This narrative study is based on stories told by African American adolescents experiencing homelessness. It offers insights into their lived experiences and describes the challenges faced in negotiating the urban education system. African American youth are disproportionately represented in the adolescent homeless demographic. "Unheard and…

Rates of student homelessness have increased dramatically throughout the United States in recent years, yet there has been a dearth of scholarly analysis devoted to key organizations' engagement of the issue. Given that the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act has taken on a central, but underexamined role in shaping this engagement,…

There are approximately 1.5 million children in the United States who go to sleep each night without a home of their own (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009). In this article, we provide insights into how educators can create greater classroom support, particularly in literacy learning and development, for this population. Drawing from…

Across America, the numbers of homeless children and families are growing as a result of many factors including the recent economic crisis, home foreclosures, and natural disasters. Because of an increase in the number of homeless children throughout the United States, this population has unmet needs that can be targeted in school settings under…

It is critical that teachers and administrators seek out and serve the invisible children in their classrooms and schools. When they acknowledge the condition of homeless and foster children, they can begin to address their unique learning needs and close their learning gaps. Based on definitions provided by the McKinney-Vento Act, some schools…

Because teachers are human, they sometimes judge their students based on where they live or the language they speak. Students are channeled into honors, regular or remedial classes based on these judgments. Separate sets of expectations are imposed upon separate sets of children, limiting access to information and opportunity. Teachers must…

Explores the school mobility of children and youth experiencing homelessness and the success of the McKinney-Vento Act (designed to limit the negative effects of school mobility on homeless students) in addressing this mobility. Proposes that affordable housing is the key to eliminating the mobility associated with homelessness and consequently…

Examines the legislative context of the new McKinney-Vento provisions, looking at the characteristics of homelessness and the resultant educational barriers that these provisions are attempting to address, and describing how two Texas school districts have responded to the challenges of providing transportation to ensure that students in homeless…