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TEACHING AT-RISK STUDENTS.   Term Paper ID:26926 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines special educational needs of children with behavioral, disabled, academic, emotional & other problems. Theory, models & methods, definitions, research, examples, technology, mainstreaming, more.... More...

28 Pages / 6300 Words 20 sources, 33 Citations, APA Format $100.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Examines special educational needs of children with behavioral, disabled, academic, emotional & other problems. Theory, models & methods, definitions, research, examples, technology, mainstreaming, more. Paper Introduction: Teaching At-Risk Students Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. (1978). (1999). Irigon et al. Another notable problem is the duplication in the literature.In looking at the literature, it seems as though schools of education andresearchers place a premium on accomplishing something new. The at-risk population includes children with physicalhandicaps, learningdisabilities, language deficits, behavioral problems, and situationalproblems that make them temporarily at-risk. Another model that depended upon collaboration and helped teacherslearn how to address more than one at-risk condition at a time wasdeveloped by Old Dominion University. Finally, they emphasized that parents andfamilies should serve on advisoryboards and be involved in actual learning experiences (MacDonald, et al.,1999). Review of the Related Literature Introduction The intent in this review of the literature is to explore writings onthe situation of at-risk children in the public schools. 5. It is striking that there seems to be general agreement aboutthe approaches that are useful in working with at-risk children. Definition of Terms The only term that requires clear definition is the one most commonlyused. This showsup in levy failures and in state systems which under-fund educationconsistently. For example, they noted that programs needed to provideboth the students and the teachers with specially designed materials. Another approach would be through political science, exploringpolitical decision-making in regards to public education at this point inthe history of the country. And Idol, L. And Engelmann, S.E. And Westgard, R. For her, technology holds the promise of reaching students thatare not reachable by conventional means. (1987) early recognized the need for restructuringboth special and regular education. (1992). The Orange CountyLiteracy Project was aimed to help students with the lowest reading scores,using technology as one aspect of the program. Special education teachers have spent years learninghow to work with children with various kinds of handicaps; these techniquescan be brought into the inclusive classroom with a mainstreamed population. Skinner and isutilized to promote student learning in the regular classroom. This program involvedcounseling sessions at the schoolsite and data was collected over a two year period. This represents some significant problems. As SusanGlazer (1998) noted, there is no easy, instant fix for the problem of at-risk children in the schools primarily because there are so many differentproblems to be addressed. Certainly it isillogical for a citizenry to neglect its educational system when thatsystem provides the foundation for all the necessary skills that adultsneed to participate fully as workers and citizens. Hodgkinson, H.L. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of the factorsthat cause children to be at-risk for school failure, while also exploringmodels, methods, and techniques that are effective in working with thesechildren to avoid a negative outcome. The kinds of ideas that are presented areconsistent. Significance of the Problem The significance of the problem is that everyone loses when childrenfail to succeed in the schools. References Becker, W.C. Thequestion then is: How can this be accomplished rapidly and efficiently?Can the education establishment come together to make recommendations andsupport specific models and techniques that have been shown to beeffective? Findings Analysis of the Data In reviewing the literature, there are a number of things that arequite striking to me in evaluating its usefulness in resolving the problemof the failure of at-risk students in the school systems. It isanticipated that they will have difficulty functioning effectively in theordinary classroom in the average school system. Irigon, F.F., Sarno, M., Sera, J. . But . The necessaryrestructuring of special and regular education. Initial results seem to indicate gains of one year or more, but theprogram has not been in operation long enough to get a clear picture ofresults, particularly at the elementary school levels. Manningindicated that these included individual attention to students, focusedcounseling efforts,comprehensive approaches dealing with more than on at-risk condition,working with the relationship between self-esteem, behavior, and academicachievement, high expectations, teaching of social skills, parentinvolvement, and increasing responsibility levels for the student. Therestructuring that must be done involves a collaboration between specialeducation and general education professionals in which general educationprofessionals adapt some of the attitudes and individualizing techniques ofthe special educators. Theyworked in small groups on a different curriculum that emphasized basicskills, social skills, career possibilities, and life options. Childdevelopment centers program: An effective school-based mental healthservice. Academic intervention program: Applying brainand learning style concepts. Special education can be a support in thetransition to a more inclusive general education classroom, but cannot beused as a crutch, or as a place to cast-off those students that generaleducation teachers find difficult or unappealing. The lessons that the authorsenumerated in theirarticle have long been basic practice in that program. Technology may be both appropriate and productive.There is general agreement about how to deal with at-risk children in aneducational environment emphasizing mainstreamingand inclusion. If training and support are made available to them, thiswould go far to reduce the problems of the at-risk student population. In looking at that last one, for example, Manning (1993) noted thatresearchers have discovered that when they give children a sense that theyare responsible for their learning and for their behavior, and give thechildren tools to monitor both of those, the children are able to takecharge and regain their sense of self-responsibility. They are not focused on solving social problems, but on givingboth teachers and students the tools they need in order to succeed in theclassroom setting.For teachers, the collaborative consultation work allows them to getsuggestions from their peers about modifications to their teaching stylethat might address learner issues. Classroom context and teachers'perceptions of problem behaviors. There are also methodological problems. The child probably suffers the most,denied the opportunity to develop a strong sense of capability and worth,and often denigrated, criticized, and shamed. (199 ). (1985). Certainly it is always helpful to continue to develop models,methods, programs, and techniques which help at-risk children.Nonetheless, much is already known. This seems an important new idea that they did not develop further inthis article. An oddity of the project (and somewhat of an add-on) wasthe involvement of 12 former military men earning their teachercertification through Old Dominion University's MilitaryCareer Transition Program (MacDonald, Manning, and Leary, 1999). Another source formaterial was the Eric database, available through the Internet. What are the assumptions, beliefs, and valuesthat keep in-place a failing public school system in a country that has oneof the richest population's on earth? Results indicated thatnot only did the individual students at-risk for mental health problemsbenefit, but that the entire school changed in character, becoming a morecaring, compassionate environment. What is an at-risk student? In addition, thereis a teachereffect that is noticeable, so the program requires intensive training forteachers new to the program, with ongoing follow-up training (Coburn,1999). Second, they emphasized that programs for at-risk studentsshould provide field experiences that make the students aware of new careerpossibilities. This is part of what makes solving the problem sodifficult. Engelmann, S. When students mastered a particular topic, they receiveda new video topic. Using collaborative consultation for learning-disabled and at-risk students. The study that Levine (1997) devised was one of collaborativeconsultation in which teachers, resource room, and the classroom engage ina collaborative and systematic study of the student, subject, and materialsand how they need to be brought together in order to promote optimumlearning. Levine, E.Z. MacDonald et al. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association. America's adolescents: Howhealthy are they? 1. It is important to understand that the definitions of "at-risk"students and "regular" students are fluid. This program is designed to be all-day, divided into instructionalperiods that last up to 25 minutes by the end of the kindergarten year.The schedule includes singing, physical activity, arts and crafts, but thefocus is on intensive instruction in language, reading, and math. Again, thisprovided the students with a tool for locating techniques which were mostsuitable. One problem of this method, however, is that the method requiresconsiderable training and resources. Assumptions The primary assumptions on which this study are based are: 1. Just inlooking at the recommendations by several of these researchers, it isapparent that it would be helpful for teachers to have teaching assistants,specialized training,free time for planning and programming, additional free time forcollaborative teamwork with special education professionals and otherteachers, special materials for the classroom, access to advanced computertechnology and software, preservice and inservice training, parentinvolvement, administrative support, and supplemental funding for fieldtrips and hands-on experiences that are enriching. Although most citizens have children,and all citizens have been children attending school, there seems to beinsufficient support for developing effective school programs. Theteam included educators form Old Dominion University, the two principals,the teachers, and several parents, who met approximately eight times duringthe course of the project. Essentially, they are saying that students might succeedbetter if they knew the teachers' expectations in advance and what thelearning outcomes are intended to be. TheClearing House, 73(1), 25-28. Forexample, Becker and Engelmann (1978) early reported on the advantages tochildren in Project FollowThrough, noting that they obtained more acceleration than childrenbeginning in first grade, and by third grade, were performing at around the5 th percentile in many subjects. Method of Approach As mentioned above, this is a descriptive study. (1999) also have some helpful hints for teachercandidates, noting that clearly they should understand what makes a studentat-risk and what programs would be helpful for them. The socialfabric suffers from the crime and poverty that seems to follow schoolfailure. And Safran, J. Precision teaching and collaborative consultation work well togetherbecause they are both problem-solving approaches that look at the cognitiveprocess. Theeducators emphasized choosing materials that reflected the level of thechildren's cognitive development as well as their specific at-riskconditions. They were able to take control of their own learning process.However, Steinberger (1989) noted that many students, if not most, do nothave learning strategies or study techniques, and this creates a seriousproblem for them. Still,each year, there are children who fail in the standard classroom situation,and increasing numbers of drop-outs. The findings section furtheranalyzes this material to gain information about potential approaches andfuture directions. This seems like a no-winsituation for both students and teachers. Until recently, many at-risk children were misdiagnosed, placed inspecial education classrooms, or simply neglected until they dropped out ofschool, unsuccessful. This has a negative impact on the students academic progress,as well as self-esteem and enjoyment of school. The focus was ondoing an extensive search of the literature dealing with at-risk children.Although an emphasis was placed on at-risk children in the elementarygrades, and the teaching of reading to at-risk children, all of theliterature that contributed to an understanding of the problem and itsresolution was deemed pertinent for review. Or, if thereare positive resultsfrom a project, these are short-term. Certainly this is reinforced bythe study reported above. Educational Leadership, 57(1), 77-79. Lago DeLello (1998) recommends that teachers honestly identify thesedifficult students early in the year and seek help in working with them.She indicated that a collaborative effort involving special educationprofessionals is probably the best approach, helping both the students andgeneral educationalteachers who are frustrated and resentful. For example, children withlearning disabilities or behavioral problems are automatically socategorized. (1997). This is one of the goals of the leadersof the inclusive classroom movement; the intent is that all studentsbenefit from diversity, not just that at-risk students benefit from beingplaced with supposedly more "normal" peers. Fourth, they emphasized the importance ofmaking learners aware of life options and possibilities. Phi Delta Kappan,71(8), 634-637. (1999) expanded this list somewhat, indicating thatsuccessful programs should be collaborative, have real world perspectivesso that students can see how experiences relate to their own life, andshould prepare students for instructional and advisement experiences inadvance. Their work developed from that of B.F. It seems that the problem is the lack of political support for theeffective education of all children. The "regular" student,for example, may become "at-risk" after a messy divorce or after becominginvolved with drugs and the drug culture. (199 ). There are other costs to the community,including special remedial programs and welfare. A primary database used was ProQuest, with thesearch engine Google also of importance in the review. There have been outcome studiesalready, since this method has been in operation for over 25 years. The focus now needs to be onconsistent implementation of effective programs in all schools. This enables the at-risk children toremain competitive during the primary years, even though the affluentchildren have more resources to draw upon (Hart & Risley, 1995). (1981). MacDonald, R.H., Manning, M.L., and Leary, S.L. Instead,it is a descriptive study using a literature review to develop findingsand make recommendations. Fifth, they notedthat programs for at-risk students needed to address appropriate behaviorand interpersonal skills. Regular/normal/ordinary classroom - In the literature, each of theseterms is used to describe classrooms that are for the majority of studentsand are specifically not special education classrooms. What is also striking is the need for teacher support. There is a new emphasis on collaborative efforts, teacher planningtime, team learning, hands-on projects, and new evaluative methods. There are laboratoryschools, research findings, and numerous techniques recommended byteachers, some supported by good data, others less well-supported. Ifteachers are allowed the time to work together on both planning and problem-solving, they are likely to develop much more effective teaching methods.The ultimate focus of this model if preventative; it is designed toalleviate student learning and behavior problems (West and Idol, 199 ). In general, at-risk students receivedsignificantly more negative or neutral and nonacademic feedback statementsthan not-at-risk peers. Teaching At-Risk Students Abstract A substantial minority of children in the public school system startout at-risk of behavioral or academic problems within that system. Englemann (1995) noted that the main question on the DirectInstruction method is its effectiveness. In some respects, the children of Orange County are serving as unpaidproduct evaluators, although they do gain the benefits of new readingskills. However, what is also striking is the degree of resistance thatgeneral education teachers express to having a wide variety of students intheir classrooms. (1997). In her attempt to address this problem, Esther Levine (1997)developed a brief action research project designed to use collaborativemethods in order to create strategies to meet special needs. Students may move betweencategories, depending upon changed circumstances. MacDonald et al. Reynolds et al. Meaningful differences in theeveryday experiences of young American children. This makes it less feasible for poorschool districts. There islittle disagreement here. He proposed that students who did not have viablestrategies for learning be directly taught them. They are placed in a position of starting behind, oftenprovided with fewer resources in poorer school systems, but still expectedto catch up with their more advantaged peers. The economy suffers from the lack of skilled workers. Children with attention deficit disorder are considered to bevery much at-risk for both educational and behavioral struggles. Another issue is that Engelmann himself is the directorof the program, with a vested interest in its apparent success. Perhaps there is avested interest in maintaining an unequal playing field in which certainchildren are predisposed to failure without a great deal of luck andspecial assistance. And Risley, T.R. Introduction Statement of the Problem There is a sizable body of children in the United States who enterthe school system with inadequate skills and never catch up. (1998). (1993). For example, juvenile delinquency is highly correlated withschool problems, including drop-out rates and the inability to readeffectively (Hodgkinson, 1992). The project started in the high schools, moved to the middle schools,and then incorporated more than 3 elementary schools. The former military teacher candidates alsowereinvolved, working with the Project for approximately 4 hours per semester. Many of the reports onworking with at-risk children make general statements about success, but donot necessarily provide the data to support those statements. At-risk children can experience a very different reality in theclassroom than their not-at-risk peers. Further, Gans and Blyth (199 ) reported on an AMA reportnoting that children today have more stress in their lives and more seriouspsychological problems than those from a generation ago. (199 ). Besides the personal damagedone to the child who always feels a failure, there is considerable socialdamage. TheClearing House, 66, 135-138. However, many techniques have been devised in order to deal with eachof these problems. That at-risk children who are, by definition, in danger ofschool failure, can be taught effectively in order to alleviate, oreliminate, that risk and help them to succeed. Pennell, L. In examining this piece of literature, it seems very much to me likethe authors were involved in reinventing the wheel. And Walberg, H. Baltimore, MD: Paul H.Brookes. Delimitations of the Study This study does not take an experimental design approach. Manning, M.L. This might not be a completely off-the-wall idea. A good model of a system designed to support at-risk students whichalso served the entire school was a program developed to create a school-based mental health program in one school. She wasworking with a school system in which most students have been upgraded andplaced in regent-level classes, with only students certified as unable tocomplete anything but an IEP diploma exempted. They used the Learning StylesInventory in order to design materials to match learner strengths andcourse requirements. Teachers can be provided with support in many forms, including extra timefor preparation, teacher assistance, mentors, and collaborative teamapproaches. (1995). Child Welfare, 6 (8), 569-577. 2. The Collaborative Consultation Model is fundamentally a model ofprofessional behavior which emphasizes problem-solving at the school levelthrough the interaction of teachers, administrators, and other staff. When they are unable to do this, they areadjudged failures. This is similar to the work of several theorists in the field ofprecision teaching. The program used acombination of video technology and computer technology to help studentsanalyze reading passages, learn to read for meaning, and develop accuracyin their reading. (1999). Schumm, J.S. For example, Engelmann (1995) recommended an affirmative action planfor at-risk children that starts with preschool-kindergarten. In other words, the more they knew about themselvesand their own capacities, limitations, and tendencies, the more able theywere to manage their own learning process, without special assistance.Mamchur (199 ) further indicated that students thrived when they were ableto match their learning styles to specific study techniques. (1985). Engelmann(1999) indicated that this is essentially the problem of at-risk children.Because they start at a disadvantage, but are expected to learn materialthat places them at the norm for their grade level, they must actually beable to learn more than the advantaged child in order to end up at the sameplace (Hart & Risley, 1995). To answer the latter question first, they are considered tobe at-risk for both school failure and behavioral problems. There is a paucity of experimentaldata indicating that any technique or program is successful over the long-term with a wide variety of at-risk students. They also noted thatteachers should be able to identify at-risk students, plan, implement, andevaluate educational experiences for them, and that they should have theopportunity to work collaboratively with other teachers and parents inhelping at-risk children grow and develop.Technology From a slightly different angle, there are researchers who recommendgood use of new technologies to improve the situation of at-risk children.Janet Coburn (1999) reported on one of those projects, which emphasizedteaching improved reading skills to at-risk children at both elementary andmiddle schools levels. 2. One obvious problemI see here, and in much of the literature, is this focus on developing newprograms or models that are simply retitled projects that use many of thesame basic principles that have already been shown to be effective in manysituations. Thosechildren who are at-risk will not learn, and those children who are not-at-risk are liable to be frustrated in their attempts to learn, too. Collaborative consultation in theeducation of mildly handicapped and at-risk students. For example, the Office of Special Education reportedthat the dropout rate for disabled students is at least 1 times greaterthan for nondisabled students. Theory Into Practice, 24(2), 131-134. Planning formainstreamed students requires an entirely new perspective, and generalclassroom teachers express great resistance (Schumm and Vaugh, 1992). This provides the reader with a wealthof information, but not a lot of evidence that one particular model hasshown itself to be productive and effective in many different situations.While many of these models use the sameelements, it still would be helpful to see a sheaf of literature dealingwith the same model and specific techniques in a wide range of settings. This began with the Learning Technology Center ofPeabody College at Vanderbilt University, which developed a workingrelationship with the Orange County Florida public schools. They are used to planning forwell-behaved and well-organized students who may have different abilitylevels, but are adapted to a traditional classroom situation. This is acomponent of the at-risk population that needs helpwithin the school system (and outside of it), and teachers need to receivethe training and support to help them feel competent and effective in doingthat.Working with at-risk students There are numerous models and methods available to the teacherseeking to work directly with at-risk children. I will try toidentify some of these in the following paragraphs. The task, therefore, is toidentify those philosophies, models, methods, strategies, and techniqueswhich seem to offer potential for reducing the risk to at-risk children. And Vaugh, S. As for who the at-risk children are, there are many groups who areconsidered de facto members of this population. There is an appeal in computers that has beenlost for many children in their struggles with learning to read books.Adaptations for mainstreamed students There are a number of researchers working on materials and techniquesfor making adaptations for mainstreamed children in the general classroom.Success with mainstreaming begins with the planning process, which manygeneral education teachers are afraid of. (1995). Safran, S. What it reminded me ofwas the Head Start Program, which has accomplished much in the area ofworking with at-risk preschool children. There were 3 middle school students involved in the project, all ofwhom had been identified as at-risk and removed from regular classes. In any event, there is no reason for the high failurerate of at-risk children except political decisionsthat preclude implementation of effective programs supporting both teachersand children.Recommendations for further study What would be helpful in thinking further about this problem? Mendrinos, R.B. What prevents the development of atrue local and national commitment to educate all children to the best oftheir ability? One of the main problems in working with at-risk children, as well aslearning-disabled children, is that most teachers in a regular classroomsituation have no special training in dealing with unique populations. The program he described is the Direct Instructional Approach, whichis a highly-structured and accelerated program designed to bring at-riskchildren up to the level of their advantaged peers through high-levelinstruction and practice in language, math, and reading skills. Glazer, S.M. In terms of team management of the project, this was extensive. In other words, they should be inthe "normal" classrooms with the "normal" students. Teachers want the studentout of their classrooms and in alternative placements. Each of these can contribute to reducing the problem of at-risk children failing academically and socially.Conclusions In looking at the research, it is clear that there is significantknowledge about working with the at-risk population. As Lago-DeLello (1998) noted, they want well-managedclassrooms with well-behaved students because they believe that this is thebest way for children to succeed. The review was conducted by exploring material in books, journals,and the electronic media. Manning (1993) seems to reiterate the fact that the essentialelements of at-risk program have already been identified. For example, children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) sometimesseem to be lazy or disorgfanized because of their problem with focus.Children with visual memory are able to copy well, but can't remember howto make letters when the copy is removed. 3. When the review was completed, the effort was made to distillapplicable information from the large mass of material available. Children need individualized attention, collaboration isimportant, special materials are helpful, self-esteem and interpersonalskills are relevant. There have been various models and techniques devised to accomplishthis. He recommended using self-monitoring, charts, recording, and other techniques in order to helpstudents identify those strategies that best help them learn the material. They feel frustrated because they haveneither the education nor the support to deal with a wide variety ofspecial needs childrenin one classroom. Teaching and Change, 4(2), 1 7-121. . Another potentially useful idea is providing additional educationalopportunities to the students through mentors. Teachersperceived these students as having less likable and ideal pupil traits thantheir not-at-risk peers. Using educational technology with at-riskstudents: A guide for library media specialists and teachers. Providing more of an intensive overview, Roxanne Mendrinos (1997)reviewed much of the current educational technology available for use withat-risk students, including both actual lesson plans and contact people.Mendrinos is focused on the student who is at-risk of dropping out or whodoes not have the skills necessary to succeed in an information technologyeconomy. Mainstreaming/inclusion - The mainstreaming/inclusion movement hasdeveloped the philosophy that all students should be taught in the leastrestrictive setting and, for the most part, that all students should be inthe main stream of school activities. (1987). Manchur, C. In some ways, the most accuratedefinition would be that at-risk children are children who in some way poseproblems for teachers and schools, while regular children are currentlyable to fit in and do not present inordinate problems to the system. The general education teacher cannotcontinue to teach in the same way in a mainstreamed classroom. Boston,MA: Allyn and Bacon. There are special populations of at-risk students who sufferdisproportionately. Gans, J.E. Rather thanrepeat work of others, the tendency seems to be for researchers to designnew programs or try new techniques. A demographic look at tomorrow.Washington, D.C.: Institute for educational leadership, Center forDemographic Policy. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon Follow through Project. Reynolds, M.C., Wang, M. The curriculum. Regular/normal students - These are the students who sometimes seemin the minority who do not have any visible special problems in fitting into the ordinary classroom situation. As noted inthe introduction, he believed that at-risk children were unlikely tosucceed, because they started behind their peers and were expected to learnmore than their advantaged peers just to reach the norms, or expected gradelevel. Mentors also serve a slightly different role thanteachers, or parents, being more on the child's "side" than either of theothers. For example, young children whoare at-risk for serious emotional disturbances were often rejected by theirteachers very early, while not-at-risk children were not. Forexample, they learned interpersonal skills and conflict management. In Levine's (1997) active research, 1 children were selected toserve as the sample at-risk population, while four teachers agreed to workwith Levine in the collaborative consultation mode. It is apparent in the constant deterioration of the publicschool system and the attempt to circumvent it through the use of vouchers. Journal of Educational Psychology,77(1), 2 -28. Remedial and SpecialEducation, 11(1). As Lago-DeLello noted,her research simply reinforced what already has been known about thissituation. Seven essentials of at-risk programs. The focus is onchildren in the primary grades, although there is mention of materialrelated to older students if it is applicable to younger students also.The first sectionexamines the literature on the population of at-risk students, while thesecond section looks specifically at techniques, or approaches, to be usedwith at-risk students.At-risk children Who are these children who are labelled "at-risk" and what are they"at-risk" for? For students, precision teaching allowsthem to learn about teaching styles, learning styles, and study strategies,all of which gives them more choices and more control over their ownlearning process.Working together collaboratively, teachers and students can learn how bestto fit their styles and skills together to be effective. West, J.F. Research makes a difference in Orange County.Technology & Learning, 19(7), 38-39. That all students in the community deserve to receive aneffective education which enables them to be productive and successfulduring their school years. Certainly if children areunable to connect well with one adult, offering them additional choicescould be very helpful. Otherchildren become part of that at-risk group when events occur, or problemsarise, that make it difficult for them to succeed In a standard classroomsituation. At-risk students: no instant solutions.Teaching Pre K-8, 28(7), 84-86. They are generally English-speaking,with no special behavioral or physical problems, and they are generallyfrom homes from middle-class backgrounds and above. Asa consequence, they may resist having at-risk children in their classrooms,preferring to have them in special education or bilingual programs, ratherthan in a mainstreamed, inclusive classroom. At-risk - In its narrowest sense, the at-risk student is the studentwho is at higher than average risk for having academic and behavioralproblems in the ordinary classroom. These are just a few of the populationswhose problems need to be recognized, acknowledged, and addressed in orderto make their school years productive, enjoyable ones, rather than times offrustration and failure. Third, they concluded that programs should promote effortsdesigned to improve self-esteem. 2. As the authors noted, thelearners realized that others cared about them enough to addresss theirspecial needs. Safran and Safran(1985) noted that teachers tend to form their judgments fairly rapidly,too, and that these remain consistent, even when students change theirbehaviors. Working withyoung adolescents at-risk: Lessons learned from Project Enable. It is apparent in the lesser salaries and status of teachers in comparisonto other professionals. Generally speaking, students with learning and behaviorproblems, or students who are unable to conform to classroom norms tend tobe rejected by teachers andexperience much more negative teacher feedback. Manning, M.L. (1998). How can teacher's colleges and schools of education worktogether to develop teachers who are able to identify at-risk children, andplan, implement, and evaluate effective programs for them in acollaborative setting? There is not one issue to consider, but eachchild is a unique blend of characteristics and background which may presentproblems in the traditional learning environment. They worked to involve the students in developing thelearning process and creating a positive classroom climate. And Baruth, L.G. This was Project Enable, which wasoperated in the Chesapeake, Virginia Public School System during 1995-1996. She decries the lack of facilities available to most students,noting that technology can be of great assistance in library media centers,and in language arts classrooms, amongothers. Head Start is only one example - although a long-term one,working with diverse populations - of a program emphasizing specialmaterials, individualized plans, field experiences, self-esteem work, andparent involvement. In some respects, it seems as though there is anunconscious collusion to ensure that only some children succeed, whileother children are doomed to failure, serving to provide an infusion intothe criminal and lower classes. What is needed in terms of resources, agreement,will, change in philosophy, changes in training, etc., to make thisreality? If they were unable to do this, they were assumed to be schoolfailures. Planning for mainstreamed specialeducation students: Perceptions of general classroom teachers.Exceptionality, 3(2), 8198. (1992). (1981) estimated that 7 percent of school-agechildren in urban areas had behavioral or emotional problems ranging frommild to severe. Classroom dynamics and the development ofserious emotional disturbance. Thus,the review of literature is a compilation of some of the best, or mosttypical, offerings in the literature. The focus of this project was two Chesapeake middle schools and their at-risk students. 1. Analysis of achievementdata. (1999). Hart, B. The idealfor this program is to accelerate at-risk children so that they actuallyleave kindergarten ahead of affluent children, with their performancelevels around the second grade level. Summary, Recommendations, and ConclusionsSummary The problem of at-risk children is a sizable one and does not involvejust one population. Further, they spent much less time actuallyacademically engaged in the classroom setting (Lago-DeLello, 1998). Students at-risk. What, then, is theproblem? However, with a new focus on mainstreaming in the197 s, which developed into the inclusive classroom movement of the 199 s,the emphasis has been on finding ways to help each child succeed. Students with attention deficithyperactive disorder (ADHS) often are disorganized, disruptive, and unableto complete tasks (Glazer, 1998). Lago-DeLello, E. The leaders of the program had several goals for the program, whichwere partially met, but they also learned some lessons about the futuredesign of program. This, in itself, is a worthy goal. Unfortunately, too, the Learning Technology Center is developing theprogram as a commercial product which would presumably place it out of thereach of some of the schools which could most benefit from such a program. Greenwood. Exceptional Children, 53,391-398. Coburn,J. Forexample, Pennell (1985) explored how students could gain new ability totake charge of their learning by learning about their own styles, skills,and brain functioning. 4. The benefits of direct instruction:Affirmative action for at-risk students. They were resistant to making changes toaccomodate at-risk students and seemed to prefer getting the children outof their classroom instead. Results of the program were tracked using standardized tests whichincluded the Degrees of Reading Power scale, along with measures of self-esteem. There is nothing here that is new, really, except theexperience for these individual students. The problem does not seem to be lackof knowledge, but the lack of will to implement what is known to be mosteffective in working with a variety of students in an inclusive classroom.Teachers resist diverse classrooms, often because they lack training andsupport systems. Together they workedto modify teaching styles and counseled students on learning how to workeffectively with different teaching styles. This is important because the at-risk population of children likelyto suffer from mental health problems continues to grow, and be largelyunmet. Exceptional Children, 64(4), 479-492. Since heis also the only one who has reported meaningful outcome data on the DirectInstructional approach, there is a question of credibility. In other words, classroomteachers were instantly faced with teaching groups of students thatincluded all ability levels of regular students, along with the learning-disabled student and mainstreamed emotionally-disturbed students. This seems reasonable, lettingstudents in on the goals and the ways in which teachers expect toaccomplish those goals. And Blyth, D.A. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.