For schools to be more proactive about addressing the needs of transitioning students and families, it’s important that district officials have a good sense of how often students are changing schools, who these students are, where they’re coming from, and where they’re going. Currently, there is wide variation in how states handle mobility in their student data systems. While some states have a specific definition of mobility, there are also differences in those definitions. By law, states track migrant and homeless students, but not all flag other groups of students that are likely to be mobile, such as military-connected students or those in foster care. Another complication is that when students move, schools do not mark the reason for the transition. Without knowing the reason for the change, all mobile students are lumped into one category— movers. But, as the previous chapter showed, the circumstances surrounding a move can affect students in different ways and have implications for how schools respond. If a move is proactive, for example, the family and the child may feel less stress and the student might feel more positive about the experience. If the change into a new school is reactive—caused perhaps by a difficult financial situation or leaving a negative situation at another school— the student and parents might feel more anxiety about the new school and need additional support and friendship during that time. Current data systems and the information they provide make it very difficult for researchers to separate the effect of the school move from the effect of the circumstances surrounding the move. These are important distinctions for educators to consider. Data systems do allow for researchers and practitioners to understand if a student moved during the summer or during the academic year. The timing of moves may be suggestive of the type of move a student is making; proactive moves may be more likely to occur in the summer months when learning will not be disrupted. Mid-year moves may have a proactive element, such as families moving for a better job, but they may also be reactive in nature, such as a loss of housing.
Homeless Students’ Barriers to Education: Before and After COVID-19