This journal article describes a study that used a person-centered approach to compare the number of school absences of homeless students with their housed peers. The researchers designed this study to test the theory that homeless students often miss an inordinate amount of school days and are thought to be at the end of the “continuum of poverty.” Using school administrative data collected over one school year for an entire school district, the researchers found that homeless children as an aggregate do not miss significantly more days of school than housed students receiving free lunch. However, they found that homelessness and poverty dramatically increase the number of absences for children who are in the higher percentiles of absences, meaning homelessness has a greater impact on those who miss more days of school in general compared with regular attendees. Findings from this study indicate that homelessness may exacerbate problems rather than cause them. The researchers discuss implications for practice and propose directions for future study. (author abstract modified)