Update: Data on Students Experiencing Homelessness. Report to the Legislature

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Old Capitol Building, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200. Tel: 360-725-6000; Web site: http://www.k12.wa.us/

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17

Policymakers

Homeless People; At Risk Students; School Districts; Enrollment; Instructional Program Divisions; Graduation Rate; Attendance Patterns; Truancy; Suspension; Expulsion; Racial Differences; Ethnicity; English Language Learners; Special Education; Migrants; Low Income Students; Preschool Education; Kindergarten; Elementary Secondary Education; Place of Residence; Federal Legislation; Educational Legislation; State Legislation; Individualized Education Programs; Students with Disabilities; Federal Aid; State Aid

The federal McKinney-Vento Act broadly defines homelessness in an effort to provide protections and supports for students living in a variety of unstable housing situations. This ensures school stability and continued enrollment at a time when a student's nighttime residence may be constantly changing. In Washington, the number of children and youth experiencing homelessness has increased since 2001, when the McKinney-Vento Act began requiring all school districts to annually report the number of students experiencing homelessness who are enrolled in schools. Due to COVID-19 school building closures, districts had difficulty identifying and serving students experiencing homelessness during the 2020-21 school year. Many districts indicated that students previously enrolled under the protections of the McKinney-Vento Act failed to connect to remote instruction and were not in contact with the districts during the closure. The number of students experiencing homelessness identified and enrolled in districts declined significantly during the 2020-21 school year. With the return of in-person instruction, districts continue to identify and enroll increasing numbers of students identified as experiencing homelessness.

ERIC

2024

ED655314