This study examined the unique and combined associations of homelessness and school mobility with educational well-being indicators, as well as the mediating effect of absenteeism, for an entire cohort of third-grade students in Philadelphia. Using integrated archival administrative data from the public school district and the municipal Office of Supportive Housing, multilevel linear models were estimated to test these associations while adjusting for nesting of students within schools. Findings demonstrated that homelessness had a unique association with problems in classroom engagement, school mobility was uniquely related to both academic achievement and problems in classroom engagement, and experiencing both homelessness and school mobility was the most detrimental for both forms of educational well-being. Absenteeism was found to partially mediate the relations between homelessness, school mobility, and problems in task engagement. Results provide support for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the need for educational policies for mobile children.

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Child homelessness and educational well-being is an area of national research that requires more precise investigation to address mixed findings. The aim of this study was to extend the investigation of the relations between homelessness and educational well-being by determining if timing and frequency of homeless episodes are differentially associated with children’s academic and classroom engagement outcomes. This investigation used a comprehensive research model to study the effects of these homeless episode characteristics within a large urban student cohort. Additionally, this study accounted for co-occurring early risk factors. Findings indicated that having a first homeless episode in early childhood was associated with non-proficiency in mathematics and academic engagement problems. Also more frequent homeless episodes were related to truancy in third grade. These results stress the importance of early intervention for homeless children and underscore the need to further understand the variation in young children’s homeless experiences.

T he national need for school reform and school-level accountability has increased the importance of school effects research (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010). This body of research investigates how schools as whole systems affect their students' educational well-being (Coe & Taylor Fitz-Gibbon, 1998). School effects research has focused primarily on investigating how characteristics of schools' resources (e.g., type, class size, per pupil expenditures, and teacher qualifications) affect students' academic achievement (for review, see Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000). However this specific focus on school characteristics yielded mixed results. For example, some studies have shown that private schools have higher achievement levels and lower dropout rates than public schools (Morgan & Sorensen, 1999;Rumberger & Thomas, 2000); other research has found little or no significant private school advantage when resources and student characteristics are taken into account (Lee & Burkam, 2003;Raudenbush & Bryk, 1986;Rumberger & Palardy, 2005). Similar discrepancies have been found with respect to the impact of school size. Although some studies have shown that large schools have significantly worse outcomes than middle-or small-sized schools (

This population-based study investigated the unique and cumulative relations between risks that are monitored by public surveillance systems and academic and behavioral outcomes for an entire cohort of third graders in a large, urban public school system. Using integrated, administrative records from child welfare, public health, housing, and education for a population of over 10,000 students, this study documented the disproportionate prevalence of early risks that included low birth weight or preterm birth, inadequate prenatal care, teen mother, high lead exposure, low maternal education, child maltreatment, and homelessness. Multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrated that low maternal education (i.e., mothers without a high school degree) had the strongest association with third grade reading and math achievement, attendance, and school suspensions, controlling for child demographics, poverty, and all other risks. Classroom behavior was significantly influenced by familial and social risks (i.e., teen mother, low maternal education, homelessness, and maltreatment), but not biological risks (i.e., preterm or low birth weight and high lead). The cumulative number of risk experiences was significantly related to both academic and behavioral outcomes and was most strongly associated with school attendance problems. Implications of the study for national child welfare and educational policy are discussed.

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Research Findings: The aim of this study was to provide an initial investigation into the psychometric properties of the Problems in Classroom Engagement Scale (PCES). The PCES was designed and tested for district-wide use as part of the report card system for a large urban school district. The PCES was administered to all first, second, and third grade students in the district. Factor analytic examination revealed a bifactor structure as the best fit to the data. The bifactor structure reflected a general factor of Problems in Behavioral Engagement and two key group factors: Problems in Social Engagement and Problems in Academic Engagement. These factors were found to be reliable within and across grades and demonstrated convergent and divergent relations with academic and behavioral outcomes. Practice or Policy: Findings provide initial evidence to support the routine use of PCES in a large, urban setting. As such, use of the PCES can help in fostering district-wide attention to students' early behavioral, social, and academic engagement difficulties.