The Effects of Homelessness on the Academic Achievement of Children (Children of Poverty)

A stringent analysis of achievements

This book explores the political, socioeconomic, psychological, and educational factors impacting homelessness. The pattern-matching methodology used in this study helps to investigate the cause and effect relationship of homelessness upon the academic achievement of school-age children. The children's achievements were compared and evaluated against California Achievement Test scores. The data were calculated in years and months to analyze how much deviation there was from the district mean scores on the standardized California Achievement Test in word analysis, vocabulary, comprehension, spelling, language mechanics, language expression, mathematics computation, and mathematics concepts and application.

Makes practical recommendations

The findings of this study reveal that homelessness adversely influences academic achievement as measured by standardized test scores. The consequences of these findings forthe public schools mean that school-age homeless children need special educational services to address their developmental needs, both while they are homeless and after they return to a stabilized home environment. The book also makes educational recommendations and presents innovative programs for stabilizing the cognitive and emotional environment of homeless school-age children.