“Quint has done a valuable service in describing one effort to make school a good place for kids who live on the dangerous margin of society.” —The Washington Post

This seminal work on homeless students and our responsibility to them provides far-reaching research, effective intervention programs, and guidelines for teaching homeless students.

Schools and districts are seeing unprecedented numbers of students and families living without residential stability. Although the McKinney-Vento Act has been around for over two decades, many district- and site-level practitioners have a difficult time interpreting and implementing the Acts mandates within their local contexts. This book 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. They include policy analysis, examples of successful approaches, tools for training staff, youth experiences, and address the role of school districts in serving marginalized students. Serving Students Who Are Homeless can be used as a professional development tool at the local and district level, and as a textbook in higher education settings that prepare entry-level and advanced-credential administrators, counselors, school psychologists, and curriculum leaders.

Details the grave situation facing homeless children and their parents who live in shelters and welfare hotels.

There are over 1.5 million homeless students in U.S. schools, a number expected to rise as a result of Covid-19. Research on this population has existed since the 1980s, but most teachers are unaware of the unique needs of these highly vulnerable students or the laws that exist to protect them. Although they primarily need housing, students experiencing homelessness also need responsive school environments. In language accessible to busy practitioners, this book presents research on homelessness as it impacts children in school and lays out for teachers what is known, and as yet unknown, about how best to serve these students in K-12 and as they prepare for what comes next. Perfect for courses that aim to provide pre-service teachers with proven strategies for reaching underserved student populations.

This is one of the first books to focus on child homelessness in the context of school social work and related professional practice. Beginning with ways to think about homelessness, the book guides the reader through the important studies and findings as they relate to school social workers and other related professionals. It provides readers with a detailed and thoughtful description of important policies that shape practice with homeless students and offers guidance on assessing perceived policy implementation.

"Extraordinarily affecting....A very important book....To read and remember the stories in this book, to take them to heart, is to be called as a witness." THE BOSTON GLOBE There is no safety net for the millions of heartbroken refugees from the American Dream, scattered helplessly in any city you can name. RACHEL AND HER CHILDREN is an unforgettable record for humanity, of the desperate voices of the men, women, and especially children, and their hourly struggle for survival, homeless in America.