Children At-Promise
Reimagining the at-risk paradigm
The current at-risk conceptualization
What makes a student "at-risk?"
"...characteristics and circumstances that pre-dispose students to experience risk outcomes (Johnson, 2000)":
- English as a second language
- ethnic minority status
- low socio-economic status
- inadequate familial and community environment
- cognitive and behavioral difficulties
- low test scores
- history of discipline problems
- past retention
What are they at risk for?
Risk outcomes:
- drug abuse
- teen pregnancy
- child abuse
- violence
- failure in school
- dropping out
- adult illiteracy
- unemployment or underemployment
- incarceration
The risk factors identified are often linked to the risk outcomes listed. Schools implement a variety of programs to decrease the risk.
How do schools prevent risk outcomes?
Schools intervene!
- remediation
- special education
- sex education
- substance abuse programs
- counseling
- tutoring
- initiatives to improve parent involvement
So what?
"Social science research has identified poverty, a social problem, as the factor most likely to put a person 'at-risk' for drug abuse, teen pregnancy, child abuse, violence, and school failure. Nonetheless, policy makers, the media, and often researchers themselves have personalized 'at-riskness,' locating it in youth, their families, and their cultures (emphasis added). Even though this approach sometimes succeeds in getting needed services to children and families, it has led to stereotyping, tracking, lowering expectations for many students in urban schools, and even prejudice and discrimination. Looking at children and families through a deficit lens obscures a recognition of their capacities and strengths, as well as their individuality and uniqueness (Benard, n.d.)."
and so we are in need a new conceptualization, a new paradigm
From at-risk to at-promise
As educators, we need to move from focusing on the deficiencies of students to a belief in the potential and resilience of ALL students.
What makes a student "at-promise?"
Characteristics of at-promise students:
- individual potential
- individual strengths
- individual interests
- cognitive abilities
- affective strengths
What are they at-promise for?
Promising outcomes:
- academic success
- personal success
- social success
How do schools create promising outcomes?
Schoolwide enrichment!
- positive, caring relationships
- positive, high expectations
- opportunities to participate and contribute
- curriculum modification
What can teachers do?
We must:
- focus on student strengths - and in order to do that, we must know student strengths!
- help students realize their own resilience
- make learning relevant and meaningful
- support students in learning to self-assess (Benard, n.d.)
References
Benard, B. (n.d.) Turning it around for all youth: From risk to resilience. Clearinghouse on Urban Education Digest. Retrieved from http://resilnet.uluc.edu/library/dig126.html
Johnson, G. M. (2000). Improving the education of students at-risk at promise. Teacher Education Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.teqjournal.org/backvols/2000/27_4/2000v27n404.PDF
Mathews, J. (November 15, 2009). Want to eliminate at-risk kids? Call them something else. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/11/post_1.html
Sege, I. (May 20, 2012). Moving from "children at risk" to "children at promise." Eye on early education. Retrieved from http://eyeonearlyeducation.com/2012/05/30/moving-from-children-at-risk-to-children-at-promise/
Annah Lord
Concordia University
2013