Factors Associated with High School Exit Exam Outcomes among Homeless High School Students

Abstract

Little is known about academic performance among homeless high school students, although correlates of academic performance are well documented among their peers in the elementary and middle school grades. This study explores the relationship between student-level demographic and academic performance indicators (for example, grade point average [GPA], attendance, standardized test score performance) and high school exit exam performance (that is, whether students took and passed high school exit exams, respectively) in a sample of 10th- to 12th-grade students identified as homeless by their district’s McKinney–Vento program (N = 494 students in 25 high schools). Factors related to taking the exit exams included grade level, cumulative GPA, and previous test-taking behavior. Among students who had taken the exit exams, standardized test scores, GPA, and English fluency related to exit exam outcomes, suggesting the potential for academic skills remediation among this subgroup. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for future research, practice, and policy.