This book is a study of the impact that changes in living environments (i.e. from homelessness in a shelter to a family's own dwelling unit) have on the academic achievement of school-age children. The study samples seven cases of public school children in grades 5 through 8 during the years 1988 to 1991. The children lived in the same shelter and attended the same urban school system. It compares the academic achievement scores of these children when they were in an urban shelter and when they had returned to a family dwelling. The academic achievement score was matched to a norm for each of the eight academic categories of the California Achievement Test. Results indicate that homelessness has an adverse effect on the academic achievement of school-age children. The study also suggests that if supportive educational services are not received when the child is homeless, the achievement test results will be lower than the district mean. The first chapter highlights the problem, and the second presents a literature review. Chapter 3 discusses the case study technique and the pattern-matching research methodology. Case study data are presented in chapter 4, and chapter 5 is devoted to the summary, conclusions, and some recommendations resulting from the data analysis. (Contains 7 tables, 15 figures, and 49 references.) (SLD)