The McKinney--Vento Act mandates schools to provide students experiencing homelessness or residential instability with access to a stable education by removing barriers to enrollment and attendance (National Center for Homeless Education [NCHE], 2014). Despite this federal legislation guaranteeing students the right to attend school without proof…

In the 2020-2021 school year, more than 25 million children and youth -- roughly half of all elementary and secondary students in the United States -- attended schools in school districts that lacked dedicated funding to identify and support students experiencing homelessness. This significant funding gap increases the likelihood that many…

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, students who experience homelessness have the right to remain in their school of origin or to immediate enrollment in a new school. Eligible English learners (ELs) who are homeless have the right to access language assistance services. States must ensure that homeless children and youths have equal access to free,…

With many Afghan evacuees being resettled in the United States in recent months, the U.S. Department of Education understands there has been some confusion about the services these students are eligible to receive under title VI, subtitle B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act). These services are available to all…

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) has synthesized key data on English learners (ELs) into two-page sheets on a variety of subjects. The topics for this report on English learners and homelessness include: (1) Percentage of Enrolled Homeless Students Who Are English Learners: 2016-17 School Year; (2) Percentage of Students Who…

For the last five years, the California Department of Education (CDE) has reported a steady increase in homeless K-12 students in the state. In the academic year 2018-2019, over 207,000 California K-12 students were without appropriate, consistent and stable housing. Unhoused K-12 students are disproportionately LGBTQ+, migrants, students of…

Undocumented students face many challenges while trying to navigate through the K-12 educational system. This article emphasizes the educational and personal challenges and traumas this vulnerable student population faces. Using the ecological systems theory (1977) developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner as a framework, two student vignettes will be…

This article describes the unique college and career preparation challenges faced by students experiencing homelessness (SEH), framed using a Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) lens. The experience of homelessness presents barriers for secondary students, which can impact their college self-efficacy, outcome expectations of attending and…

The number of students identified as homeless and enrolled in schools increased by 3.5% over a three-year span during the 2012-2013 to 2014-2015 school years (National Center for Homeless Education [NCHE], 2016). The education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended in December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act…

This booklet presents information concerning homelessness and the education of homeless children nationwide and in Illinois. Estimates of the number of homeless children vary widely. Reasons for homeless children's failure to attend school include school residency requirements, delays in transfer of documents, and lack of transportation. The…

This report highlights selected states' attempts to meet the requirements of the 1990 amendments to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (SMHAA), which lays the groundwork for assuring that homeless children and youth have access to and success in schools. A homeless child's success story and an issue that impacts a state's ability to…