Who Are the Homeless? Student Mobility and Achievement in Michigan 2010-2013

This article provides provide a new, systematic profile of more than 18,000 homeless students in Michigan, utilizing rich administrative data from all test-taking students in Grades 3-9 during three academic years. These data are part of a larger study of school choice and student mobility in that state. Homelessness is a condition found disproportionately away from suburban school districts. African American and Hispanic students are more frequently homeless, and homeless students are almost universally impoverished. They are far more mobile between districts and zip codes than their non-homeless peers and are more likely to participate in interdistrict school choice and charter schools. Finally, homeless students score far lower on state math and reading tests relative to their state, district and school peers.