SCHOOL MOBILITY
Mobile Students and Schools—Prepared January 2012
The following summary was modified from the Government Accountability Office Report GAO-11-40 Sept. 2011 (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-40)
Frequency: While nearly all students change schools at some point before reaching high school, some change schools with greater frequency. Students who change schools the most frequently (four or more times) represented about 13 percent of all kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) students and they were disproportionately poor and from families that did not own their home. About 11.5 percent of schools also had high rates of mobility—more than 10 percent of K-8 students left by the end of the school year. These schools, in addition to serving a mobile population, had larger percentages of students who were low-income, received special education, and had limited English proficiency.
Effects on Students: Research suggests that mobility is one of several interrelated factors, such as socio-economic status and lack of parental education, which have a negative effect on academic achievement, but research about mobility’s effect on students’ social and emotional well-being is limited and inconclusive. With respect to academic achievement, students who change schools more frequently tend to have lower scores on standardized reading and math tests and drop out of school at higher rates than their less mobile peers.
Effects on Schools: Schools face a range of challenges in meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of students who change schools. Teachers report that students who change schools often face challenges due to differences in what is taught and how it is taught. Students may arrive without records or with incomplete records, making it difficult for teachers to make placement decisions and identify special education needs. Schools also face challenges in supporting the needs of these students’ families, the circumstances of which often underlie frequent school changes. Moreover, these schools face the dual challenge of educating a mobile student population, as well as a general student population, that is often largely low-income and disadvantaged.
Sources of Support: Schools use a range of federal programs already in place and targeted to at-risk students to meet the needs of students who change schools frequently. The following resources are a great place to start:
The following summary was modified from the Government Accountability Office Report GAO-11-40 Sept. 2011 (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-40)
Frequency: While nearly all students change schools at some point before reaching high school, some change schools with greater frequency. Students who change schools the most frequently (four or more times) represented about 13 percent of all kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) students and they were disproportionately poor and from families that did not own their home. About 11.5 percent of schools also had high rates of mobility—more than 10 percent of K-8 students left by the end of the school year. These schools, in addition to serving a mobile population, had larger percentages of students who were low-income, received special education, and had limited English proficiency.
Effects on Students: Research suggests that mobility is one of several interrelated factors, such as socio-economic status and lack of parental education, which have a negative effect on academic achievement, but research about mobility’s effect on students’ social and emotional well-being is limited and inconclusive. With respect to academic achievement, students who change schools more frequently tend to have lower scores on standardized reading and math tests and drop out of school at higher rates than their less mobile peers.
Effects on Schools: Schools face a range of challenges in meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of students who change schools. Teachers report that students who change schools often face challenges due to differences in what is taught and how it is taught. Students may arrive without records or with incomplete records, making it difficult for teachers to make placement decisions and identify special education needs. Schools also face challenges in supporting the needs of these students’ families, the circumstances of which often underlie frequent school changes. Moreover, these schools face the dual challenge of educating a mobile student population, as well as a general student population, that is often largely low-income and disadvantaged.
Sources of Support: Schools use a range of federal programs already in place and targeted to at-risk students to meet the needs of students who change schools frequently. The following resources are a great place to start:
- Mobile students are often eligible for and benefit from federal programs for low-income, disadvantaged students, such as Title 1, Part A of ESEA which funds tutoring and after-school instruction. See: New York State Schools Statement on Title 1 and Homeless Youth: www.nysteachs.org/faqs/titlei.html
- Schools also rely on the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, which provides such things as clothing and school supplies to homeless students and requires schools to provide transportation for homeless students who lack permanent residence so they can avoid changing schools. See: The National Center for Homeless Education center.serve.org/nche/index.php
- Schools may also tap the resources available for Migrant Students including tutoring, health services and electronic records sharing. See: ESCORT, a national resource for migrant and mobile students: http://escort.org/