ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces six homeless families and their eleven schoolaged children. Their stories constitute the core of this study, demonstrating how family situations and the policies and regularities of schooling may combine to constrain student outcomes for homeless children. Each family will be introduced in turn, beginning with a brief description of the family’s demographics, its housing history, the parents’ educational and employment status, and major family social problems (if any). Each family’s description will be followed by a concise report on each of its children’s educational status, including academic history, where known, and academic performance and behavior at Jefferson Elementary School and The Chalet Temporary Shelter during the 1995-1996 school year.1
