Identifying and Serving Vulnerable Students: Evidence from Rural Kentucky

Abstract Housing insecurity among school-aged children in the U.S. has reached crisis levels; each year, between 1.1 and 1.4 million children experience homelessness. The opportunity for economic mobility is sti?ed by housing insecurity as students experiencing homelessness have lower levels of school attendance and achievement than similar stably housed peers. In this context, schools have come to play important roles: schools are often the places where children are identi?ed as experiencing homelessness and where they access resources and supports. And, although federal law provides some guidance, school districts have substantial ?exibility in how they identify and serve students experiencing homelessness. To understand district- and school-based practices, we will conduct interviews with individuals from 25 individuals from rural districts in Kentucky. In doing so, our study will advance our understanding of how school sta navigate the complexity and challenges of identifying students who may be experiencing homelessness, how they approach determining their eligibility for services, and how they serve these students and their families.