Services for at-risk students in schools: would more be better and is better good enough?

Children Today, Jan-Feb, 1991 by Donald Compton, Michael Baizerman

Beginning with the release in 1983 of A Nation at Risk, schools and communities across the country have devoted increasing attention to the "problem" of at-risk students. [1] Educational reform efforts have focused on raising standards for teachers and students. For example, more than 40 states now require teachers to pass a competency examination in order to continue in the profession.

For students, reform efforts have been translated into a tightening of the requirements necessary to graduate high school. The number of course credits needed to graduate has increased, students typically must master a basic skills examination in order to graduate, and rules regarding school attendance and participation in extracurricular activities have become more strigent.

Some educators have expressed concern that this elevation of standards will have an adverse impact on the at-risk student who may already be struggling to perform scholastically. Recent studies project that the nation's demographic characteristics are rapidly changing, with an expansion in both the number and proportion of youth requiring extra services. Thus, a need exists to identify effective strategies and resources for serving these students in school and in the community.

Schools that are effective in serving the at-risk student are those that respond in particular ways to the student's diverse needs and wants. Examined from the student's perspective, schools that work are those that ask questions, listen to and hear students, and respond in constructive ways. Effective schools adapt their responses to student characteristics, and enroll students in programs where there is a suitable match. Effective schools are also those that fulfill students' basic, deep-seated needs. Schools that do not respond to students' uniqueness are ineffectual.

While many schools do make a conscientious effort to respond to students' individuality, it is impossible to adequately do so when the majority of students on campus are identified as at-risk and require one-on-one attention and assistance for both in-school and out-of-school problems. Describing a situation that is common in a number of schools, one high school counselor notes that there is only one counselor for the entire freshman class of her school. "That counselor has 700 to 800 kids to deal with," she points out. "I don't think she can handle the case load by herself. I'm the senior sponsor this year and the first year we started we had 700 freshmen. Now that class is ready to graduate and there are only 300 students left."

The consensus among school staff is that current practice is not useful or productive with some students. When asked, "What kinds of students does this school not work for?", one program coordinator replied: "These are the students who have been defeated so often that they don't have any hope. They have a low self-concept and their priorities are out of order. I haven't been able to make them view education as important. They can't see beyond what's happening today, much less 20 years down the road."

Teachers also feel frustrated by the difficulties they face in instructing at-risk students and recognize a need for change. One educator observes that the strategies and techniques she has successfully utilized in her classroom for many years are no longer effective. "Something has changed out there that I haven't changed with. The same things don't work anymore. There are fewer kids who motivate themselves."

While school staff recognize that current practices are often ineffectual, the model program is considered to be one that offers "more of the same." When asked to describe the ideal school program, one counselor asserts that what is needed are competent teachers who like to teach, a sound curriculum and materials that will facilitate its implementation, and adequate space and facilities. She adds: "We also need time to spend on individual contact with students, and services that will free up counseling time and enable us to set up groups and actually deal with the kids rather than just do paperwork. Community resources are essential, and getting parents really concerned about what happens to their children ona day-to-day basis is vital."

In this counselor's view, there is an awareness of the need to harness community resources for use in school, and she describes the services available in her small to medium sized bedroom community near a large urban area. "We get services county-wide," she says. "We have a career achievement project that is part of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). This is primarily a vocational orientation program to make the kids aware of careers that are available and the type of training that is necessary.

"The kids do receive some guidance and assistance regarding college planning and financial aid ... that type of thing. JTPA, which provides summer jobs, also has shifts for students during the school year. The STARS program is also funded through JTPA and offers group counseling, remedial education, and job training and placement. "Program representatives come to the school site to work directly with students.