On June 12, SchoolHouse Connection, Civic Enterprises, America’s Promise Alliance, and the Institute for Children, Poverty, & Homelessness (ICPH) released 50 state progress reports that summarize available state-level data on the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness, from early childhood through postsecondary education. The reports provide comprehensive baseline data to help raise awareness of homelessness in early care and education systems. They will be updated annually to help states gauge progress in identifying and supporting children and youth experiencing homelessness, as we work toward a 90 percent graduation rate.
In concert with these state progress reports, ICPH also released Out of the Shadows: A State-by-State Ranking of Accountability for Homeless Students. Out of the Shadows ranks states according to five indicators:
- Percentage of Children in Head Start and Early Head Start Who are Homeless
- Homeless Children as a Percentage of Poor Children in Pre-K
- Homeless Children as a Percentage of Extremely Poor Children in K-12
- Percentage of All Students Identified as Homeless and Doubled-Up
- Percentage of Homeless Students Identified as Having a Disability
Together, the two reports should spark robust conversations about how well early care, K-12, and higher education systems are identifying and supporting children and youth experiencing homelessness.