A Classroom Perspective on Student Mobility

Although nearly 1 in every 5 school-aged children moves each year in this country, there is little documentation about how that mobility affects classroom instruction. This examination of 21 classes in a single urban elementary school revealed that the composition of the classes in the school changed throughout the year as new students enrolled and others withdrew. An analysis of enrollment data illustrated that in a typical classroom about half of the students were enrolled for the full school year, and there were patterns to the times they moved. Through structured interviews, the teachers described how this mobility affected classroom instruction and management, and the strategies they used to work with mobile students. The enrollment data and teacher reports suggest that student mobility deserves more attention from researchers and educators as a factor affecting instruction, classroom management, and learning.