The Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program: Learning to Succeed is a two-volume report on two studies that were conducted by Policy Studies Associates (PSA) under contracts with the Planning and Evaluation Service of the U.S. Department of Education. Volume I, Reducing Barriers for Homeless Children and Youth for Access and Achievement, reports on state and local efforts to serve the educational needs of homeless children and youth and overcome barriers that affect these students’ enrollment, attendance, and school success. Volume II, Educating Homeless Children and Youth: A Resource Guide to Promising Practices, describes promising strategies and practices that states, districts and schools can use to enroll homeless children and youth in school, and to help them to achieve the same high standards expected of all children.
The studies found that homeless students are best served when promising practices are implemented as part of a comprehensive and coordinated homeless education program. States have made the most progress in eliminating immunization requirements as barriers to enrollment, but transportation, guardianship, and frequent moves from school to school are still significant barriers to educating homeless students. Regardless of whether or not they are awarded federal funds under the McKinney-Vento Act, districts are finding ways to address at least some needs of their homeless children and youth. However, districts with McKinney subgrants were able to provide a broader range of educational and recreational services. Districts with no McKinney dollars relied on funds from Title I and community organizations to support their efforts.