To help policymakers, educators, parents and others respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, professors Alexandra Pavlakis, Meredith Richards, and post doctoral fellow, Kessa Roberts, contributed a policy brief on homeless students released by EdResearch for Recovery, a project initiated by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and Results for America. The collaboration taps top researchers from across the country to develop evidence briefs to inform recovery strategies.
Simmons researchers are examining the effects of student displacement in the Houston Independent School District caused by Hurricane Harvey, and now COVID-19. As they note, student homelessness was increasing before the pandemic hit. In their brief, they suggest strategies for schools, such as prioritizing identification, establishing an environment that builds trust, and policy to support students’ rights.
Kathryn Hill and Zitsi Mirakhur with Research Alliance for New York City Schools also contributed to the brief.
