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Quizzes > Society & Culture

McKinney-Vento Act Quiz: Know Homeless Student Rights

Quick, free homeless student rights quiz. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Amanda BohananUpdated Aug 28, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art icons representing education services and housing stability on sky blue background for homeless education quiz

This quiz helps you check how well you apply the McKinney-Vento Act in real school situations. Practice decisions on school of origin, immediate enrollment, and transportation, then see what to improve. For related topics, explore our fair housing test, take a student privacy quiz, or review a constitutional rights quiz.

In what year was the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act first enacted by Congress?
1990
1994
2001
1987
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was originally passed in 1987 to address the educational and housing needs of homeless individuals. It created federal programs to provide support services and rights for homeless children and youth. Subsequent reauthorizations, including under ESSA, have updated the Act but its core dates to 1987.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, which definition best describes a homeless child or youth?
An individual lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence
A student residing in public housing
A student whose family receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Any child living below the federal poverty threshold
The Act defines homeless children and youths as those lacking fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including those doubled-up or in shelters, motels, cars, or substandard housing. It is not based on income levels or public housing status alone. This definition ensures broad coverage of unstable living situations.
Who in a Local Educational Agency (LEA) must be designated to ensure the rights of homeless students under McKinney-Vento?
A local educational liaison for homeless children and youth
The school principal
The district superintendent
The school counselor
Every LEA must designate a local educational liaison for homeless children and youths. This liaison identifies homeless students, facilitates their school enrollment and transportation, and connects families with services. The role is distinct from administrative or counseling positions.
Which of the following must an LEA do when a homeless student seeks enrollment but lacks typical enrollment documents?
Require enrollment only after documents are provided
Delay enrollment until housing is secured
Enroll the student immediately and help gather missing records
Refer the student to a shelter-based school
McKinney-Vento requires schools to immediately enroll homeless students even if they lack records, birth certificates, or immunization documents. Districts must assist in securing the documents but cannot delay enrollment. This provision prevents barriers due to documentation gaps.
What does school of origin mean under the McKinney-Vento Act?
The school a student attended when last permanently housed
The district-owned shelter school
The preferred transfer school selected by the parent
The school nearest to the students current shelter
The school of origin refers to the school a child attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled. Homeless students have the right to remain in that school to promote stability, even if they move out of the attendance area.
What transportation obligation does McKinney-Vento place on LEAs for homeless students?
Provide transportation to and from the school of origin, at parent or guardian request
Offer bus passes but not school bus service
Provide transportation only if parents arrange and fund it
No transportation obligations are specified
LEAs must provide transportation for homeless students to their school of origin when requested by the parent or guardian, or by an unaccompanied youth, if transportation is feasible. This requirement ensures educational stability.
Under the Act, homeless students cannot be denied participation in school activities due to what?
Lack of transportation
Poor academic performance
Unpaid school fees or fines
Behavioral infractions
McKinney-Vento prohibits schools from charging homeless students fees or fines that create barriers to participation, including for meals, textbooks, or extracurriculars. This ensures equal access to all programs.
Which of the following living situations is NOT covered under the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness?
Living in a shelter for homeless families
Living in a car due to lack of alternatives
Living in a motel because of loss of housing
Living in publicly funded permanent housing
Students residing in publicly funded permanent housing have a fixed, adequate nighttime residence and are not considered homeless. The Act covers temporary, inadequate, or non-permanent living arrangements like shelters, motels, and cars.
If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment of a homeless student, what must the LEA do immediately?
Enroll the student in the requested school pending resolution
Place the student in the nearest school by default
Delay enrollment until dispute is settled
Refer the family to mediation services
When there is a disagreement over enrollment, McKinney-Vento requires the student be enrolled immediately in the school requested by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth pending the dispute resolution process. This ensures continuity of education.
What is one key responsibility of the State Coordinator for Homeless Education under the Act?
Issuing student visas for unaccompanied youth
Managing federal housing vouchers
Providing training and monitoring district compliance with McKinney-Vento
Funding local shelter operations directly
The State Coordinator oversees implementation of homeless education provisions, provides training and technical assistance to LEAs, monitors compliance, and compiles data for federal reporting. They do not manage shelter operations or housing vouchers.
Does the McKinney-Vento Act apply to preschool-aged homeless children?
No, it only covers Grades K-12
Yes, it includes preschool children in its protections
Only if they are unaccompanied youths
Only for children over age 3
McKinney-Vento protections extend to preschool-aged children, ensuring early childhood programs and services are accessible with the same removal of barriers, including immediate enrollment.
Which program provides formula and competitive grants to states and LEAs specifically for services to homeless children and youths?
Title II Part A professional development grants
The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program under ESSA Title IX, Part A
Title I Part A basic grants
Head Start discretionary grants
The EHCY program, authorized under Subtitle VII-B of McKinney-Vento and reauthorized by ESSA as Title IX, Part A, provides formula and competitive grants to support educational services for homeless children and youth. Other titles support general education or professional development.
Under McKinney-Vento, an unaccompanied youth is best described as someone who:
Is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian
Is placed in foster care by a court order
Attends school without a parent at lunch
Lives with extended family but no parent
An unaccompanied youth is a homeless child without a parent or guardian in their physical custody, making enrollment and services challenging. They may live alone, with friends, or in shelters.
Which enrollment barrier must LEAs remove for homeless students under the Act?
Age verification
English language proficiency testing
Proof of residency requirements
Immunization requirements
LEAs must waive typical residency requirements for homeless families so their children can enroll immediately. Immunization requirements remain but enrollment cannot be delayed if records are missing. Age and language assessments are handled separately.
How do states report the number of homeless children and youth served under McKinney-Vento to the U.S. Department of Education?
Via the Common Core of Data (CCD)
Through the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR)
Through state financial audits
In the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
States annually submit data on homeless children and youth served through the CSPR required by the Department, detailing counts, services provided, and outcomes. NAEP and CCD cover broader data sets, not specific homeless reporting.
Which enrollment document may schools request from a homeless student if it is readily available, without delaying enrollment?
Guardianship papers
Birth certificate
Immunization or health records
Proof of residency
Schools may request immunization or health records from homeless families if they have them, but cannot delay enrollment if such records are missing. Residency, guardianship, or birth certificates cannot be required for enrollment under McKinney-Vento.
Which of these living situations is NOT automatically covered under the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness?
Living in a domestic violence shelter
Living in a motel because of displacement
Sharing housing due to economic hardship
Awaiting foster care placement in a private home
Children awaiting foster placement do not automatically qualify under McKinney-Vento unless their living situation meets the Acts criteria (e.g., inadequate housing). Shelters, motels, and doubled-up arrangements due to economic hardship are covered.
Which office within the U.S. Department of Education administers the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) grants?
Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)
The EHCY program is administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) under the Office of State Support. This office manages formula and competitive grants for homeless education programs.
Until when may a homeless student continue attending their school of origin after obtaining permanent housing?
Until they graduate
For 30 calendar days
Only until permanent housing is verified
Until the end of the current school year
McKinney-Vento allows homeless students to remain in their school of origin through the remainder of the academic year, even after securing permanent housing. This provision promotes educational stability.
What is the maximum number of days an LEA has to request student records from the former school of a homeless student after enrollment?
Ten school days
Five school days
Thirty calendar days
Fifteen school days
After enrolling a homeless student without records, the LEA must request the students records from the previous school within ten school days, to facilitate appropriate placement and services.
How soon must LEAs provide language assistance services to English Learners identified as homeless?
Only after English proficiency testing
Within 30 days of enrollment
Immediately upon enrollment
Within one academic semester
LEAs must provide homeless English Learners with immediate access to language instruction educational programs and related services upon identification, ensuring no delays in support.
Which practice is prohibited under McKinney-Vento when enrolling a homeless student?
Requiring a guardian to produce official guardianship paperwork
Recording the students living situation
Assigning the liaison to assist with forms
Asking for immunization records if available
Schools cannot require proof of guardianship to enroll a homeless student; they must enroll immediately. They may request immunization records if available but cannot delay. Collecting living situation data and providing liaison support are required.
How often must LEA staff receive training on the educational rights of homeless children and youth?
At least annually
Only when first hired
Every two years
Every five years
Federal guidance recommends that LEA and school personnel receive annual training on McKinney-Vento requirements to ensure ongoing awareness of homeless students rights and best practices.
Which duty is NOT one of the mandatory roles of a McKinney-Vento liaison?
Providing direct mental health counseling
Coordinating transportation services
Ensuring immediate school enrollment
Facilitating dispute resolution
Liaisons identify homeless students, facilitate enrollment and transportation, and resolve disputes, but they are not required to provide clinical mental health counseling. That is referred to qualified professionals.
Which section of the original McKinney-Vento Act specifically authorizes formula grants to State Educational Agencies for homeless education?
Title I, Part C
Subtitle B of Title VII
Title IX, Part A
Subtitle A of Title IV
Formula grants to SEAs for homeless education are authorized under Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Act. ESSA later reauthorized some provisions under Title IX, Part A, but the original section is VII-B.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand key provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act -

    Describe the main eligibility criteria and rights guaranteed to students experiencing homelessness under the Act.

  2. Identify district responsibilities -

    List essential school district obligations such as enrollment procedures, transportation support, and assignment of homeless liaisons.

  3. Apply best practices for homeless education -

    Implement strategies for creating inclusive classroom environments and ensuring continuity of services for unhoused students.

  4. Analyze real-world quiz scenarios -

    Evaluate case studies related to homeless services awareness and choose appropriate responses based on the Act's requirements.

  5. Recall accurate McKinney-Vento quiz answers -

    Reinforce your retention of critical facts and provisions through targeted review of common mckinney-vento quiz answers.

  6. Assess your homeless education knowledge gaps -

    Use your scored results from this homeless education quiz to pinpoint areas needing further study and professional development.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Definition of Homeless Under the Act -

    The McKinney-Vento Act defines "homeless children and youths" broadly, including those doubled-up, in emergency shelters, or awaiting foster care placement (US Dept. of Education, 2016). Use the mnemonic "DESS" - Doubled-up, Emergency shelter, Substandard housing, Street - to recall each living situation category. Understanding this definition is critical for accurate mckinney-vento quiz answers.

  2. Immediate Enrollment Rights -

    Under 42 U.S.C. ยง 11432(g)(3), students must be enrolled immediately even without school records or immunizations (National Center for Homeless Education). Schools are required to contact the last attended institution to obtain transcripts and cannot delay enrollment. This zero-delay policy is a common focus in homeless education quiz scenarios.

  3. School of Origin & Stability -

    The Act guarantees the right to remain in a student's school of origin to minimize educational disruption (USDOE, 2017). Districts must provide transportation to support continuity, which can be funded through Title I or McKinney-Vento grants. Remember "Stay and Strive" to link stability with success in mckinney-vento act questions.

  4. Key Support Services -

    Each district appoints a Homeless Education Liaison to coordinate services like tutoring, transportation, and free meal programs (Every Student Succeeds Act). Matching services to individual needs - such as after-school tutoring funded by Title I set-aside - helps you nail homeless education quiz questions. Think "Liaison Leads to Learning" for quick recall.

  5. Data Collection & Reporting -

    Accurate tracking of enrollment dates, living situations, and liaison referrals ensures compliance and federal funding eligibility (ED guidance). Many mckinney-vento act questions center on reporting requirements and data privacy standards under FERPA. Use the acronym "E-L-R" (Enrollment, Living situation, Referrals) to remember key data points for your quiz.

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