At risk students
From WikEd
[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
At Risk Students are young people, male or female who have a higher than normal probability of making bad choices that will profoundly affect their future. Some of the factors involved in the lives of these students are as follows: Single parent home, at or below the poverty line, higher crime neighborhoods, unemployment, poor performance at school, emotionally or physically abused, few support systems, neglect or abandonment, and sometimes negative contact with police agencies.
One of the drawbacks to the term "at risk students" is that there is no qualifier as to "how at risk" they are. Because of this, the research can be ambiguous. Different methods that work in certain research settings maybe most effective for students who ONLY have financial uncertainties, whereas other methods may be most effective for "at risk students" with familial uncertainties. North Central Regionals Educational Laboratory notes "The question of what it means to be "at risk" is controversial. When children do not succeed in school, educators and others disagree about who or what is to blame. Because learning is a process that takes place both inside and outside school, an ecological approach offers a working description of the term at risk. In this view, inadequacies in any arena of life--the school, the home, or the community--can contribute to academic failure when not compensated for in another arena. Why is there a need to focus especially on at-risk students? The personal, economic, and social costs of academic underachievement are high and growing. Each year, increasing numbers of students enter school with circumstances in their lives that schools are ill prepared to accommodate. Yet from this academically and culturally diverse population must come the next generation of scientists, engineers, and other skilled professionals."
There are always those individuals who exist who overcome the odds or conditions which they have to rise above. I would be interested to know whether studies exist or have been done which pertain to such cases. Are there certain qualities or behaviors that they possess which could be communicated to children in similar situations to help them succeed? Could these be taught or communicated to others to help them maintain or at best surmont difficulties? Are there patterns in their behavior and perceptions that could be studied?Adversity comes at times when we least expect it and so it seems that ways of coping would have some kind of universal appeal.B. Orenic
[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings
Research
Researchers will argue that the public school systems have come a long way in terms of equal education for minorities since the desegregation of schools in the 1950’s. School systems are more inclusive and adaptive in order to accommodate special education students. Measures are taken to ensure that a school’s racial composition matches the community it facilitates. Government enforced programs, such as "No Child Left Behind," [1] are slowly permeating the nation’s schools. Each year brings a new addition to the schooling system. Unfortunately, right now the school systems need the money it has always been given, but budget cuts are slowly undoing any of the good that government programs have done effects of budget cutting in Boston area. Students will not be able to excel in school if the environment where they live and learn is deteriorating.
In order to combat the problems of "at risk" students, regardless of the problems holding the students back, the government, school system and community must be intertwined.
School success can be quantifiable through the functions of grade reports, positive self-esteem and low levels of violence (Lane, K.L., and Menzies, H.M., 2003, p431). Unfortunately, these are a few of the factors that are most deficient for any "at risk" child. The factors that have been proven to offset these negative attributes are the students’ race, exposure to violence, socioeconomic status and availability of a positive role model(O’Keefe, 2004 p.368,McPartland, James and Nettles, Saundra Murray, 1991, p 4,Tapia, 2004, 419)
This Critical Issue was developed for North Central Regional Educational Laboratory by reading specialist Debra Johnson, who teaches in a large suburban district in Illinois. Author Angela Rudolph also contributed - the web site is at [2].
There is a great deal of information in this report that is interesting and pertinent since it is done in Illinois schools (Chicago). There are five strategies that they list to aid at-risk students.
1. Intensify Learning -This research found that rather than dumb down the curriculum for students it is important that they be challenged. Those students who were challenged scored better on the Iowa test than those who were in basic skills courses. Challenging the students gave them an opportunity to think and live up to the challenge.
2. Provide professional development for teachers -This included teacher participation in mentoring programs, study groups, peer coaching and research.
3. Expand learning options -These options are too numerous to list but include year-round-school options and differentiating teaching option.
4. Assess to inform teachers -The primary aim of assessment is to foster worthwhile learning for all students (Porter, 1995) and alternative assessment, especially performance based, are encouraged on a year round basis.
5. Intervene early and often The emphasis here was to find what helps a child and go with it. Knowing multiple intelligences does nothing if the information is not put to use.
The school district of Pomona is in the process on implementing a new plan for identifying high "at-risk" children. Instead of kicking them out of school, the whole community is joining band to volunteer for programs to keep the children in school and off the streets where they are likely to join gangs. This will hold large effects for the classrooms, as the unruly children will be kept in class. For more information on this specific program, view [3].
[edit] Evidence of effectiveness of programs for “at-risk‿ children
Communities in Schools is a nonprofit program in Texas benefiting “at-risk‿ children. They identify these children and assign counselors to them. At times the counselors meet with the whole family. They are congenial and as friends to the “at-risk‿ children. This program was implemented in a high school. Of the students served by CIS, 95 percent stay in school, 90 percent improve in their academics, attendance and behavior and 85 percent go on to earn their high school diploma. There is a high success rate for this program. The statistics are: 95% stay in school, 90% improve in their academics, and 85% receive a high school diploma. This program ensures that the stories of the lives of “at-risk‿ children do not always have sad endings. See [4] for more details.
[edit] Critics and their rationale
[edit] Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations
[edit] Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories
I have dealt with at risk children in a camp setting. I will not mention the name of the camp, but it is a week long overnight camp for at risk children. At the camp though we call them "Kids at Hope". What we try to do is instill in the kids that they can be succesful if they try hard. The Kids at Hope philosophy actually states that there are no at risk kids just Kids at Hope. If people make connections with these kids and help them they to can be succesful. This camp has helped many kids to take a more positive path then they may have otherwise chosen. In fact when ex-campers turn 18 they have the opportunity to come back and be counselors as long as they are drug and alcohol free. Every year they have several ex-campers come back and work for the camp. A few of them also go on to college and get out of poverty. Even though it is an idealistic view I think that if all kids were shown attention and care at a young age a lot of the problems our society has would stop. B. Moore
One of the schools in my district seems to have a majority of 'at risk' students mostly due to poverty level and poor parenting. Although these students are identified early and receive support through early childhood and other preschool programs I'm not sure if there will be an impact. I really think we need to put more emphasis (think $) in teaching parents how to effectively parent. I'm also concerned with the increase of children lagging behind in pre-readiness skills often attributed to premature birth, low birth weight etc. The medical profession is saving more babies at an early age and that seems to also be impacting the education field. Rhonda Hall
I taught math in our high school alternative program for 3 years. Each student would work at their own pace to complete the course, or parts of the course they were missing. My classes ranged from 5 - 15 students usually in 3 different math subjects and always on a different chapter. My teaching was one-on-one instruction or small group instructions. The key to teaching in the alternative program was organization and planning. The majority of my students had no structure in their lives so I tried to provide stucture for them with homework drawers for each student to keep their work and supplies. While I enjoyed working with these kids and getting to know them on a personal level, it was also very draining emotionally. Some kids would tell me things about their home lives that I couldn't imagine happening. I agree that the key to continued services for programs such as this is continued funding for at risk students. E. Morrison
I find it interesting that the school, family, government, and community should be working together to improve the quality of learning for all! In the district that I work in, I don't get that sense of team work. I feel that parents are blaming the schools, schools are blaming the parents and everyone is blaming the government. Why can't we get all involved to look at the research on improving the education of all children and get everyone on the same page? We could be such a powerful society if everyone would just put their personal agendas aside and work together in unison! G. Cabutti
Personal Experience (Ralph Alexander) I would like to tell a story about an at risk student who seems at least to have changed his life. His mother moved with him from Chicago Illinois to Champaign Illinois because he was having difficulty in school and was in with a local gang. I met him in the AVID program which was designed to help minority students get ready for college. It was a voluntary program and this student struggled, not because he was not intelligent, but because he had a bad attitude. We had several talks and he seemed to want to do well, but he just had a temper problem. I can take no credit, but the other day this young man walked up to me in the grocery store to say hello. He was working at the store and his attitude had changed 100 percent. He shook my hand and we talked about his life and how things had changed for him. He said he was doing better in school and was pleased about his new job. He smiled when I finally walked away and so did I.
The past two summers I worked with "at risk" youth during a summer academy held at the university where I teach. The students lived in the dorms for the week and attended classes during the day and had activities in the evening. The purpose of the summer academy was to expose students in high school to life in college. It was difficult for me, being of a completely different background than the students, to relate to their needs and for them to open up to me. The second summer I taught a technology course and had the students find tuition costs for schools and make charts in excel. We also used the internet to find scholarship and financial aid information. The final project was a powerpoint presenting what school the student wanted to attend and what career they would like to pursue. I found it gratifying that they had so much pride while giving the presentations. For a second I think they realized that it could be possible to continue their education beyond high school. We also discussed the importance of high school grades to get admitted to a college. It was a very rewarding program for the students--and myself. I hope they benefited from it and were able to take away some important life skills. --Benish 20:24, 3 May 2005 (CDT)
Personal testimony: After school programming is one of the most effective ways of making a difference for at risk students. After school programs can help them academically, socially, and emotionally. Schools need to take advantage of the wide variety of Safe and Drug Free Schools and 21st Century grants that are out there. Teen Reach is also a state grant that can help with after school programming.
I recall my neighborhood in the city of Miami, known as Liberty City. Time were rough. It was poverty stricken. I would come home from school while bullets flew over my head. The schools in which I matriculated were in my neighborhood. Alot of kids dropped-out. Had it not been for my family, close friends and the fact that I had a God-given talent, I probably would not be a graduate student today. I think back on all the kids who did not make it. I have made a goal to try to help one in my neighborhood------Claude
For information on how to start an after school program: Starting after school programs
Janet Vallowe - At the high school where I teach, we have an "alternative school" for students who have been recognized as "at risk". There is a clear alignment of the curriculum with that offered in the high school. However, the means of instruction is much more individualized and more computer-based. The day's sechedule is also more flexible and allows for students to work during the day. Staff endorsement and support of this "alternative" school has been overwhelming!
Children who are labeled at-risk have a tendency to be thought of as less competent learners. In many cases these children are not less competent, but have had such little access to educational materials. The introduction to books, a language rich environment and manipulatives in the preschool years, sets forth a roadway for educational exploration. I feel that the initiative put forth in Illinois called Preschool for All <http://www.illinois.gov/gov/elc/reports/Preschool-for-All_051006.pdfmay> help reach children earlier; therefore, children who are considered at-risk will have an early exposure to educational materials that will benefit them in the future. -TYM
I feel that it is very important for teachers to make an effort to reach out to at-risk students. I have seen the good side of many of our worst discipline problems and often am told not to trust the child. I am not generally willing to put my trust in the student, but I am willing to make the effort to be friendly, concerned and show that I care. If the worst thing that happens is that I seem foolish, it is a risk I am willing to take at the chance I may touch one child's life and have an effect. C.Snodgrass
Teenage pregnancy puts a student at risk. The challenges of being a young parent while staying in school takes a serious toll on academics as well as the social life of students.
Family involvement also affects students at risk.
Testimony: I helped out with a children’s program in Chicago one summer. There was a second grader who was having difficulties. The police were even on his case, even in second grade! I was surprised because I am largely unfamiliar with this type of context, as of now. Also, I was heartbroken for the children who grow up in such situations so that they would have a tendency to go down the wrong path. -Daniel
Our school also has its share of At Risk Students. Most of this comes from a poor home life with parents not taking an active role in their children’s life. These poor kids have a tough road to go when their parents spend more time at the bars than at home with their families. Parents need to take more of an active role in their child’s life. The problem is that many people are placing more and more responsibility on the school to help with these kids. I agree that the students need help, but we also need to make the parents more accountable for their children and their actions. The schools can only help so much. – Dale Donner
I taught a group of students who all qualified, by this cites definition, as at risk students. Many of these students struggled with learning, classroom behavior, and social development. However, I also observed that several of these students took the initiative to form an active community of learners. Why? I think these students wanted to be successful in spite of their social positioning. In my experience, these students seemed more eager to learn than any other group. I would encourage teachers to not discount or malign at risk students because they present interesting challenges in a traditional classroom setting. The reward of helping these students achieve is worth any extra efforts that might be necessary. – Jeremiah Johnson
As a special education teacher, I have spent several years working in alternative education with youth labeled as at-risk. During that time, I have worked as both a counselor and a teacher, and have had several very bad experiences that left me with physical scars. However, this is where I discovered my forte. For me, working with at-risk youth in an alternative education setting is really the only thing I want to do. At the present time, I am completing the requirements for a type 75 certification that will allow me to become a principal of an alternative school where I believe I can make a difference. most of these kids come from backgrounds that are less than desireable, and as an orphan, I can empathize with their plight while remaining objective about assisting them with their educational goals. Given the opportunity, positive changes can be made, and I would like to be a part of them. Pat Johnson
I interned at a high school for at-risk students for a year and I think the most important thing I learned is that the majority of the students desperately wanted to succeed. Many of them had indifferent parents and some had no parents involved in their lives at all, but despite this most of the students came to class everyday ready to work hard because their teacher and their classmates believed in them. The rules were very different for the school. For example, wearing hats and eating or needing to walk around during class was completely acceptable. The students held each other accountable for attendance and turning in work on time. If a student was not following the guidelines, there was a committee made up of other students and one of the teachers that decided the consequences. Being at the alternative high school was considered a privilege and a second chance at success, so any students that could not abide by the rules were eventually sent back to the regular school. Overall, I think the policies worked very well and the students seemed to like the system. BH
I was an at-risk student at certain points in middle school and high school, due to familial circumstances that were out of my control. I was sure to conceal any hint that my family was facing crisis, but there were times when I was unmotivated to succeed in response to my family's predicament. I do believe that the influence of caring professionals, mentors, and positive peer friendships made the difference in my decision making. I think that support and intervention makes all the difference in student achievement. As an educator, I hope that I can be as influential to students who are considered at-risk in my classroom. ~C. Hatchett
There are many at-risk students in the district I work in, as well as in my classroom. I have learned the importance of listening, helping, and treating them like the other students. Individually, the students need to know that the teacher cares and wants to help them succeed, but they also want the other students to view them as "normal" kids. A lot of blaming can happen when it comes to at-risk students, but the best we can do is help these students feel safe and cared for while at school. We can't always change the neighborhood in which they live. E. Kilroy
I teach at a community college and we have students that we label as "at risk students". To us this means these students do not preform at college level and their skills are poor so they need additional help in order to graduate. We have certain developmental classes that we place these students in to try to improve their skills and bring them up to college level work. We sometimes have a lot of behavior problems with these students. They don't seem to focus as well, they come to class late and they have a hard time getting their work done. Sometimes you just want to scream at them, but it wouldn't do any good so we just excercise patience. Some make it and many don't but we give them the chance and that's all we can do.--M. Smith The school in which I teach started an Alt Education building for students that struggle in the normal school environment. Many of the students that attend this building are from this group of students that are at risk. The response and from the teachers working with these students are great. The students work on computer based assignments and modules that allow them to work at their pace. If they struggle they are given assistance. This is giving many students another opportunity for education. Nic D.
A majority of the students at the Alternative School I teach at would be classified as "at risk students" in one way or another. The most effective thing I have found in working with these students is to get to know the students better and provide them with a safe environment to learn. -R. Folkens
When a student is identified as at-risk (by the court, therapist, teacher, whomever) the rapid mobilization of resources is critical to keep the child from going down a slippery slope. Having worked with children that were removed from the home, I can attest to the fact that most of the children were off-the-radar for most of the adults in their lives. Teachers and extended families often did not know what was happening in the home: whether it was abuse, rampant crime in the neighborhood, drugs, etc. The children in our care were lucky enough to get the resources they needed albeit a little late...but mainstreaming them back into schools and the world after the fact was a difficult and often exhausting task. The problem with most at-risk youth is that often we never see them as at-risk until it is too late to easily counteract the situation. - dave melone
I am not a person who complains about NCLB very often, but it is a severe issue when it comes to at risk students. At risk students are a lot of times the students that don't meet on our ISATs. How are these precious children supposed to be able to perform well when there are so many negatives in their lives? We all know that when something is going wrong in our lives as adults, we have a very difficult time staying focused on anything but the negatives. We as schools are held accountable for these students no mater what is happening in their lives. This is one of the most difficult tasks that I have ever come across. ~R. Hayes
When I first started teaching in 1980, I taught at a school that had many students that were asked to leave their other schools for various reasons.Teaching these students made me aware of the world in a way that no teacher training course had. Many had experienced gang involvement and lack of parental support. The school did it's best to meet their needs and many were successful because the students finally had a sense that someone cared. I often wonder what happened to these at risk students.I hope their life was better than their childhood had been.A.Harty
[edit] References and other links of interest
Carter, S. A. (2005). Pomona schools outline gang plan: Pilot programs to keep kids in class. News. May 11. [5]
Lane, K.L., and Menzies, H.M.,(2003) A school-wide intervention with primary
and secondary levels of support for elementary student: outcomes and considerations. Education and treatment of children. 26, No.4,(pp.431-
451).
McPartland, J.M., Nettles, S. M., (1991) Using community adults as advocates or mentors for at risk middle school students: a tow year evaluation of
project RAISE. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
Washington, D.C., Report 17.
No Child Left Behind [6]
O’Keefe, M., (1997) Adolescents’ exposure to community and school violence: prevalence and behavioral correlates. Journal of adolescent health.20
(pp.368-376).
Link: [7]
Pope, G. (2005). Group honors at-risk students. OA Online Local News. May 4. [8]
Porter, A. (1995). Integrating assessment and instruction in ways that support learning. Pathways to School Improvement. Available online: [9]
Waterman J, Walker E. (2000) Helping at Risk Students - A Group Counselling Approach to Grades 6 - 9. ISBN 1572305711.
Good Web resources about at-risk Students
1. Critical issues in at-risk students such as "Providing Effective Schooling for Students at risk" [[10]]
2. At Risk Students Must Believe They can Change Their Future. [[11]]
3. Center for Researches on Students at Risk [[12]]
4. Links for issues concerning at-risk students [13]
5. Extensive book list concerning at-risk students [14]
6. Advice for Advising At-Risk Students
7. Article which looks at ways everyone in a school can help at-risk students (even administration) [15]
