower children and youth in care to remain in their school of origin, even when their living placement changes through either out of home placement (foster care) or housing instability (homelessness). This is an overview of Pennsylvania's enrollment laws which ensure the prompt enrollment of all students in foster care or students experiencing homelessness.

  • Laws that govern school stability
  • Homeless and foster children's rights
  • Steps to take to ensure a child enrolls in school
  • What to do during enrollment disputes
  • Fostering Connections policy

The Legal Center for Foster Care & Education
A partnership between the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, the Education Law Center and the Juvenile Law Center - primarily focused on advocacy of educational rights for children in foster care.

Supporting Documents for Providers

Enrollment of Students
Educational Stability for Foster Care Youth in Pennsylvania

The Right School Setting and School Discipline

Review information on the right school setting for children that are placed in care with the county child and youth agency. This entails why school stability and setting are important for these children and what to know when dealing with issues such as disciplinary actions of the school.

  • Educational rights of students for in and out of school discipline and definitions
  • Student’s legal rights in residential and alternative education placements

Supporting Documents and Links

The Role of Education/Special Education Decision Makers

Below is an overview of what role a special education/education decision maker plays, who can act in this role, and how to determine if one needs to be appointed to a child in care.

  • Laws that govern education decision makers
  • The primary role of an education decision maker
  • When does a court or school district appointed education decision maker

Supporting Documents

Education Law Center Education Decision Makers and Surrogate Parents Overview
Provides an overview on the appointment and role of an Education Decision Maker for students in dependency and juvenile justice systems. Includes information on who can be an EDM as well as the role and responsibilities of the corresponding school district.

Special Education and Accommodations in School

The need for special education, education evaluations, and accommodations in schools is crucial to educational success. It is also an overview of the laws that govern these actions and why it is so important for the educational outcomes of children and youth in care.

  • Special education eligibility
  • Laws relating to special education school attendance
  • The importance of a school evaluation and how to request one
  • The process to receive accommodations in school

Supporting Documents and Protection and Advocacy Organizations

PA Department of Education Special Education Overview
Special Education related information covering how to initiate assessments, special education planning, and conflict and dispute resolution.

PATTAN
Pa Training and Technical Assistance Network links to special education forms and supportive resources for providers, parents, and school personnel.

Wrights Law
Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrights Law for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.

National Disability Rights Network
National organization advocating for basic rights of persons with disabilities; and ensuring access and accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, voting, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Disability Rights Network of PA
Disability Rights Pennsylvania protects and advocates for rights of people with disabilities so that they may live the lives they choose, free from abuse, neglect, discrimination, and segregation.

All DHS Contacts for Education Related Efforts

DHS Educational Supports for all school related issues/concerns including school attendance, data sharing efforts and school stability.

Key Contacts

KidsVoice
KidsVoice attorneys may serve as the education decision maker for many court-active youth for whom they already serve as the Guardian ad Litem (GAL). If you are caring for a court-active youth and you do not know who the education decision-maker is, call KidsVoice at 412-391-3100. Learn more on the KidsVoice website.

Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County
The Juvenile Section of the court is responsible for adjudicating cases involving delinquent and dependent children. These matters involve both children who are alleged to have committed crimes as well as children who have been neglected and abused. The Juvenile Court Probation Department is responsible for the processing and supervision of youth charged with delinquent acts in Allegheny County.

Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Office of Conflict Counsel - Dependency Division
For cases in which the Office of Conflict Counsel serves as the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for a court-active youth, they may be appointed to serve as the education decision-maker as well. 412-350-4850.

Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Allegheny Intermediate Unit
Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness
The main objectives of the Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness program are to inform local school districts of their responsibilities to homeless children and youth while increasing awareness about the needs of homeless children and eliminating educational insecurity
Contact: Nicole Anderson, McKinney-Vento Regional Coordinator, Phone: 412-394-5894

Web-based, searchable PA state-wide directory of School Liaisons dedicated to school and foster care

Resources for School Districts

Action Research/Data-Sharing

At any point in time, human service providers serve as many as 50 percent of the students in any one school district. Since 2009, increasing numbers of school districts in Allegheny County have partnered with DHS to examine educational and well-being outcomes for school-aged children involved in human services systems. Through these formal partnerships, we know that young people served by human service systems (homeless, child welfare, mental health and juvenile probation) fail to achieve positive educational outcomes at a higher rate than their peers.

Based on what DHS and school districts have learned through data-sharing partnerships and by developing closer relationships with each other, we are working together so children involved with humans services can be supported in their education.

Much of the research about these partnerships is published on the Child Development and Education Research and Reports page of the DHS website.

Contact

Samantha Murphy
Resource Services Manager/Education Liaison
412-350-2441

DHS Research
412-350-7312

School-based Liaisons

School Based Liaisons through the DHS Office of Behavioral Health, Bureau of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are professionally trained to serve as links between educational systems, mental health providers, and social service agencies and serve on the the Student Assistance Program Teams in every school district in Allegheny County. They can provide assistance and direction to intervention quickly and decisively in situations when students need mental health services. The objective are to improve communication between systems, and to streamline service delivery. School district administrators can access the assistance of school-based liaisons to discuss formal mental health partnerships in their schools or to consult about a child's specific human service needs.

Contact

Ruth Ann Koss
Supervisor
412-350-3374

All Contacts for Education-related Questions

DHS Educational Supports for all school related issues/concerns including school attendance, data sharing efforts and school stability.

  • Samantha Murphy, Resource Services Manager/Education Liaison, 412-350-2441
  • Early Learning, Family Support, School Readiness
    • Amy Malen 412-350-3973
  • Child Welfare involved students - Foster Care and School Stability
  • Transitioned Aged Youth for young people aging out of foster care ages 16- 24 years
    • Duane Berry 412-350-7162
  • KEYS Service Corps
    • Helen Wachter 412-350-5227
  • Homelessness and School Stability
    • Samantha Murphy 412-350-2441
  • Data Sharing with school districts
  • Identification and registration of young people eligible for developmental supports and planning for individuals registered with the Office of Developmental Supports (formerly OID) who are aging out of other support systems (EPSDT, IDEA)
    • Mary Evrard 412-253-1251
  • Mental health partnerships, school-based liaisons, education specialists, special education experts
    • Ruth Ann Koss 412-350-3374
  • Drug and alcohol partnerships
    • Kathryn Gadd 412-350-6392

DHS Guiding Principles

About DHS Guiding Principles

While the Department of Human Services is not a ‘school entity’, we have a strong investment in the educational outcomes of the young people we serve. Our efforts focused on education attempt to ensure that:

  • School-aged children and youth involved in human services programming perform as well or better than their peers in terms of school attendance, school discipline and academic success.
  • Young people who are placed in foster care or those who experience homelessness are provided with school stability (i.e. we encourage consistent school attendance during transitions or assist to ensure immediate school enrollment).
  • Students in need receive adequate supports so that they are able to succeed in school (i.e. out of school time, access to early learning supports, behavioral health services and supports for those with intellectual disabilities and autism).

Legislative Requirements

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is federal legislation that addresses the education of homeless children and youth. The law mandates that services are provided to homeless students in order to ensure academic achievement, school selection, enrollment, dispute resolution, transportation, local liaisons and segregation based on homelessness.

According to McKinney-Vento, homelessness is defined as "the lack of a regular or adequate night-time residence." Examples include living in: homeless shelters or domestic violence shelters, cars, motels/hotels, bus or train stations, temporarily staying OR doubling-up in the home of another relative/friend because of no other available housing option due job loss, eviction, fleeing abuse or domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, loss of utilities, or abandonment also qualifies as a housing crisis.

Public schools must provide help to students who are experiencing a housing crisis so they can succeed in school.

Help can include:

  • Immediate enrollment without necessary enrollment documents
  • Free school meals
  • Transportation to and from student's school of origin.
Contacts

School District Liaisons to Assist Homeless Students
Web-based, searchable directory of liaisons

Nicole Anderson
McKinney-Vento Regional Coordinator
Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program
412-394-5894

Every Student Succeeds Act

A 2015 federal mandate, The Every Student Succeeds Act, requires that school districts and local child welfare agencies ensure that children in child welfare placements remain in their home school – unless it is determined not to be in the student’s best interest – so as to maximize a student stability and educational outcomes.

During their time in foster care, young people have the right to remain in their school of origin or are afforded the opportunity to enroll in a new school immediately. Research has shown that unplanned school changes can lead to worse educational outcomes, such as lower test scores and graduation rates.

Contacts

School District Liaisons to Students in Foster Care
Web-based, searchable directory of liaisons

Nicole Anderson
Coordinator
Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program
412-394-5894

Education Stability

Uninterrupted Scholar's Act

In January 2013, Congress passed the Uninterrupted Scholars Act (USA) which amended the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to permit educational agencies and institutions to disclose education records of students in foster care to state and county social service agencies or child welfare agencies. The statute also amended the requirement that educational agencies and institutions notify parents before complying with judicial orders and subpoenas in certain situations.

FAQ: The Uninterrupted Scholars Act: How Do Recent Changes To FERPA Help Child Welfare Agencies Get Access To School Records?

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 is federal legislation that promotes both improved outcomes and permanency for children in foster care. As it relates to education, the law requires that the state Department of Education, local education and welfare agencies collaborate to promote educational stability and ensure that children in foster care are enrolled as full-time students in school. Topics covered by the law include enrollment, school records, and transportation.

It is well documented that frequent school changes are associated with an increased risk of failing a grade or dropping out of school. This is especially true for children in foster care.

Under Fostering Connections, child welfare agencies are required to work in partnership with local school district to allow the child to remain in the home school unless it is not in the child's best interest to do so. The law also requires that, when a school change is needed, child welfare agencies promptly enroll children into school promptly.

The Fostering Connection Resource Center

DHS Education Liaison

The role of the DHS Education Liaison is to enhance and coordinate the existing framework within Allegheny County Department of Human Services that serves youth with educational barriers and to promote success to continued education opportunities. The goal is to strengthen cross-systems collaboration (human services, courts, educators, parents, students) in order to support and improve educational outcomes.

Educators, human service workers, parents and students can contact DHS to be routed to the best available resource.

Contact

Samantha Murphy
Resource Services Manager/DHS Education Liaison
412-350-2441

School-based Liaisons

School Based Liaisons through the DHS Office of Behavioral Health, Bureau of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are professionally trained to serve as links between educational systems, mental health providers, and social service agencies. They are part of the Student Assistance Program in every school district in Allegheny County. They can provide assistance and direction to intervention quickly and decisively in situations when students need mental health services. The objectives are to improve communication between systems, and to streamline service delivery. School district administrators can access the assistance of school-based liaisons to discuss formal mental health partnerships in their schools or to consult about a child's specific human service needs.

Contact

Ruth Ann Koss
Supervisor
412-350-3374

All Contacts for Education-related Questions

DHS Educational Supports for all school related issues/concerns including school attendance, data sharing efforts and school stability.

DHS Resources

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