Who Is at Risk and Why? (From Reducing the Risk: Schools as Communities of Support, P 7-27, Gary G Wehlage, et al, -- See NCJ-124151)

• NCJ Number: 124152
• Author(s): G G Wehlage; R A Rutter; G A Smith; N Lesko; R R Fernandez
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 21 pages
• Sale Source: Taylor & Francis Inc.
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

These profiles of students and staff in schools designed to prevent at-risk students from dropping out of school focus on the types of risk factors involved and the roles of administrators and other staff in reducing risks for these students.

Abstract

The vignettes suggest that a principal who serves as an advocate for young people can be effective in helping students and their families address a variety of problems and show that at-risk students have diverse characteristics. They also illustrate the significance of these programs' efforts to rebuild the social bonds that tie students to the adults and norms of the school. The discussion also emphasizes that the three main correlates of dropping out are social and family background factors such as low socioeconomic status and minority background, personal problems such as health problems and substance abuse, and school factors such as retention in grade and disciplinary problems. The analysis concludes that the diversity among the at-risk students requires a corresponding diversity in intervention and that schools need to make major structural changes if they are to help students succeed.