Implementing Supports for Students Experiencing Homelessness in Urban Cities

• In Event: Race, Space, Homelessness, and Education

Abstract

Objective. Research states that school districts are over-reliant on individual homeless liaisons to support the holistic needs of students experiencing homelessness (SEH) (Bishop et al., 2020). While multi-tier systems of support could be used to support SEH (Eagle et al., 2015)—it has yet to become a normalized practice within schools and school districts. Furthermore, implementation research on strategies that support SEH have yet to consider how race and racism may impact school district’s service delivery. This paper explores (1) How do school districts leverage school personnel, district-level personnel, and community resources to serve and respond to the academic and social-emotional needs of students experiencing homelessness and promote college and career readiness? (2) To what extent (if any) does the racial composition of the homeless student population inform district strategies and interventions?

Theoretical Framework/s. The author utilized an anti-deficit achievement framework (ADAF) (Harper, 2010) to inform the research design of this study. ADAF is a framework derived from critical race theory and focuses on establishing effective, viable solutions to problems by highlighting the achievements of a racially marginalized group rather than searching out presumed underachievement (Harper, 2010). While the framework is often utilized to study racialized groups, this paper utilized the framework to analyze school districts in racialized urban spaces.

Methods and Data Sources. The study uses multiple case study design to analyze two urban school districts in Los Angeles County that graduated SEH at a rate above the state average. One district was in an affluent, non-redlined city and the other was in a working-class, redlined city. The author interviewed current and previous district homeless liaisons, a high school principal, high school teachers, counselors, and partnering non-profit agencies for each embedded case. To complement the interviews, the author also conducted site observations at each school district and performed a document analysis examining the assets of every state-approved non-profit organization in the respective district.

Findings. Six features were mentioned as key strategies for supporting youth impacted by homelessness. Those strategies were (1) having a qualified and dedicated homeless liaison, (2) considering racial demographics of the homeless population when establishing programming and partnerships, (3) embedding community-based organizations to support SEH inside the school district office, (4) established partnerships with community partners to meet the needs of SEH, (5) establishing coherence from the school board members down to teachers, and (6) aligning school district homeless services resources with city and county resources. Furthermore, the school district in the redlined city was required to extend beyond their community to seek out pivotal community partners.

Significance of Study. The study is first to utilize a race-conscious research design to examine the school district service delivery system for K-12 SEH in the context of a U.S. County. The study shows how school districts, local community-based organizations, city government, and county agencies all play a critical role in supporting the overall success of youth impacted by homelessness.

Author

• Earl J. Edwards, Boston College
  Presenting Author