Discusses the needs of homeless students, especially those with disabilities, suggesting some simple strategies for school personnel to help homeless students maximize their fullest potential (e.g., locating the students and bringing them to school for enrollment, providing transportation to school, offering nutritious meals and clean clothing,…

The Yellow School Bus Project (YSBP) was created to provide homeless children with the supplies and clothes they need to succeed in school and feel good about themselves. When given these gifts, they receive the explicit message that they are smart and worthwhile, the implicit message that there are people in the community who are invested in…

More and more school districts are hiring family-school coordinators to connect with families through home visits stressing positive discussions. In El Paso, teams of middle-school teachers visit students' homes after school, on weekends, during conference days, and on vacations. Other programs are profiled. (MLH)

The 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and amendments provide considerable protection for the education of homeless children and youth. They also provide formula grants to state education agencies to carry out the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. This article reviews major program components and critiques these…

The curricula and instructional approaches often used in elementary school classrooms, which too often avoid difficult issues, may restrict the social development needed to promote societal well-being. This problem is exacerbated in the early grades, where the discussion of controversial social issues seemingly contradicts the goal of maintaining…

With genuine love and substantive support, educators can help the estimated 200,000 to 500,000 homeless young people in the United States enrich their personal and academic lives. After securing district office staff approval, the building principal and interested faculty can discuss homeless students' needs with the director of the local shelter…

Research shows that by the end of 3rd grade, one of six children in the United States has already attended three or more schools. During a four-year period, overall school stability can fall below 50 percent for many schools. Students--both those who move and those who remain behind--can suffer psychologically, socially, and academically from…

In the past two decades, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of homeless students enrolled in US schools. This report explores collaborative efforts of schools and social service agencies working with homeless children and families. The project's goals were to identify frequently encountered barriers and successful strategies to overcome…

Describes how one school (the Thomas J. Pappas Regional Education Center), serving about 300 homeless K-8 students, responds to the needs and problems of its students and focuses on an atmosphere of safety, stability, and nurturing. (SR)

Recounts two homeless teenagers' struggle to stabilize their lives and graduate from high school. To help other heroic, homeless students, high schools should adopt flexible admission criteria, attendance policies, course offerings, and class assignments and provide special education services, transportation vouchers, and emotional support when…

A study investigated the literacy needs of adolescents staying in short-term crisis intervention centers--shelters for teens who have run away or are otherwise homeless. During a 6-month period, interviews were conducted in a non-threatening, informal environment; the adolescents responded to open-ended questions about their histories of reading…

Highlights the unique needs of students with disabilities who are homeless, legislative mandates for serving these students, and promising practices for overcoming obstacles to service delivery. The practices focus on developing collaborative relationships at multiple levels, creating responsive systems, and providing students with the social and…

This booklet examines the plight of homeless families who have children who need special educational services. It explores the magnitude of homelessness among families, provides empirical descriptions of homeless populations, and identifies factors contributing to the rising incidence of homelessness in the United States. Specific effects of…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the impact of residency and guardianship requirements on the provision of educational opportunities to homeless children and youth. Specifically, the study sought to identify existing legal entanglements, from both state and local policy sources, that resulted in the denial of a free, appropriate public…

As children's challenges and needs climb at an alarming rate, teachers are called to a new pedagogy, called to move beyond the barriers of the past. Moreover, to meet the needs of all learners effectively, teachers must relate to children in new ways that transcend the obstacles that have long stood in the way of meaningful learning. All children,…