Serving Students Who Are Homeless

"Hallett and Skrla have provided a well-timed guide that districts and schools can use to begin meeting these much-needed expectations and improve outcomes for this often-invisible population of students." —Journal of Children and Poverty (first edition)

This popular book is an important professional development tool for practitioners and an essential textbook for teacher, administrator, and school counselor degree programs.

This new edition of Serving Students Who Are Homeless provides updated guidance to help P–20 educators support students who face significant barriers affecting school access and success due to homelessness and housing insecurity. Taking a solutions-oriented approach, the authors include resources for educators and leaders working at school sites, as well as the district-, county-, and state-level educators that support the implementation of promising practices.
For the second edition, the authors add resources and activities based on lessons learned from current research and feedback from schools and districts that use this book for professional development. Expanded applications-to-practice sections appear at the end of each chapter. Also new to this edition, author Ann Aviles brings deeper insights into how schools and districts can more effectively collaborate with community and social service organizations.
Book Features:

• Guidance related to interpreting federal mandates and implementing promising practices within the local context.
• Resources and activities to run a professional learning community or book study.
• Additional support for leveraging community partnerships to support students and families.
• Case studies that include the voices of students, families, educators, and leaders.
• Exploration of how to engage with key social issues that are currently volatile within the political context that educators, schools, districts and boards navigate.
• New tools in the appendix to encourage educators to reflect on their practice and make better decisions about how to support students and families experiencing homelessness.

Ronald E. Hallett is a research professor at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California and a former public school teacher. Ann M. Aviles is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware. Linda Skrla is professor emerita at Texas A&M University and a former public school teacher and administrator.

“This book provides a holistic view of educating homeless students in a manageable and approachable manner. As such, it is recommended reading for state coordinators and local homeless liaisons under the McKinney-Vento Act, school professionals, healthcare providers, and other community stakeholders.”
—From the Foreword by Zach Stumbo, homeless education coordinator, Division of School and Program Improvement, Kentucky Department of Education

​"A thoughtful and empowering wellspring of practical and actionable guidance intertwined with current research and policy insights​. This is a vital resource on serving students experiencing homelessness for all our schools, districts, and communities!​"
—Alexandra E. Pavlakis, associate professor of education policy & leadership, Southern Methodist University, and co-author of Uprooted: Voices of Student Homelessness