NCJ Number
152206
Date Published
1994
Length
97 pages
Annotation
This monograph reviews recent research about children at risk of school failure, analyzes current strategies designed to improve student and school performance, and proposes ways of achieving academic excellence with high reliability.
Abstract
Children disproportionately at risk include minority children; children in poverty; and children lacking sufficient support due to factors such as family characteristics, peer influences, prenatal conditions, and health. Researchers, policymakers, and child advocates have proposed specific strategies, including improvements in health, nutrition, and prenatal care programs; the enhancement of living conditions; strengthening families and preventing child abuse; expanded youth programs; increased school, community and parent collaborations; community development; and social change. Proposals to enhance the school environment for children from diverse backgrounds include improvement in school administrative and support services, enhanced relevance and rigor of instruction, and equitable and efficient use of resources. Strategies to create a challenging, nonstigmatizing learning environment include changes in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and school organization and closer connections with work or college. Policymakers must also recognize the need for different kinds of assistance at different stages of development, for case management approaches for students with severe problems, and for schoolwide reform plans for all students. Schools must overcome organizational barriers to reform and make schools high-reliability organizations.