WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AT-RISK STUDENTS?
At-risk students are students who are not experiencing success in school and are potential dropouts. They are usually low academic achievers who exhibit low self-esteem. Disproportionate numbers of them are males and minorities. Generally they are from low socioeconomic status families. Students who are both low income and minority status are at higher risk; their parents may have low educational backgrounds and may not have high educational expectations for their children.
At-risk students tend not to participate in school activities and have a minimal identification with the school. They have disciplinary and truancy problems that lead to credit problems. They exhibit impulsive behavior and their peer relationships are problematic. Family problems, drug addictions, pregnancies, and other problems prevent them from participating successfully in school. As they experience failure and fall behind their peers, school becomes a negative environment that reinforces their low self-esteem.
HOW CAN THEY BE IDENTIFIED AND AT WHICH AGE?
Some evaluation instruments that have been used in identifying potential dropouts include the Elementary School Pupil Adjustment Scale (ESPAS) for identifying poorly adjusted students in grades K-3, the Dropout Alert Scale (DAS) for grades 4-12, and the Student Sensitivity Index (SSI) for grades 7-12 (see Cage and others 1984).
At-risk students need to be identified as early as possible and regularly reevaluated because their family status and living situations can change. Some researchers believe that the roots of at-risk behavior begin in the elementary grades with low achievement patterns, high absenteeism, and low self-esteem. Programs identifying and working with at-risk students are needed at every grade level. Teachers should be well trained and alert to the symptoms of at-risk student behavior, and administrative staff should be responsive to their needs. It is especially important that teachers dealing with minority students have training in language and cultural differences. Schools need to be a model for equal opportunity and a place where the individual‘s needs for achievement and positive experiences can be met. The needs of minority students, low income students, and students with special problems must be addressed.
WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING AT-RISK STUDENTS?
Successful programs often separate at-risk students from other students, they relate work to education, are small, have low student-to-teacher ratios, and provide counseling and supportive services. Most programs emphasize flexibility, tailoring curriculum to the learning needs of the individual students. They are often innovative, providing alternatives to traditional promotion policies, structuring curriculum in nontraditional ways, offering early childhood education programs, and including vocational education in alternative settings.
Effective programs are involved in a broad range of special services to help at-risk students improve their low self-esteem while providing a supportive system in which they can begin to have positive experiences. These include remediation programs, tutoring, child care services, medical care, substance abuse awareness programs, bilingual instruction, employment training, and close followup procedures on truancy and absenteeism.
Finally, successful programs are service-intensive; they provide students personal contact with a qualified, caring staff. Schools often work with the community to identify at-risk students and to instruct parents on how to help their at-risk children.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Bondi, Joseph; and Jon Wiles. "School Reform in Florida--Implications for the Middle School." EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 44 (1986): 44-46.
Cage, Bob N., and others. DROPOUT PREVENTION. Jackson: University of Mississippi, June 1984. ED 260 321.
Comer, James P. "New Haven‘s School-Community Connection." EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 44 (1987): 13-16.
Druian, Greg. "Effective Schooling and At-Risk Youth: What the Research Shows." Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Goal Based Education Program, September, 1986. ED 275 926.
Green, Brenda Z. "Lower the Risk for ‘At-Risk‘ Students." Alexandria, VA: National School Boards Association, Educational Policies Service. Updating School Board Policies, 17, 8, September, 1986.
"Identifying At-Risk Students." Eugene: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, University of Oregon. The Best of ERIC on Educational Management, November, 1986. ED 275 053.
O‘Connor, Patrick. "Dropout Prevention Programs That Work." Eugene, OR: Oregon School Study Council, December, 1985. OSSC Bulletin Series. ED 275 065.
Riley, Richard W. "Can We Reduce the Risk of Failure?" PHI DELTA KAPPAN 68 (1986): 214-219.
Strother, Deborah Burnett. "Dropping Out." PHI DELTA KAPPAN 68 (1986): 325-328.
Weber, James M. "The Role of Vocational Education in Decreasing Dropout Rate." Ohio State University, Columbus, OH: Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1986. ED 264 444.
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This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under OERI contract. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Department of Education.
See the FamilyIQ Course, Risky Business for more information.
