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Homeless kids are falling behind in school. And it's worse than previously thought

caption: Mariah Hicks, 7, stands in front of a chalk drawing depicting downtown Seattle in a common area at Mary's Place, a homeless shelter.
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Mariah Hicks, 7, stands in front of a chalk drawing depicting downtown Seattle in a common area at Mary's Place, a homeless shelter.
KUOW PHOTO/MEGAN FARMER

Kim Malcolm talks with Liza Burell about a new report that looks at the academic challenges faced by homeless students in Washington state. Burell is program director with Building Changes, a Seattle non-profit.

According to the report, only one in three homeless students are proficient in English language arts, and only one in four are proficient in math. Only 55%percent of homeless students graduate within four years. The graduation rate for their housed peers is 81 percent.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.

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