Research abstract

Homeless Students With Disabilities, Language Needs Growing, New Data Show

The number of homeless students is rapidly rising. The already inadequate government funding is being spread thin. Many of these students have learning difficulties. Something needs to change so that these students can be given a chance to thrive. By Education Week

This article covers the fact that in America, there has unfortunately been an uptick in homeless students who also suffer from disabilities and an English deficiency, out of 1.3 million homeless students nationwide. From 2012 to 2015, there has been an increase in homeless students in general, increasing by 3.5%.
This increase, combined with relatively stagnant levels of federal support for these students, means that this limited federal aid has been spread very thin, providing each individual student with more limited opportunities for improvement, learning, and efficiency. Although one in four school districts now received federal aid for homeless students, it remains an issue.

Key takeaways

  1. New federal data has been released in regards to the academic struggles that homeless youth must endure.
  2. This new data suggests that homeless youth may be more inclined to have language deficiencies.
  3. Only 1 in 4 school districts receive funding allocated for homeless students.

Is your child struggling in school?

Get your free personalized learning roadmap

You describe what you see at home. We turn it into a plan you start this week.

  • Answer 5 short questionnaires about what you already notice, 30–45 minutes at your own kitchen table
  • Your child sits no test and gets no score: nothing to schedule, nothing for them to dread
  • You do the answering, the AI does the writing, and a person reviews it before it reaches you
  • Access all 40+ courses instantly: reading, math, focus, processing and more, with new ones added regularly

Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.

Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.

Get my free assessment & 7-day trial Cancel anytime during your trial.

Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.

A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.