Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Aviles de Bradley (2011) challenge to researchers to analyze the impact of race on policies supporting homeless youth in schools has not increased literature on the topic. In an effort to address the gap in the literature, the current paper focuses on the educational experiences of Black youth-- a population facing disproportionate rates of homelessness. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of student homelessness as well as how schools can support Black students experiencing homelessness, this article explores the following research questions:

1. How do Black high school students in Los Angeles County successfully navigate the barriers of homelessness in order to successfully graduate high school?
2. What are the unique challenges that Black high school students who experience homelessness encounter while working towards high school graduation?
3. How do high school teachers, counselors, administrators, and/or school staff influence participants’ academic success during and after a students’ homeless experience?

Theoretical Framework

This study uses anti-deficit achievement framework (Harper, 2010) to uncover and analyze the experiences of Black youth that experienced homelessness in high school and were able to graduate. The framework rests on two significant tenets. The first tenet of the anti-deficit achievement framework is that reversing research questions to focus on identifying successes within marginalized groups rather than relying on questions highlighting their problems can lead to new solutions that mitigate social problems affecting marginalized communities. The second tenet of the anti-deficit achievement framework posits that individuals from marginalized groups who have attained success in a domain where most underachieve are experts with essential experiential knowledge for identifying effective solutions.

Method and Analysis

The study uses semi-structured interviews with six Black, female high school graduates and six Black, male high school graduates who have experienced homelessness in Los Angeles County for at least two months during high school. The study implements an inductive bottom up approach that deploys three cycles of coding and analysis to identify common themes within each participant’s narrative (Saldana, 2015).

Preliminary Findings

Findings showed that most participants were not supported by their school district under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Instead, participants sought support from a small number of Black teachers, coaches, and administrators as well as Black adults from local community based organizations.

Additionally, participants identified zero tolerance discipline and “No Excuses” policies contributed to a poor school racial climate which limited participants’ ability to receive formal support in school.

Scholarly and Policy Significance

This paper pushes education policy scholars and policymakers to explore the compounding effects of racialized homelessness and its impacts on the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The findings underscore the importance of school districts educating Black community based organizations on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and creating formal partnerships with them in order to effectively support Black students experiencing homelessness.