The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) provides grant funding to eight regions in Pennsylvania to serve students experiencing homelessness through the Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) program. ECYEH’s priorities include identifying and tracking the number of students experiencing homelessness and providing supports such as school enrollment assistance, uniforms, transportation, backpacks/school supplies/other needs, and referrals. This brief provides information about progress toward the goals of the ECYEH grant program and priorities of SDP staff.

Key findings include:

• ECYEH identified a larger percentage of students experiencing homelessness in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22.
• Students identified as “doubled up” represented the most frequent living arrangement for those experiencing homelessness.
• In addition to having a higher rate of chronic truancy, students identified as experiencing homelessness also scored lower on standardized assessments, had higher rates of suspensions, and had lower rates of on-time graduation.
• ECYEH continued their Teen Evolution Experience Network (TEEN) program and created new partnerships that supported students experiencing homelessness.