Homeless children in Oregon have a better chance of succeeding in school than their counterparts in any other state, according to a new ranking released Friday.

The report by the New York City-based Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness found that Oregon ranked at the top when measuring how effectively school districts identify homeless children and enroll them in school. One area in which the state does especially well, the institute said, is its handling of homeless preschoolers.

It's important for homeless students to be identified, the report says, so those students can be connected to resources and school districts can "ensure that homelessness does not disrupt their learning."

Josef Kannegaard, a policy analyst at the Institute, said one example is school instability among homeless children. "Once a student is identified as homeless, there's a greater likelihood they'll be able to stay in one school even if their family is moving around," he said.

More specific areas measured in the report underscored the high representation of homeless students in Oregon's early childhood programs, including the federal programs Head Start and Early Head Start.

Dona Bolt, the state director of the federal McKinney-Vento program, which provides support and funding for homeless student education, said there's a "concerted effort on the part of local programs" to identify young homeless children in the state. In Oregon, homeless preschoolers, for example, are placed at the top of the waitlist to get into Head Start programs.

"When kids are experiencing homelessness that young, it's even more essential that they have positive early learning experiences," she said. "Homelessness is a trauma, and we're beginning to understand the lasting effects of that."

Bolt said the state's successes can be credited more broadly to strong collaboration between the different agencies that support homeless children. She also pointed to thorough training for school districts' homeless liaisons.

Data released in November found that the population of homeless students in Oregon has increased for the third year in a row.

This isn't the first time Oregon has been credited for successful initiatives on this issue. A July 2014 report from the Department of Health and Human Services highlighted promising efforts for homeless children in Oregon and Massachusetts that could work as a guide for the rest of the country.

Other states that did well in the rankings released Friday included New York and Alaska. Tennessee and Mississippi ranked at the bottom.

--Janaki Chadha

jchadha@oregonian.com

503-221-8165; @janakichadha