The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides support in the form of grant funding to school districts in Pennsylvania that have a significant homeless student population through the Education of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) program. The School District of Philadelphia’s ECYEH office seeks to educate members of the community about homeless students’ rights and the resources available to them through training sessions for school staff members, and separate workshops for parents and teens. Also with the help of Title I funding, various services are provided to homeless students, including uniform vouchers, transportation passes, and after school/summer programs. The District’s ECYEH office established three priorities for the implementation of this grant:

• Improving and maintaining the computerized tracking of homeless students;
• Ensuring continued school enrollment for homeless students as they await placement in permanent housing; and
• Increasing outreach to homeless and displaced teenagers and families who are living in doubled-up arrangements.

This evaluation report assessed ECYEH program activities for the 2012-13 school year based on the office’s three priorities.

Important findings include:

• The program successfully increased the number of participating staff members in training sessions, the number of Teen Evolution Experience Network (TEEN) workshops, the number of 0-5 year old children identified as homeless, and the percentage of students provided with helpful services.
• Providing comprehensive education to homeless students is contingent on the availability of relevant resources and staff.

Use the button to download the 36-page report.