#13

Residential mobility has repercussions for a student’s academic standing. Housing instability can result in frequent moves for families which can impact education. Children moving from one address to another might also move from one school to another. Low income families are the one that seem most affected by this issue since they have higher rates of mobility than middle or upper income families. Housing that is overcrowded, needs repairs or presents hazards puts the residents in danger and makes lives stressful.
Mobility in terms of better housing, neighborhood, and schooling district can provide a boost to the family and community life. However frequent moves that are not resulting in improvements can prove detrimental to children.
Frequent moves have adverse results on academic standing of children. Controlling for other factors and events, children with lower residential mobility perform better than those with higher mobility. Schools in lower income zones see mobility rates amongst their students as high as 70 percent per year. These children are also likely to receive poor assessments and are likely to have incomplete records. They are also more likely to repeat grades, and less likely to do well on standardized test jeopardizing their chances for future education.