The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City

Transcription

1 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City August 2015 ICPH USA Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness

2 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City is a product of the ICPH team of Nikki Atwal, Linda Bazerjian, Jennifer Erb-Downward, Mark Harris, Tom Hilliard, Josef Kannegaard, Anna Shaw, and Lulu Tuan. The Atlas team would like to thank all those who made this publication possible including the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Department of Education Students in Temporary Housing (STH) Unit, and Michael Bierman Graphic Design. iv 2015, The Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

3 Table of Contents Table of Contents Executive Summary...3 User s Guide Overview: Homeless Students in New York City Student Homelessness Is Rapidly Growing Most Children Are Homeless for More than One School Year Hispanics and Blacks Are Over-Represented Among Homeless Students Young Children Are Most at Risk of Homelessness Housing Instability Undermines School Stability Where Homeless Students Attend School...17 The Geography of Student Homelessness Patterns of Pre- K Enrollment Geographic Patterns by Type of Homelessness The Geographic Disruption of Homelessness Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students...24 Geographic Patterns of Absenteeism Identifying Students in Need of Additional Supports The Intersection of Homelessness and Language Needs Discipline of Homeless Students High School Dropout Patterns State Test Pass Rates: Math State Test Pass Rates: English High School Graduation Patterns Homeless Students by District...43 Individual School District Profiles and Rankings Appendix Glossary Data Summaries New York City School Districts New York City Community Districts City Council Districts State Assembly Districts State Senate Districts Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 1

4 2 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

5 Executive Summary Executive Summary To most New Yorkers, the face of homelessness is the person they see on the street or in a subway station typically an adult male, perhaps panhandling for change, talking to himself or quietly suffering. Yet single adults actually constitute a minority of the city s homeless. 1 The invisible face of homelessness is that of a child. During the school year, approximately 28,000 school-age children were living in shelters, 49,000 were living doubled up with other households, and 7,000 were living outside shelters or residences (or in an unspecified location), in some cases potentially on the street or in empty buildings. If these 84,000 students lived together, they would form a small city the size of Trenton, NJ. 1 Between 2010 and 2013, the number of school-age homeless children in New York City grew by 25%, even as the number of all school-age children remained roughly the same. This ominous trend seems to be driven by shrinking availability of low-income affordable housing, stagnating wages, and migration of higher- income New Yorkers into low-income communities. Whatever broad economic recovery is taking hold in New York City does not appear to have reached extremely low-income New Yorkers, for whom unstable employment and housing have become the new normal. As a result, thousands of the city s children each year experience instability in the form of hunger, frequent moves, chronic health problems, and anxiety for their family s future. Moreover, these children most often struggle with disruptions to their educational progress and fall behind in school. Given the scope and direction of homelessness among school-age students, it is imperative for policymakers and educators to know more about their experiences in school. Until now, such information has never been 1 NYC Department of Homeless Services, Daily Report, July 17, Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 3

6 available. The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City provides a detailed picture of homelessness within the city s educational system: where homeless students go to school, what kinds of supports they may need, and what their academic outcomes look like. This picture dispels the notion that homeless students are the same as other poor students. The data for this Atlas was provided primarily by the New York City Department of Education. Federal law entitles homeless children to certain educational rights and supports including immediate enrollment in school without the usual required documents and records, which may not be readily available. Based on their needs and district resources homeless students receive assistance that may include school supplies, transportation, clothes, and afterschool programs, as well as other supports. In New York City, schools receive technical support from the Students in Temporary Housing Unit (STH) within the Department of Education and from the New York State Technical & Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYS TEACHS). Teachers and other school personnel are often the first to identify homeless children who have slipped between the cracks of the city s support systems. This first responder role makes schools a vitally important resource for meeting the needs of homeless children and their families. 2 Key Citywide Findings One out of every nine students in NYC public schools in SY had experienced homelessness within the past four school years. One out of four homeless students had English Language Learning needs in SY , compared to one in seven housed students. Over half (51%) of all homeless students in New York City were Hispanic in SY Thirty-eight percent of homeless students were chronically absent (missed more than 20 days of school) in SY , compared to 22% of housed students. Of all students scheduled to graduate in SY , 20% of homeless students dropped out compared to 9% of their housed peers. Homeless students include all students who experienced homelessness during high school. On all educational indicators, homeless students achieved worse outcomes than housed students, including housed students eligible for free lunch. 2 New York City Department of Education. Students in Temporary Housing, Housing/default.htm (accessed July 20, 2015). 4 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

7 Child homelessness is experienced one neighborhood, school, or shelter at a time. Citywide findings can illuminate the larger context of school-age child homelessness in New York City, but they do not provide local texture or opportunity for comparisons between districts and schools. To get closer to the lived experience of homeless school-age children, the Atlas profiles each of the city s 32 school districts. The instability of homelessness can leave lasting scars in a child s development. Recent brain research has found that acute and chronic stress experiences can traumatize children, overloading the stress-response center in their brains and weakening executive function skills. 3 Homelessness is believed to contribute to a number of these stress experiences, which combine to make the normal challenges of navigating school and society even more difficult. With more and more children experiencing homelessness, it is vitally important to understand the unique challenges that homeless students face and the interventions and opportunities available to help them. Key District-level Findings The total number of homeless children attending school in a single New York City school district in SY ranged from 630 in District 26 (Queens) to over 8,500 in District 10 (Bronx). The percent of the student body that was homeless by district ranged from a low of 2% in District 26 to a high of 18% in the Bronx s District 9. No district had a student homelessness rate of less than 2% in SY While the average rate of homelessness among students in New York City was 8% in SY , in some schools up to 46% of students were homeless. In eight schools, homeless students comprised at least 40% of the student body in SY In three schools, students who had been homeless at some point between SY and comprised at least 50 percent of the student body. Executive Summary 3 Robert F. Anda et al, The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. 2006;256(3): doi: /s Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 5

8 SY n 18% 22% n 22.1% 28% n 28.1% 36% n 36.1% 43% n 43.1% 53% Note: Data is by school district for SY and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH Johns Hopkins School of Education, Meeting the Challenge of Combating Chronic Absenteeism, October 2011; Baltimore Education Research Consortium, Early Elementary Performance and Attendance in Baltimore City Schools Pre- Kindergarten and Kindergarten, March Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch New York City 38.3% 24.6% 16.4% Manhattan 36.4% 27.8% 13.0% Lower East Side (1) 38.7% 27.0% 12.3% Financial District/Midtown/Upper East Side (2) 33.0% 27.2% 12.0% Upper West Side/Morningside Heights (3) 40.0% 29.8% 7.7% East Harlem (4) 36.8% 23.4% 17.1% Central Harlem/Manhattanville (5) 48.2% 33.8% 23.2% Hamilton/Washington Heights/Inwood (6) 26.5% 21.6% 18.8% Bronx 42.4% 30.9% 23.7% Mott Haven/Melrose (7) 45.2% 35.7% 43.3% Hunts Point/Longwood (8) 45.8% 34.6% 27.6% Highbridge/Concourse (9) 43.3% 30.2% 26.8% Riverdale/Bedford/Fordham/Belmont (10) 35.9% 26.6% 18.4% Williamsbridge/Baychester/Morris /Co-op City (11) 40.3% 25.5% 15.9% East Tremont (12) 46.2% 33.2% 31.1% Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch Brooklyn 37.9% 23.6% 16.4% Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene (13) 48.0% 26.5% 14.4% Williamsburg/Greenpoint (14) 40.8% 29.5% 17.0% Carroll Gardens/ Slope/Sunset (15) 30.6% 19.0% 7.7% Bedford-Stuyvesant (16) 44.6% 35.5% 34.9% Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens (17) 39.0% 24.4% 21.7% East Flatbush/Canarsie (18) 34.8% 25.2% 19.6% East New York/Starrett City (19) 46.1% 32.4% 29.3% Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Borough (20) 17.8% 13.0% 13.5% Coney Island/Gravesend/Ocean way (21) 28.1% 21.2% 17.6% Flatbush/Flatlands/Sheepshead Bay (22) 25.5% 16.2% 12.1% Brownsville (23) 53.4% 38.3% 31.3% Bushwick (32) 41.4% 26.7% 26.7% Queens 32.0% 19.1% 16.9% Sunnyside/Ridgewood/Maspeth/Elmhurst/Corona (24) 24.1% 14.0% 12.5% Flushing/Whitestone (25) 21.7% 16.7% 15.7% Bayside/Little Neck/Fresh Meadows/Floral (26) 27.4% 13.7% 9.7% Woodhaven/Ozone /Howard Beach (27) 38.9% 23.4% 17.2% Rego /Forest Hills/Briarwood (28) 31.3% 19.3% 14.3% Hollis/Queens Village (29) 32.9% 19.2% 15.0% Astoria/Long Island City (30) 19.3% 15.8% 12.9% Staten Island 37.9% 25.2% 13.1% Staten Island (31) 37.0% 24.4% 12.5% Note: Data by school district does not include schools in non-geographic districts so borough and district total percentages may differ. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 26 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 27 Class of 2014 n 10.5% 12.3% n 12.4% 15.6% n 15.7% 18.8% n 18.9% 23.3% n 23.4% 31% Note: Data is by school district and represents the 4-year dropout rate for students who entered high school in 2010 and experienced homelessness at any point during their high school career. Data does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch New York City 19.8% 9.2% 5.0% Manhattan 18.1% 8.1% 1.4% Lower East Side (1) 23.0% 20.4% 2.4% Financial District/Midtown/Upper East Side (2) 17.8% 7.5% 1.5% Upper West Side/Morningside Heights (3) 25.0% 6.5% 0.8% East Harlem (4) 17.0% 3.9% Central Harlem/Manhattanville (5) 11.4% 8.0% 3.2% Hamilton/Washington Heights/Inwood (6) 15.4% 8.7% Bronx 22.4% 13.1% 6.0% Mott Haven/Melrose (7) 23.3% 11.4% Hunts Point/Longwood (8) 26.8% 16.8% Highbridge/Concourse (9) 15.2% 10.9% Riverdale/Bedford/Fordham/Belmont (10) 25.4% 13.9% 3.4% Williamsbridge/Baychester/Morris /Co-op City (11) 23.1% 11.6% 11.6% East Tremont (12) 18.8% 11.8% Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch Brooklyn 17.5% 7.8% 8.0% Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene (13) 15.6% 3.5% 0.7% Williamsburg/Greenpoint (14) 20.4% 10.8% 8.1% Carroll Gardens/ Slope/Sunset (15) 15.1% 7.7% 4.8% Bedford-Stuyvesant (16) 28.2% 12.0% Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens (17) 11.1% 5.9% 3.2% East Flatbush/Canarsie (18) 17.2% 8.8% 12.1% East New York/Starrett City (19) 22.0% 12.0% Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Borough (20) 18.5% 10.2% 16.7% Coney Island/Gravesend/Ocean way (21) 10.5% 5.0% 14.1% Flatbush/Flatlands/Sheepshead Bay (22) 14.2% 7.2% 6.0% Brownsville (23) 21.3% 8.5% Bushwick (32) 31.0% 15.9% Queens 18.9% 7.8% 6.9% Sunnyside/Ridgewood/Maspeth/Elmhurst/Corona (24) 14.3% 6.8% 11.7% Flushing/Whitestone (25) 20.2% 8.2% 13.1% Bayside/Little Neck/Fresh Meadows/Floral (26) 20.8% 5.3% 4.1% Woodhaven/Ozone /Howard Beach (27) 25.1% 13.6% 12.9% Rego /Forest Hills/Briarwood (28) 21.5% 6.9% 6.1% Hollis/Queens Village (29) 12.3% 5.8% 7.1% Astoria/Long Island City (30) 12.2% 8.0% 4.7% Staten Island 18.8% 8.8% 3.4% Staten Island (31) 18.8% 8.8% 3.4% Note: Students are categorized according to whether they experienced homelessness or were eligible for free lunch at any point during their high school career. Data by school district does not include schools in non-geographic districts so borough and district total percentages may differ. N s of less than 30 students were redacted. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 34 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 35 User s Guide The Atlas of Student Homelessness is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of homelessness among students in New York City focusing on overarching characteristics and trends citywide. Section Two explores the geographic distribution of homeless students across the city. Section Three examines how homeless student characteristics and educational outcomes vary by school district, and Section Four provides an in-depth look at student homelessness in each school district. Definitions of all terms, as well as additional tables by Community, City Council, Assembly, and Senate District, are included in the Appendix. Citywide Maps Citywide heat maps are included to enable visual comparisons across school districts. While the color of each map varies depending on the information presented, the darkest shade will generally represent the worst outcome and the lightest shade the best outcome. Most citywide maps are accompanied by tables that enable comparison across school districts as well as by student poverty level and homelessness. The three groups shown in the table are homeless students, housed students receiving free or reduced price lunch (a common proxy for measuring low-income status), and housed students not receiving free or reduced price lunch. All homeless students are automatically eligible for free and reduced price lunch. Geographic Patterns of Absenteeism Chronic Absenteeism Among Homeless Students Chronically absent students are more likely to repeat a grade, perform poorly on state tests, and drop out of school. 1 On average, 23% of In seven school students in New York districts over 45% City were chronically of homeless students absent in SY were chronically absent, missing In SY days or more of absenteeism varied school in SY sharply by housing and income status: There was a 36-38% of homeless percentage point students were difference between chronically absent the lowest, Bay Ridge compared to 25% (20), at 18%, and the of housed students highest, Brownsville eligible for free lunch (23), at 53%. and 16% of housed students not eligible for free lunch. Chronic Absenteeism Rate, School Year Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students High School Dropout Patterns Four Year Among Homeless Students Analyzing best practices that help homeless students to stay in school could lead to strategies that reduce dropout rates in other districts. On average, 10% of all New York City students scheduled to graduate in SY dropped out prior to graduation. One out of every five students who experienced homelessness during high school dropped out compared to one in 11 housed students eligible for free lunch in SY In six school districts (3, 8, 10, 16, 27, and 32) at least 25% of students who experienced homelessness left school without graduating. The highest district dropout rate for housed students eligible for free lunch was 20% in SY In three school districts (5, 17, and 21), the dropout rate for homeless students in SY was within 2 percentage points of the citywide dropout rate for all students. Four-Year, Class of Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students 6 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

9 Methodology The New York City Department of Education provided access to de-identified student level data for all students attending New York City public schools between the school years of and These data, recorded at the end of each school year, were linked to annual student housing status information through a unique scrambled student identifier. All students were geocoded based on their last school of enrollment and their school district number. In order to protect student privacy and adhere to the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, all numbers and percentages that could potentially reveal 10 or fewer students have been redacted. For data reliability, all percentages calculated using less than 30 students have also been omitted. Out of 1,752 total public schools in New York City in SY , 1,677 had a physical address and were mappable. An additional 310 schools in which 10 or fewer students were homeless were excluded to protect student privacy, leaving 1,367 schools in the citywide map. Because of the large degree of variation in school district size, individual district maps are shown in five different scales, with the distance per inch at the bottom. Natural breaks were used to create groupings for all maps, unless otherwise noted. Data analysis for the atlas was conducted in Stata and geographic maps were created in ArcGIS. Limitations Because homeless students are eligible under Mckinney-Vento law to remain at their school of origin or enroll in their local school, data represents where students attend school and should not be interpreted as providing information about where homeless students live. Information presented in this Atlas is specific to homeless students attending New York City Department of Education Public Schools and should not be generalized to New York City Charter Schools. While the total number of homeless charter school students is reported to the State annually, more detailed information on the outcomes of homeless students attending charter schools is not publicly available. Finally, information on homeless students and families is self-reported by the family. A family that does not wish to be identified as homeless may not report that status. User s Guide Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 7

10 School District Pages Location of School District in New York City. Number of shelter units and shelters in the district for families with children. The number of units is a rough approximation of the total number of families in shelter in the school district. Rankings are shown by borough and citywide. The higher the ranking, the greater the percent of students who are homeless. Because homeless students do not always live in their school district the number of students in shelter is not necessarily related to the number of shelter units in the District. Comparison between homeless students, housed students who are poor, and housed students who are not poor within the district. Eligibility for free or reduced price lunch is used as a proxy for student poverty. Data specific to homeless students attending school within the district. City School District 9 Bronx 1,316 Shelter Units 18 Family Shelters Rank By highest percent of students homeless 1out of 6 City School Districts in the Bronx 1out of 32 Total Districts in New York City School Year The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org Housed, Housed, free no free Homeless lunch lunch Number of Students % Pre-K % Elementary School % Middle School % High School % Hispanic % Black % White % Asian % Other 6,698 43% 18% 27% 13% 10% 49% 15% 4% 17% 22% 14% 10% 17% 19% 20% 10% 17% 28,109 30% 20% 23% 17% 12% 67% 11% 3% 68% 72% 77% 77% 76% 71% 68% 76% 70% 3,212 27% 16% 20% 18% 15% 4% 15% 5% 9% 13% 8% 10% 11% 14% 13% Note: In School Year New York City s Universal Pre-K program had not been fully implemented. Educational Outcomes of Homeless Students Homelessness and Poverty Among Students n Homeless n Housed, Free Lunch n Housed, No Free Lunch Where Homeless Students Sleep n Doubled Up n In Shelter n Unsheltered n Other 43% 18% 27% 15% 4% 13% 10% 49% 18% 74% 8% 50% 44% 5% 1% Note: The number of shelter units in a school district and the number of Sheltered students are not the same. Sheltered students may attend schools in districts where they do not live, and each shelter unit can house more than one child. The total number of Unsheltered students may be less reliable than other categories. 8 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

11 Color and size of dots represent the proportion of homeless students at each school. As the percent increases, the color darkens and the dot size becomes bigger. Concentric circles with multiple colors indicate co-located schools with differing rates of homelessness. Blue squares indicate the three categories of shelters for families with children. DHS-contracted shelters are shelters with an official contract with the city. These are typically run by mission-driven non-profits and as a result tend to have greater access to social support services. DHS directly operated shelters are owned and operated by the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Only three remain. Non-contracted emergency shelters operate on a per diem basis with the city. The lack of oversight and accountability means they are more prone to health and safety violations and less likely to have social services on site. 1 Green and purple squares indicate the locations of community resources for homeless students and their families. Homebase locations offer resources and 1 Parry, Bill. Stringer Rejects Permanent Contract for Pan Am Shelter. Times Ledger, July 9, Accessed July 22, com/stories/2015/29/panamrejection_2015_07_17_q.html. City School District 9 District Boundaries Percent Homeless by School 0% 8% 8.1% 20% 20.1% 30% 30.1% 40% 40.1% 46.2% Family Shelters DHS Contracted DHS Directly Operated DHS Non-Contracted Community Resources HomeBase R unaway and Homeless Youth Services Health Center and Immunization Facility referrals for families struggling with poverty, such as eviction prevention mediation, financial counseling, short-term emergency funding, and public benefit assistance. Runaway and homeless youth services provide a range of supports for unaccompanied youth, including Drop-in Centers, Crisis Shelters, Transitional Fort Washington Bennett WASHINGTON HEIGHTS Jackie Robinson High Bridge Macombs Dam HIGH BRIDGE Franz Sigel John Mullayly Note: In order to protect student privacy and adhere to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, schools with 10 or fewer homeless students are excluded from the map. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH; New York City Department of City Planning; New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. Independent Living Programs and Street Outreach. Programs also support youth who are pregnant or parenting, LGBTQ youth and youth who have experienced sexual exploitation. Health and Immunization Centers represent clinics and hospitals in New York City that are run by the New York City Health and Hospitals Joyce Kilmer Roberto Clemente State MORRIS HEIGHTS CONCOURSE VILLAGE CONCOURSE UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS MELROSE MOUNT EDEN MOUNT HOPE Claremont CLAREMONT VILLAGE Julius Richman MORRISANIA Bronx Crotona 1/2 Mile Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 61 Corporation. These provide Because of the large degree of free or low cost medical care to variation in school district sizes, people regardless of immigration status or ability to pay and five different zoom levels. Maps district maps are displayed at can be valuable referral sites at the two highest zoom levels for homeless students whose include park names for additional geographic reference, and immunization records are not up to date or for those who struggle scales are included in all maps with chronic health conditions to show relative distance. such as asthma and diabetes. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 9 4. Homeless Students by District User s Guide

12 10 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

13 Across almost all educational outcomes, homeless students fare worse than housed students eligible for free lunch. 1. Overview: Homeless Students in New York City Rising family homelessness impacts virtually every school district across the city. Over 84,000 students attending New York City Public Schools were homeless in School Year (SY) , and one out of every nine students experienced homelessness at some point between SY and SY The information presented in this section provides an overview of homelessness among students in New York City. It examines the growth in the number of students experiencing homelessness, duration of housing instability, student demographics, the frequency of school transfers, and the number of homeless students who were left back and repeated a grade. Key Findings Students identified as homeless increased by 25% in the four years between SY and SY For every homeless student living in a city shelter, roughly two students were living in some other temporary setting. The majority of these students were living doubled up. The majority of homeless students in SY had experienced homelessness during more than one school year. One out of four homeless students transferred schools during the school year compared to one in 11 housed students. The enrollment gap between pre-k and kindergarten suggests that almost 4,000 eligible homeless children were not enrolled in a pre-k program in SY Fifteen percent of all homeless students, compared to 11% of housed students, were held back and required to repeat one or more grades between SY and SY This amounts to roughly 13,000 homeless students retained over the four-year period. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org Overview: Homeless Students in New York City

14 Overview: Homeless Students in New York City Student Homelessness Is Rapidly Growing In SY , over 84,000 New York City public school students were homeless and more than 117,000 had been homeless at some point during the last four years. This represents one out of every nine students (11%) in the New York City Public Schools. From SY to SY , the number of homeless students rose by close to 17,000, a 25% increase. The increase in student homelessness was driven primarily by the number of students living doubled up with another family due to loss of housing or economic hardship. This group of homeless students grew by almost two-thirds (63%) in just four years. The number of sheltered students grew by only 5% during the same time period. The growth in sheltered students was slightly higher than the citywide growth in the number of shelter units for families with children (3.9%). 1 Growth of Homelessness Among Students in New York City Public Schools SY to n Doubled Up n Sheltered n Unsheltered n Other 29,848 27,027 48,773 28,497 9,749 6, SY SY Note: The total number of Unsheltered students may be less reliable than other categories. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 1 Children Services Fiscal Year 2010, Accessed August 11, The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

15 Most Children Are Homeless for More than One School Year Homelessness was not a brief or isolated experience for New York City school children. Two-thirds of students (67%) who were homeless in SY had been homeless during a previous school year. Close to one in four students (24%) were homeless all four school years (between SY and SY ). Duration of Homelessness SY n 1 Year 33% n 2 Years 25% n 3 Years 18% n 4 Years 24% Hispanics and Blacks Are Over-Represented Among Homeless Students Over half of all homeless students in New York City were Hispanic in SY While Black and Hispanic students made up 68.5% of New York City public school students overall, they represented 86% of New York City students who were homeless in SY Race and Ethnicity of Homeless Students SY n Hispanic 51% n Black 35% n Asian 9% n White 4% 1. Overview: Homeless Students in New York City Note: Percentages do not sum to 100% due to racial categories not shown in chart. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 13

16 Young Children Most at Risk of Homelessness In SY , the majority of homeless students in New York City were in elementary school. Number of Homeless Students by Grade SY Pre-K Kindergarten 4,712 8,446 Over one-third (36%) of homeless students were in pre-k through 2nd grade, compared to 27.5% of housed students. These grades represent a critical period for learning foundational reading, writing, and math skills. The enrollment gap between pre-k and kindergarten suggests that almost 4,000 eligible homeless children were not enrolled in a pre-k program in SY st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 7,594 6,888 6,199 5,735 5,527 5,105 5,008 8,846 (Note: In SY New York City s Universal pre-k program had not yet been fully expanded). 9th Grade 6,381 10th Grade 5,414 11th Grade 12th Grade 3,138 2,928 Note: Total students by grade does not equal the total for all homeless students. Only students in grades Pre-K 12 are included. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 14 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

17 Housing Instability Undermines School Stability One out of every four homeless students transferred schools at least once during SY , compared to fewer than one in ten housed students. Homeless students were almost three times as likely to experience mid-year transfers as housed students (25% compared to 9%). Every school transfer is estimated to set a student back academically by up to six months. 1 Number of Mid-Year Transfers Per Student SY n Homeless n Housed 20% 1. Overview: Homeless Students in New York City 8% 4% 1% 1% 1% 0% 1 Transfer 2 Transfers 3 Transfers Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 1 U.S. Department of Education, Report to the President and Congress on the Implementation of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, (accessed July 21, 2015). Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 15

18 16 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

19 2. Where Homeless Students Attend School While homeless children attend schools in every district, homelessness is not equally distributed across the city. Dramatic differences are evident between districts, adjoining schools within districts, and even among schools co-located within the same building. This section provides information on the geographic distribution of homelessness among students in New York City, exploring the types of homelessness children experience, where students attend school before becoming homeless, and disruptions to school and social support networks that take place after becoming homeless. 2. Where Homeless Students Attend School Key Findings In eight school districts between 14% 18% of all students were homeless in SY , compared to a citywide average of 8%. Students in these eight districts collectively accounted for over one third of all homeless students in New York City. On average, 8% of pre-k students were homeless in SY , ranging from 1% in Bayside (District 26) to 21% in Central Harlem (District 5). District 9 in the Bronx was the school district from which the largest number of students left after they became homeless between School Years and District 10 in the Bronx was the school district to which the largest number of students transferred after becoming homeless. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 17

20 The Geography of Student Homelessness Number and Percent of Students Homeless by School District SY Number Homeless 630 1,200 1,201 2,000 2,001 3,000 3,001 4,000 4,001 8,712 Percent Homeless 1.9% 5.4% 5.5% 8.8% 8.9% 2.9% 13% 17.6% Homelessness by school district ranged from 2% in District 26 in Queens to 18% in Bronx District 9, compared to a citywide average of 8%. Seven school districts (2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) each had enrollment of over 3,000 homeless students each in SY Some school districts had a smaller number of homeless students enrolled but a large proportion of all students in the district were homeless. These tended to be smaller school districts in areas of the city that also had high rates of poverty Note: Data is by school district and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Percentage groupings for the map of homeless students by district and the map of homeless Pre-K students by district are matched for the purpose of comparison. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 18 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

21 Patterns of Pre-K Enrollment Number and Percent of Pre-K Students Homeless by School District SY Number Homeless Percent Homeless 1% - 5.4% 5.5% - 8.8% 8.9% % 13% % 17.7% - 21% Note: Data is by school district and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Percentage groupings for the map of homeless students by district and the map of homeless Pre-K students by district are matched for the purpose of comparison. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH High-quality early education programming improves young homeless children s social and cognitive outcomes, helping to close the achievement gap between them and their poor, housed peers. 1 On average, 8% of pre-k students were homeless in SY , ranging from 1% in Bayside (District 26) to 21% in Central Harlem (District 5). Districts 7, 16, 17, 18 19, 23, and 29 in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens enrolled fewer homeless pre-k students than would be expected based on their overall rates of student homelessness. Based on overall district rates of student homelessness all school districts in Manhattan (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) and one in Queens (24) enrolled a higher proportion of homeless pre-k students than would be expected. In districts with high rates of homelessness, a higher share of homeless pre-k students may indicate more successful enrollment. Note: Comparisons were based on map Percent Homeless categories. These numbers represent data prior to the complete expansion of New York City s Universal pre-k program. 1 Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, Head Start and Housing (In) stability: Examining the School Readiness of Children Experiencing Homelessness, September 2013 Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org Where Homeless Students Attend School

22 Geographic Patterns by Type of Homelessness Number of Doubled-Up Students by School 10 SY Note: Data includes schools in both geographic and non-geographic districts for SY Data groupings for the map of doubled-up students by school and the map of sheltered students by school are matched for the purpose of comparison Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 20 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

23 Number of Sheltered Students by School SY Though the majority of students identified as homeless do not live in shelters, the concentration of homeless students living in shelter mirrored the locations of family shelters in the city. For every student living in shelter, there were two more students living in some other temporary situation. The majority of these students were living doubled up. Doubled-up students attended schools across the city, including many areas with no family shelters. This pattern was particularly noticeable in areas of Queens and southern Brooklyn. There were only five districts (5, 12, 13, 16, and 23) where the number of homeless students in shelter was greater that the number of students living doubled up. 2. Where Homeless Students Attend School Note: Data includes schools in both geographic and non-geographic districts for SY Data groupings for the map of doubled-up students by school and the map of sheltered students by school are matched for the purpose of comparison. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 21

24 The Geographic Disruption of Homelessness Movement Patterns of Students Who Became Homeless and Transferred Into District 10 Top School District for In-Migration of Homeless Students SY to Note: Data is by school district and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Analysis includes students who were housed in , became homeless in and transferred school districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 22 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

25 Movement Patterns of Students Who Became Homeless and Transferred Out of District 9 Top School District for Out-Migration of Homeless Students SY Frequently students move to schools not only outside of their districts, but outside of their boroughs of origin. Understanding the movement patterns of children who become homeless could help school officials to minimize educational disruption. District 9 in the Bronx was the school district from which the largest number of students left after becoming homeless between school year and District 10 in the North Bronx was the school district to which the largest number of students transferred after becoming homeless. 2. Where Homeless Students Attend School Note: Data is by school district and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Analysis includes students who were housed in , became homeless in and transferred school districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 23

26 24 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

27 3. Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students Not having a stable place to call home can greatly impact a child s ability to succeed in school. Homeless students are more likely to be chronically absent, to perform poorly on state English and math exams, and to drop out of school than their housed peers. While homeless students have consistently worse educational outcomes, a great deal of variation exists across school districts. This section examines differences in educational outcomes between homeless students across districts, as well as differences within districts between homeless students and housed students eligible for free lunch (a proxy for low-income status). 3. Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students Key Findings In SY across virtually all districts homeless students performed more poorly on all educational outcomes than both housed students eligible for free lunch and housed students who were not eligible for free lunch. The school district with the highest absenteeism rate in SY was Brownsville (District 23), where 53% of homeless students were chronically absent (missing 20 or more days of school), compared to 38% of housed students eligible for free lunch. In three school districts (4, 21, and 31), more than 60% of students who were homeless at some point during high school graduated on time four times the 15% graduation rate in Brownsville (District 23), the lowest performing school district. The graduation rate of housed students eligible for free lunch in Brownsville was 45%, also the city s lowest. One out of four homeless students had English Language Learning needs in SY , compared to one in seven housed students. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 25

28 Geographic Patterns of Absenteeism Chronically absent students are more likely to repeat a grade, perform poorly on state tests, and drop out of school. 1 Chronic Absenteeism Among Homeless Students SY n 18% 22% n 22.1% 28% n 28.1% 36% n 36.1% 43% n 43.1% 53% On average, 23% of students in New York City were chronically absent in SY In SY absenteeism varied sharply by housing and income status: 38% of homeless students were chronically absent compared to 25% of housed students eligible for free lunch and 16% of housed students not eligible for free lunch. In seven school districts over 45% of homeless students were chronically absent, missing 20 days or more of school in SY There was a 36- percentage point difference between the lowest, Bay Ridge (20), at 18%, and the highest, Brownsville (23), at 53% Note: Data is by school district for SY and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 1 Johns Hopkins School of Education, Meeting the Challenge of Combating Chronic Absenteeism, October 2011; Baltimore Education Research Consortium, Early Elementary Performance and Attendance in Baltimore City Schools Pre- Kindergarten and Kindergarten, March The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

29 Chronic Absenteeism Rate, School Year City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless Housed, free lunch Housed, no free lunch New York City 38.3% 24.6% 16.4% Manhattan 36.4% 27.8% 13.0% Lower East Side (1) 38.7% 27.0% 12.3% Financial District/Midtown/Upper East Side (2) 33.0% 27.2% 12.0% Upper West Side/Morningside Heights (3) 40.0% 29.8% 7.7% East Harlem (4) 36.8% 23.4% 17.1% Central Harlem/Manhattanville (5) 48.2% 33.8% 23.2% Hamilton/Washington Heights/Inwood (6) 26.5% 21.6% 18.8% Bronx 42.4% 30.9% 23.7% Mott Haven/Melrose (7) 45.2% 35.7% 43.3% Hunts Point/Longwood (8) 45.8% 34.6% 27.6% Highbridge/Concourse (9) 43.3% 30.2% 26.8% Riverdale/Bedford/Fordham/Belmont (10) 35.9% 26.6% 18.4% Williamsbridge/Baychester/Morris /Co-op City (11) 40.3% 25.5% 15.9% East Tremont (12) 46.2% 33.2% 31.1% City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless Housed, free lunch Housed, no free lunch Brooklyn 37.9% 23.6% 16.4% Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene (13) 48.0% 26.5% 14.4% Williamsburg/Greenpoint (14) 40.8% 29.5% 17.0% Carroll Gardens/ Slope/Sunset (15) 30.6% 19.0% 7.7% Bedford-Stuyvesant (16) 44.6% 35.5% 34.9% Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens (17) 39.0% 24.4% 21.7% East Flatbush/Canarsie (18) 34.8% 25.2% 19.6% East New York/Starrett City (19) 46.1% 32.4% 29.3% Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Borough (20) 17.8% 13.0% 13.5% Coney Island/Gravesend/Ocean way (21) 28.1% 21.2% 17.6% Flatbush/Flatlands/Sheepshead Bay (22) 25.5% 16.2% 12.1% Brownsville (23) 53.4% 38.3% 31.3% Bushwick (32) 41.4% 26.7% 26.7% Queens 32.0% 19.1% 16.9% Sunnyside/Ridgewood/Maspeth/Elmhurst/Corona (24) 24.1% 14.0% 12.5% Flushing/Whitestone (25) 21.7% 16.7% 15.7% Bayside/Little Neck/Fresh Meadows/Floral (26) 27.4% 13.7% 9.7% Woodhaven/Ozone /Howard Beach (27) 38.9% 23.4% 17.2% Rego /Forest Hills/Briarwood (28) 31.3% 19.3% 14.3% Hollis/Queens Village (29) 32.9% 19.2% 15.0% Astoria/Long Island City (30) 19.3% 15.8% 12.9% Staten Island 37.9% 25.2% 13.1% Staten Island (31) 37.0% 24.4% 12.5% 3. Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students Note: Data by school district does not include schools in non-geographic districts so borough and district total percentages may differ. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 27

30 Identifying Students in Need of Additional Supports Homeless Students Who Have an Individual Education Plan SY n 11% 13% n 13.1% 17% n 17.1% 20% n 20.1% 23% n 23.1% 25% Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are used in New York City schools to address learning disabilities and special education needs of students. On average, 19% of students in New York City had IEPs in SY Homeless students and housed students eligible for free lunch had similar rates of IEPs (20%) and higher rates than housed students not eligible for free lunch (15%) in SY The proportion of homeless students identified in SY as having an IEP varied dramatically across districts from 11% in Bay Ridge (District 20) to 25% in Staten Island (District 31) and Bedford-Stuyvesant (District 16). The district rates for housed students eligible for free lunch ranged from 14% to 25%. Note: Data is by school district for SY and does not include schools in non-geographic districts. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. 28 The Atlas of Student Homelessness in New York City ICPHusa.org

31 Percent of Students With An, School Year Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch New York City 20.1% 19.8% 15.1% Manhattan 19.9% 20.7% 13.7% Lower East Side (1) 23.4% 25.4% 11.1% Financial District/Midtown/Upper East Side (2) 16.1% 16.4% 13.2% Upper West Side/Morningside Heights (3) 21.0% 20.7% 9.7% East Harlem (4) 23.8% 23.4% 18.0% Central Harlem/Manhattanville (5) 20.6% 20.7% 12.0% Hamilton/Washington Heights/Inwood (6) 12.5% 17.3% 12.3% Bronx 20.9% 22.9% 19.4% Mott Haven/Melrose (7) 19.3% 22.2% 18.9% Hunts Point/Longwood (8) 22.2% 22.6% 17.6% Highbridge/Concourse (9) 18.2% 20.2% 15.7% Riverdale/Bedford/Fordham/Belmont (10) 17.5% 20.3% 13.4% Williamsbridge/Baychester/Morris /Co-op City (11) 19.2% 19.6% 14.6% East Tremont (12) 19.7% 20.1% 16.2% The extent to which differences in IEP identification rates represent differences in the actual needs of homeless students or uneven implementation of the IEP diagnostic process is an important area for further examination. Housed, Housed, City/Borough/School District Name (School District #) Homeless free lunch no free lunch Brooklyn 20.4% 19.2% 14.7% Brooklyn Heights/Fort Greene (13) 17.7% 14.3% 8.6% Williamsburg/Greenpoint (14) 20.7% 21.5% 13.7% Carroll Gardens/ Slope/Sunset (15) 20.4% 21.9% 14.1% Bedford-Stuyvesant (16) 25.5% 23.0% 16.7% Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens (17) 17.6% 16.1% 11.9% East Flatbush/Canarsie (18) 22.1% 17.1% 13.4% East New York/Starrett City (19) 20.0% 18.3% 13.5% Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Borough (20) 10.9% 14.9% 11.7% Coney Island/Gravesend/Ocean way (21) 14.6% 17.9% 13.6% Flatbush/Flatlands/Sheepshead Bay (22) 16.2% 15.7% 11.5% Brownsville (23) 22.6% 21.2% 16.4% Bushwick (32) 20.0% 18.2% 12.7% Queens 17.0% 16.3% 13.5% Sunnyside/Ridgewood/Maspeth/Elmhurst/Corona (24) 15.2% 15.0% 10.7% Flushing/Whitestone (25) 13.4% 14.0% 11.7% Bayside/Little Neck/Fresh Meadows/Floral (26) 13.1% 14.0% 11.1% Woodhaven/Ozone /Howard Beach (27) 17.1% 16.0% 13.1% Rego /Forest Hills/Briarwood (28) 18.6% 14.8% 10.4% Hollis/Queens Village (29) 18.1% 15.5% 11.8% Astoria/Long Island City (30) 11.8% 14.5% 11.2% Staten Island 27.4% 28.0% 18.3% Staten Island (31) 25.4% 25.4% 16.5% 3. Educational Achievement Among Homeless Students Note: Data by school district does not include schools in non-geographic districts so borough and district total percentages may differ. Source: New York City Department of Education, unpublished data tabulated by ICPH. Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness ICPHusa.org 29