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Meeting Date:
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12/21/2017 - 6:30 PM
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Category:
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Reports and Communications from the Superintendent of Schools
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Type:
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Info
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Subject:
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2. Report with Possible Action on Student Enrollment Update from Disaster Areas, Puerto Rico.
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Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
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Goal 1 Academic Achievement Goal 2 Student, Family and Community Engagement
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Attachments
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Student Enrollment Update
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File Attachment:
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Background:
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In September 2017, the Board directed the Administration to perform an assessment of and communicate plans to support the enrollment of students from Puerto Rico and other areas experiencing natural disasters. The Department of Student Services in collaboration with the Office of Bilingual/Multicultural Education – LAU Compliance and the Office of College and Career Readiness worked together to enroll students from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Many of the families that arrived from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria qualified as homeless under the definition of homeless provided by the McKinney-Vento Act. Due to the hardship situation suffered from Hurricane Maria, the families lost their housing and are now living doubled-up with friends or family members in the Milwaukee area. Through the McKinney-Vento Act, the families qualify for the Homeless Education Program, making the children eligible for immediate enrollment without any paperwork. The staff from the LAU Compliance Office met with the families to provide them with the appropriate educational program. The students were either placed in our English as a Second Language (ESL) or bilingual education program.
The families who qualified as homeless received backpacks, school supplies, and donated items, such as hats and scarves from the Homeless Education Program. The names of the students were sent to the school social worker for follow-up and to provide them with services as needed, such as additional school supplies, waiving school fees, uniforms, referrals to community resources and transportation as the families move to new locations.
Families were also referred to visit the following community agencies for services:
• Lady of Charities, Urban Threads and St. Vincent De Paul for clothing and furniture;
• United Migrant Organization Services (UMOS) for housing, food stamps, health and employment; and
• Various food pantries.
A total of 270 students were enrolled from Puerto Rico to Milwaukee Public Schools after Hurricane Maria. There were 227 students enrolled through the LAU Compliance Office and there were 43 students enrolled directly through the schools. The attached list indicates where children were assigned.
Once a student is enrolled into a high school through the Department of Student Services or the LAU Compliance Office, the student’s transcript is evaluated at the school by the school counselor. The student is scheduled into the appropriate classes based on the transcript and the district graduation requirements. Any transcripts in a language other than English or that are from outside the United States are translated and evaluated by a contracted service at no cost to the families. Students that do not have a transcript usually have some other form of documentation, such as a report card, from which the school counselor can appropriately schedule the student. In the event a student would not have any documentation, the school counselor will talk with the student and family to best schedule them into the appropriate classes until some documentation can be secured.
In the event that no documentation is secured, students may take a competency exam for each of the courses required for graduation and receive credit for that course with a passing grade on the exam. Students that are unable to secure any documentation, are 17.5 years of age or older, and may not be able to meet the graduation requirements through traditional course work or the competency exams may be enrolled into the GEDO #2 program and still earn a regular MPS diploma upon successful completion of the program. Per State Statute 118.33 and Administrative Policy 7.37, both grade level and graduation status are based on credit attainment.
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Fiscal Impact Statement:
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No Fiscal Impact.
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Implementation and Assessment Plan
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Recommendation:
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Matthew Boswell - Senior Director
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Signed By:
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Keith Posley - Chief
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Signed By:
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Dr. Darienne Driver - Superintendent
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