Summary: The Epidemic Of Homelessness

Students affected by homelessness are rising at an epidemic rate. There is an upward trend of students who are classified by their school district and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development between 2004-05 and 2013-14 school year, “In school year 2013-14 there were 1.4 million students who were homeless at the beginning of the year...this is more than twice as many as in school year 2004-05 (590,000)” (Child Trends, 2015, p.3). This trend directly increases the number of students impacted with the homeless experience. As of the 2014-15 school year, state educational agencies (SEAs) reported 1,263,323 children experiencing homelessness, compared to 1,219,818 during the 2012-13 school year (National Center for Homeless Education,

2016, p. 8). The increase of 3.5% over three years was experienced across the United States with 21 states reporting 10% or more growth during this three year period and only five states reporting 10% or more reduction of youth experiencing homelessness. The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) also reported:
The majority of students experiencing homelessness, 76%, share housing with others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.

Shelters are the next most commonly used type of housing, as 14% of homeless students resided in shelters. Seven percent had a primary nighttime residence of hotels or motels and 3% were identified as unsheltered” (NCHE, 2016, p. iv).

Over the same three-year span, state educational agencies received a meager increase of 3.5 million additional dollars. Furthermore, there is a 21% increase of students who are unaccompanied between 2012 to 2015, which relates to 95,032 children who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian (NCHE, 2016, p. 17).

Part of the dilemma for students who are homeless is the inconsistency between home and school habits. A family in crisis through homelessness is often marginalized and viewed as dysfunctional. Students who are Homeless and Highly Mobile (HHM) need reassurance and adult role modeling to increase the likelihood of graduating high school and becoming a productive member of society. In their research on early intervention research, Powers-Castello and Swick (2008) found connections through supporting the teacher’s

perspective,
“Although there are some simple steps that teachers can take to provide continuity and stability in the lives of HHM students, teachers should understand their responsibility to identify and readjust their own misperceptions about students and families experiencing housing instability (NCHE, 2013, p. 4).
Adolescents who are affected with homelessness are impacted on several developmental aspects including social, emotional, physical and academic domains.

At times, the teacher’s point of view is undervalued, which affects the positive impact towards the growth of an adolescent and diminishes possible role models with school staff. If educators lack a clear understanding of adolescents who are homeless, they may impede the learning process for this group of students, thereby limiting student achievement in the classroom. It is necessary to determine the educator’s point of view and lived experience with students in homelessness crisis so that educators and teacher preparation programs might better understand what preparation is needed for educators to be effective in assisting this vulnerable population of students to become productive members of society. This problem requires further

research.

What is the lived experience of educators who work with homeless adolescents in the public school settings?

This chapter presents a review of the literature associated with the phenomenon of the educator experiences instructing children affected by homelessness. Specific attention is given to literature that examines how educators develop expertise and understanding this population of students in the K-12 public school environment. The national legislation is summarized with a focus towards the impact of school age children. The McKinney-Vento Act addresses three main goals: increase access; success; and attendance at school. The Act mandates a school with a student who is homeless must remove barriers to ensure they receive an education. Most of the material that is available reflects statistical data or instructional strategies developed to help engage the student in the classroom setting. The literature provided the background information and history of legislation impacting students affected by homelessness and access to their educational supports. Additional research investigated the link between poverty and homelessness. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (2015) indicates, “Lower income households often pay large portions of their income towards housing” (p. 36). This directly relates to families prioritizing their income and begin living with relatives or friends. This is called “doubling up,” which is one of the categories identified by the McKinney-Veto Act. The literature review concludes with the classroom teacher. An extensive review of the literature examined the teachers’ perspective in relation to their student’s homelessness experience, which is limited and needs further investigation.