This article describes the central elements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and, drawing from Spillane's distributed leadership perspective, examines the policy's impact on the homeless education situation. Although the initial passing and subsequent revisions to McKinney-Vento are depicted as providing numerous benefits for students…

Homeless adolescents, known as "unaccompanied youth," constitute a small but important portion of the overall homeless population, one that needs particular attention at school. In this article, we review existing literature to provide a background for educational leaders, researchers, and policymakers hoping to understand the phenomenon of…

In classrooms across the country, when students hear the bell ring at 3 p.m., it signals the end of the school day and, for many, the start of an afternoon without supervision, without productive activities and without direction. Afterschool and summer learning programs are filling the invaluable role of providing essential services--such as a…

This document presents a report on the educational needs of homeless children in New York City. Data were analyzed from the following sources: (1) review of the current literature on the impact of homelessness on the physical and emotional well-being of children; (2) field-based interviews with 277 families in New York's shelters and hotels; and…

A study was done of homeless children and their access to education in District of Columbia Public Schools and of implementation of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act in that school district. A review of District of Columbia proposals for programing and for funding, interviews with school and city officials, and interviews with…