The document discusses factors that place children at risk of academic failure and identifies targeted interventions that can help support at-risk students. It notes that children from low-income families or who experience issues like poverty, lack of early literacy exposure, family instability, or behavioral/emotional problems are particularly vulnerable. The document advocates for early and individualized interventions in school, including strengthening student engagement, self-esteem, organizational skills, and relationships, to improve outcomes for at-risk children.

1. Breaking Down the Walls for Children at Risk: The Need for Targeted Interventions

2. What Places Children at Risk?

5. Characteristics of Students At Risk Low socioeconomic status families Minority ethnic groups Linguistic minority background History of academic failure Older in age than classmates Emotional and behavior problems Lack of psychological attachment to school List your most at-risk students---these are the ones we want YOU to focus on—the ones who need YOUR help the most! (Ormrod, 2006)

7. Forty million adults in the U.S. can’t read well enough to read a simple story to a child (NCES, 2005).

8. There are many children who begin their lives in poverty and without a secure attachment

12. During the summer break, low-income students lose more than two months of reading achievement.

18. The data is in and the numbers tell a troubling story: 44 percent of American children grow up in families that face serious struggles to make ends meet

20. The rate of children living in poverty this year will climb to nearly 22%, the highest rate in two decades,

21. Up to 500,000 children may be homeless this year, living either in shelters or places not meant for habitation.

24. For example, children in poverty often have less verbal interaction with their parents, resulting in significantly lower vocabularies at the time they enter school

27. In addition to poverty, students at risk often come from families where academic skills such as reading are not modeled, and where multiple family stressors are present (e.g., alcohol and other drug abuse, divorce, child maltreatment).

30. Early academic failures are second only to poverty in predicting school failure.

31. Students whose behaviors identify them as academically or behaviorally deficient are more likely to be exposed to negative interaction and punishment in the classroom and are less likely to be engaged in instructional time with their teachers.

32. The justice and welfare systems overwhelmingly serve individuals who have poorly developed academic skills and have experienced school failure. Lower levels of literacy are strongly associated with higher rates of delinquency and incarceration.

33. Most prevention efforts begin in school because it is the place where professionals have the greatest, and typically the earliest, access to children. School-wide efforts to prevent student failure can be organized under a system of positive behavioral interventions and support that involves the entire school. (Sugai et al., 2005 )

35. Early problem behavior is highly related to successful school experiences (Gresham, Lane, & Lambros, 2000; Lyman, 2002). Children who evidence problem behavior at school are likely to struggle early, often, and throughout their school careers (Patterson, 1992; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 2005).

45. Studies show that ODD presents in 5-15% of all school aged children. (aacap.org) ODD is reported in boys almost twice as much as it is reported in girls. (Carlson and Gaub and Tamm 2001). This involves over 5 million students in the US .

48. Fatherlessness Places Children at Risk

49. According to 72 % of the U.S. population, fatherlessness is the most significant family or social problem facing America, and in most nations of the world . *Fathering In America Poll January 2000

50. The impact of fatherlessness is far-reaching….

51. Three out of four teenage suicides occur in households where a parent has been absent.* * Jean Beth Eshtain, “Family Matters: The Plight of America’s Children.” The Christian Century July 2003

52. Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse .* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics Survey On Child Health Washington DC, 2002

53. 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.* *Rainbows For All God’s Children

54. Children in single-parent families are 2-3 times as likely to have emotional & behavioral problems .* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics National Health Interview Survey Hyattsville, MD, 2003

55. Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.* *U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. National Center For Health Statistics Survey On Child Health Washington, DC GPO 2003

56. 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.* *Fulton Co. Georgia Jail Populations Texas Dept. of Corrections 2002

57. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.* *[U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census.]

58. Boys born to an unmarried teen mother are 10 times more likely to become a chronic juvenile offender.* *Source: Conseur, Amy et al. "Maternal and Perinatal Risk Factors for Later Delinquency." Pediatrics 99(2004): 785-790.

59. The “root cause” of crime, more than any other, is fatherlessness. Almost 70% of juveniles incarcerated in state reform institutions, 75% of teenage homicide perpetrators, and most gang members come from homes with no father present. Fatherlessness & Crime 2001 by Dave Kopel

61. All children need at least one person to believe in them

62. Teachers Promote Self-Determination in At Risk Students Strategies: Present rules and instructions in an informational rather than controlling manner Give students opportunities to make choices (individually or as a group) Evaluate students’ performance in a non-controlling manner Use extrinsic reinforcers selectively (Ormrod, 2006)

64. Everyone needs love, especially when they feel they don’t deserve it

65. When a student struggles academically, we look for instructional solutions

68. For children who are at risk, the sooner we can provide support the better chance they have of succeeding.

69. If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all Pearl S. Buck

71. There are things that schools can to support children who are at risk: New Comers Club Self-monitoring Teach Organizational skills Mentoring Social skills training Positive Behavior Supports Check-in, Checkout

73. The Impact of Mentoring… Can Change a Life

75. So let’s begin…