The Music Relationships of Children Experiencing Homelessness By Corrie Box Mitchell A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved October 2019 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Sandra Stauffer, Chair Margaret Schmidt Evan Tobias ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY December 2019 ©2019 Corrie Box Mitchell All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Over a million children who attend American public schools experience homelessness every year. This study investigates the musical lives of children experiencing homelessness through the lens of the ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Children encounter music in a variety of ways and develop their own lexicon of meaning that depicts the relationships they have in, through, and around music. Relationship connections in this study were depicted through a system of relationship networks (Neal & Neal, 2013). In this study I present and analyze the cases of nine participants who attended an after-school care program at a homeless shelter for families in the southwestern United States. Participants were 8 to 12 years old and represented diverse ethnicities and genders. Data were gathered over a period of two to eight months, depending on participant, via interviews, music and art making, and observations. Research questions in this study included: What are the relationships, as experienced in, through, and around music, in the lives of children experiencing homelessness; and, What do music experiences tell us about the lives of children experiencing homelessness? Some children experienced fractured music relationships and could not continue to engage with music in comparison to their lives before homelessness. Some children continued to make music regularly before and during their shelter stay. A few children discovered new connections through music interactions at the shelter and hoped to engage with music in new ways in their new homes. Multiple children faced barriers to music making in their respective school music programs. Children preferred to engage in i music consistent with current popular culture, accessed through the radio, smart phone, and computer. Use of hands-on activities that fostered active engagement engendered the most participation and connection to music. Recommendations include examination of current procedures and practices to ensure alignment with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act federal mandate, development of a supportive environment to foster social and emotional growth, facilitating communication with parents, and the inclusion of music from the child’s background in the classroom repertoire. Performance and interactive music opportunities can mitigate the effects of homelessness and restore a sense of dignity, relationship, and autonomy. All stakeholders in the wellbeing of children should include conversations about student experience of homelessness in current dialogue on educational policy and practice. ii This dissertation is dedicated to the children whose voices are forgotten, to my mother who always pushes me to achieve, and to my father who brings dignity to those others have ignored. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of this work would not have happened without the support of numerous individuals. First, I want to acknowledge the children, faculty and staff at Hope Corporate. Without your willingness to reveal your stories, and share your lives with me, this project would never have happened. Additionally, I sincerely value the teachers and others in the education profession who have communicated to me how much this work meant to them. Specifically, I want to acknowledge the amazing teachers, staff and students in Fort Worth ISD. You endowed this project with a sense of immediacy and relevance to face current challenges. I am grateful for my colleagues at Arizona State University who provided immeasurable encouragement, support, and critical advice to help shape my approach. Hyung Soek “Joshua” Kim affirmed my capabilities as a qualitative researcher. Elizabeth Bucura’s example showed me that it was possible, albeit challenging, to maintain a family life amidst this process. Emily Schwartz provided me with numerous strategies for time management. Joyce McCall epitomized the tenacity needed to complete the project and helped me stay “real.” Everyone who joined the summer writing workshop, especially Tim Nowak, provided insight into early iterations. Sarah Minette took the time out of her busy life to read portions and make helpful suggestions. Marsha Vanderwerff – we make a good research team! Emmet O’Leary, Jared O’Leary, Nathan Johnston, Austin Showen, Ryan Bledsoe, Soyeon “Sally” Kang, and Jesse Rathgeber – thank you for keeping me “on my toes,” believing in me, and sharing many fun times. To research! As professors, Ted Solis and Jill Sullivan helped me develop my writing and research “chops” in numerous ways. Roger Mantie provided insight during the initial iv process. Margaret Schmidt helped me clarify my thinking and instilled a quiet confidence in my capabilities. Evan Tobias showed genuine interest in understanding my thinking, while at the same time, challenged me to broaden my perspective. Words cannot express my gratitude for my advisor, Sandy Stauffer, who took on various roles as a mentor, emergency contact, and friend throughout this process. Additionally, my church family at St. George Orthodox Church in Phoenix and St. Peter Orthodox Church in Fort Worth rendered encouragement and support as we lived through multiple life events and interruptions during this process. My Box family, along with my new Mitchell family, have supplied immeasurable support from baby- sitting, to feeding us, giving us a place to live, and always cheering me on. Most of all, thank you to my dear husband, Aaron, for his patience throughout this process and for insights into the writing and analysis. You and our sweet child inspired me to finish every day. S.D.G. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... xvi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................1 The Problem of Homelessness in America ............................................3 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................7 Statement of Purpose and Research Questions ......................................9 Research Design Overview ..................................................................10 Assumptions .........................................................................................12 Rationale and Significance ..................................................................13 The Researcher.....................................................................................15 Definitions............................................................................................15 Outline of the Document ......................................................................17 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..............................................................19 Introduction ..........................................................................................19 National Estimates of Homelessness ...................................................19 The Federal Government Response to Homelessness .........................22 Judicial History Regarding Children and Homelessness .........23 Legislative History Regarding Children and Homelessness ....24 The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ........26 Origins of the McKinney-Vento Act ...............26 vi CHAPTER Page Content of the McKinney-Vento Act ...............28 Summary of Sections in the Legislation from the McKinney-Vento Act of 1987 .................................................31 Summary of Amendments of the McKinney-Vento Act...........................33 Analysis of the Implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act.......................................38 Critique of the McKinney-Vento Act ..............43 Effects of the McKinney-Vento Act on Children Experiencing Homelessness..............45 Continued Barriers to Effective Implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act ....................................................................48 The Experience of Family Homelessness ............................................52 Education and Child Homelessness .....................................................69 Specific Skills of Children Experiencing Homelessness .........73 Homelessness and High-Mobility (HHM) Student Outcomes ....................................................................75 Parents and Students Experiencing Homelessness ..................82 Teachers and Students Experiencing Homelessness................88 vii CHAPTER Page Effective Classroom Strategies for Children Experiencing Homelessness.........................................93 Homelessness in Music Research ........................................................96 Chapter Summary ................................................................................99 3 RESEARCH BACKGROUND AND DESIGN ................................101 Introduction of the Qualitative Approach ..........................................101 Case Study .............................................................................102 Research Context ...............................................................................104 Research Design Overview ................................................................105