Strategies for Success: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness. Lessons from School and District Liaisons on How to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

America is ramping up efforts to improve outcomes for students experiencing homelessness. In addition to increased awareness of the problem, groundbreaking legislation and policies at all levels, public and private support organizations, local communities, and states are undertaking a variety of efforts to boost outcomes for some of the country's most vulnerable children and youth. Examples around the country can inspire other schools, districts, communities, and states to identify, engage, and support students experiencing homelessness in America's schools. To learn more about a variety of efforts that identify and support students experiencing homelessness in schools and districts throughout the country, Civic conducted interviews with educators in Virginia, New Hampshire, Texas, Montana, and Michigan. The goal of this project is to identify strategies schools and districts are using to successfully mitigate the challenges these students face attending and succeeding in school and disseminate those best practices. This work supplements multiple efforts of Building Changes, a Washington State-based nonprofit, aimed at identifying replicable practices for schools on how best to meet the needs of their students experiencing homelessness. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, Building Changes has developed a menu of strategies schools can utilize to support these students. Case studies further illuminate some of these practices and provide examples other schools and districts can draw upon to improve outcomes for students experiencing homelessness. [This report was produced in partnership with the Education Leads Home Campaign.]