Student Mobility—the Statistics

Students in rural areas have an approximate mobility rate of 15—the same as the national average (U.S. Government Accounting Office, 1994). Coupled with recent reports that nearly half a million children in the rural Midwest are living in poverty, and thousands more are living just above the poverty line, the risk of frequent mobility and academic failure is heightened.

Here are the facts:

• The Midwestern region has a relatively high mobility rate, particularly related to the agricultural processing industry and migration of low-income people seeking low-wage jobs (Fitchen, 1994).
• A single mother; a young couple; or a never married, divorced, or separated individual is most vulnerable to becoming highly mobile (Fitchen, 1994).
• An estimated six million elementary school children change schools each year (Florida Division of Teaching and Learning, 2002).
• A move into a new school district accompanied approximately a quarter of all residential moves (Pribesh & Downey, 1999).
• There is a strong correlation between poverty and the risk of academic failure, and a strong correlation between poverty and frequent mobility (Wright, 1999).
• Frequent movers are more likely to exhibit behavioral issues and are more than twice as likely to have nutrition, health, or hygiene problems (U.S. Government Accounting Office, 1994).
• A strong relationship exists between levels of mobility and the relative strength of social support networks, such as family, church, other relatives, neighbors, friends, or outside agencies (Fitchen, 1994).
• A key to reducing mobility is access to decent low-cost housing (Fitchen, 1994).

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