Keywords

Habitat for humanity, orange county public school, hfh, ocps, fcat, attendance, mobility, socioeconomic status, standardized test

Abstract

The mobility of low-income students who do not have access to stable housing creates numerous challenges both at home and in school. Among these challenges, academic performance certainly is one of the most important. The lack of a more permanent, familiar, and safe environment is presumed to impact home life as well as students' performance in the classroom. This research compares two groups of current and former students of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) in Florida (1) children of families who are Habitat for Humanity (HFH) homeowners, and (2) a matched socioeconomic control group. The HFH program is designed to provide a stable, affordable housing for families who cannot acquire it through standard means. The research question is: Does stability in housing make an impact on academic performance in the particular area of FCAT scores and attendance? Data were gathered from OCPS and the HFH homeowners themselves. This data were used to evaluate the impact of HFH homeownership on students' academic environment. Results showed better attendance at school, but HFH students fared worse in FCAT performance when compared to control group especially in reading.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2014

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Kincaid, J. Peter

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Degree Program

Modeling and Simulation; Sciences

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0005504

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0005504

Language

English

Release Date

December 2014

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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