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Homeless children face a myriad of issues, not the least of which is the ability to get a quality education. Unfortunately, the incidence of homeless families has been on the rise since the economic downturn began. Across the country, schools are working hard to ensure homeless students get a level playing field, with the hopes these children can get the education they need to move out of a life of poverty.

The states: "Homeless children and youth often have problems enrolling and participating in school. As a result, Congress passed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 1987. This law gives homeless children and youth the right to:

• Remain in the same school even if they move;
• Enroll in a new school without typically required records such as proof of
• residency, immunizations, school records, or other papers;
• Get transportation to school;
• Get all the school services they need; and
• Challenge decisions made by schools and districts.

This video looks at the issue of homeless high school students.

Identifying Homeless Children

According to the , "homeless children include those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence." This might include children who live in shared housing, motels, cars or shelters.

Sometimes homeless students are identified directly, making it easy for school staff to provide the necessary assistance. However,

PE class has always been a cornerstone of a public education. However, some states are taking health concerns a step further by monitoring children's body mass index and reporting findings back to parents for further action.

Is a school weigh-in taking physical fitness too far? There are experts on both sides of the issue generating a compelling debate over "fat grades" in schools today.

The Obesity Problem

Few experts would argue the fact that childhood obesity is a problem of epidemic proportions today. According to the , the percentage of youth considered obese tripled between 1980 and 2004. Today, 19% of children between the ages of 6 and 11, as well as 17% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19, are classified as obese. That translates to about 25 million children in this country who are at greater risk of what was once considered adult health issues, such as high cholesterol, hypertension and lifestyle-related diabetes.

One way to determine whether an individual is obese is by calculating the body mass index, or BMI. The BMI is the ratio of a person's height to weight, squared, and it usually gives an accurate determination of an individual's body fat.

The CDC recommends that schools conduct BMI surveillance programs, similar to the ones some schools have adopted. However, in the CDC model, results are anonymous and used more to determine trends in specific population sects, rather than assessing an individual

While most parents are worried about what gets into kids' heads during a typical school day, some are also becoming increasingly concerned about what goes into their stomachs during lunch breaks as well.

Fortunately, national organizations like the School Nutrition Association are researching and providing information on school lunch programs across the country. Each year, the School Nutrition Association chooses one school district as the example for other school lunch programs, both in terms of nutrition and taste. This year, the honor goes to Fairfax County in Virginia, according to a recent report in the .

What Does a Healthy School Lunch Look Like?

There are many factors that go into assessing what a healthy school lunch looks like, according to . This organization, founded by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has issued a number of recommended changes that they would like to see in school lunch programs, including:

• Offer vegan or vegetarian dishes daily as an option to other school lunch fare.
• Meet the nutritional needs of all children, including those that are lactose-intolerant, by offering calcium-rich, nondairy beverages at all meals.
• Include a variety of vegetable dishes, as well as fresh and dried fruits.
• Provide programs to teach healthy eating principles to food service staff, parents and students.

In addition to these criteria, the School Nutrition Association also looks at the financial and program management of a school district when determining the award recipients for the year.

Fairfax

Despite their attraction to many parents and educators today, some charter schools have received a bad rap for cherry-picking the best students in the area to provide the schools with top-notch performance scores. However, a number of recent studies have suggested that the students who benefit most from the charter school structure are not the privileged students after all. In fact, many low-income and minority students are also reaping the many advantages charter schools can offer.

What is a Charter School?

A charter school is funded with public money and offers an alternative to traditional public schools. In most cases, a private group of individuals submits a charter for approval, and they are then granted the ability to run their own school in exchange for promising improved academic results. Most charter schools are given a set period of time, ranging from three to five years, to prove themselves as a preferred academic institution. If the charter school does not perform up to expectations, the charter may be pulled and the school closed down.

Charter schools have become a popular option for many parents and students today, primarily due to the alternative choice charters offer. Because the schools have greater influence from teachers and parents, the curriculum can often be structured around the specific needs of the students in the school. This might explain why charter schools are a particularly viable option for students in low-income or high-minority areas, where kids might need a

Most parents would agree that breakfast is essential to a successful school day. The majority have applauded schools' efforts to supply breakfast to children who wouldn't get a morning meal otherwise. However, questions have been raised about the quality of the meals offered, leading some districts to change their breakfast menus.

Going Healthy in D.C.

According to the , D.C. schools will be among the first to stop offering sugar-laden cereals and flavored milk in their cafeterias. The milk will change during the summer term, and the schools hope to open their new school year, offering healthier cereal choices to students. DCPS spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway told the Post that the system's "goal for this upcoming school year is to serve cereals with six grams of sugar or less."

Calloway added that the district would be taste-testing a variety of low-sugar alternatives to determine the selections that would be healthy and tantalizing to students' taste buds. According to , the district was notorious for offering sugary selections like Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran, and Pop-Tarts, in addition to flavored milk that contains nearly as much sugar as a can of soda. When kids combine the flavored milk with other sugar-packed selections, they might start their day with as much as 60 grams or 15 teaspoons of sugar – before school begins!

The school district recently hired former restaurateur Jeffrey Mills as Director of Food Services for D.C. Public Schools