This book is for educators who wish to serve students who temporarily share housing with other families, live in homeless shelters or motels, nd/or camp out in cars and other stopgap places.

Provides much-needed guidance to help educational leaders support students who are homeless and highly mobile students who face significant barriers related to access and academic success. The authors employ several different strategies to help translate complex state and federal policies into effective practices.

This publication details components of California's statewide plan for educating homeless children and youth. Revisions of the original plan were based on data derived from statewide surveys of school districts and shelters conducted in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The 1990 amendments to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 focus more on what is happening or should be happening locally to ensure that homeless children are able to attend and remain in school. A particular concern is the lack of awareness that prevents homeless children from receiving the same educational opportunities as their peers. Following the preface, the introduction describes the basis and purpose of The State Plan for Educating Homeless Children and Youth. The next five sections present information and recommendations for state- and local-level responsibilities. Information is presented on developing and implementing the plan; resolving disputes about placement; eliminating barriers to educating homeless children and youth; providing equal access to educational programs and services; and promoting, implementing, and monitoring the plan. Appendices contain the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, a legal advisory on applying residency requirements to homeless children, and lists of advisory committee members for 1988-89 and 1990-91. (LMI)

Newman's ethnographic study considers the ways in which the family and school environments of eleven homeless school children affected their school performance. Homelessness is revealed to be multi-faceted, serving simultaneously as a cause, result, and potentiator of their families' problems. A variety of initiatives in the realms of policy, research, and practice are suggested for addressing the problems of these youngsters, as well as the problems of the many other extremely poor school children. First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This publication summarizes issues relating to the education of homeless children and youth and reviews programs that are effective in the delivery of educational services to this population. The report is comprised of five sections. The first section, "Introduction," surveys factors contributing to homelessness and indicates the special needs of young people who are homeless. The second section, "Problems in Educating Homeless Children and Youth," examines the following situations: (1) legal barriers, including residency requirements and guardianship requirements; (2) financial constraints, including family-related financial problems and school-related financial problems; (3) institutional impediments, including lack of records, placement in inappropriate programs, lack of coordination, and educational performance problems; and (4) social and psychological concerns, including stress, social acceptance, and self-esteem. The third section, "Federal Legislation for the Homeless," describes provisions of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act for homeless education. The fourth section, "Programs that Work," describes transitional programs in Tacoma (Washington), Salt Lake City (Utah), and San Diego (California), and mainstreamed programs in Venice (California), and New York City. The fifth section, "Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness," restates the need for more innovative educational programs along with economic, domestic, and other changes. A list of 19 references is appended. (AF)

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was enacted in 1987 as the first federal legislation intended to comprehensively combat homelessness. Title VII-B of the Act created the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, which authorizes the appropriation of federal funds to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness receive a free, appropriate public education. This book focuses on (1) "Issues of Homelessness and Education: Causes, Consequences and Definitions"; (2) "State, Local and Federal Responsibilities Regarding Access to Education: Removing Barriers to Enrollment, Attendance and Success"; (3) "School Responsibilities and Implementation Strategies" (stability and school selection, discrimination and segregation, and identification of and outreach to families and youth experiencing homelessness); (4) "Supporting Academic Achievement: Title I, Part A Requirements"; and (5) "You Are Not Alone! Resources for Understanding and Implementing the McKinney-Vento Act." Two appendices contain a list of state coordinators for the education of homeless children and youth and statutory provisions defining the role of the U.S. Department of Education in the administration of the McKinney-Vento Act. (SM).