At-Risk Students Transforming Student Behavior provides educators with resources to equip them with the tools necessary to educate and transform the lives of students at risk. Closing the achievement gaps and promoting learning for all students in a democratic society is critical. Schools or programs working with at-risk youth should specifically address the at-risk behaviors exhibited by them in and out of school. To achieve an effective intervention, the school, home, and the community must work together and invest in helping youth at risk to overcome their obstacles. The best models:

Ø Separate at-risk students from other students

Ø Maintain low student-to-teacher ratios

Ø Provide a comprehensive behavior modification plan

Ø Integrate counseling and supportive services

Ø Tailor curriculum to the learning needs of the students

Ø Relate careers to education

Next, a system that helps to prevent violence and ensure safety, including cyber safety, for all youth must be in place through behavior management. In an effort to create a positive school culture that promotes learning and achievement for at-risk students, a comprehensive behavior system for the continuum of student growth and development must be successfully implemented. Barriers to student learning are quickly identified and addressed to help educators effectively monitor student misconduct. Students who chronically misbehave may not respond to traditional discipline procedures and going through numerous steps or levels of misconduct prolongs the call for support and interventions needed to address the behaviors. This delay invites the potential for school violence and puts communities in crisis.

At-risk behaviors frequently become triggers to violence, which continues to plague urban cities and their surrounding communities. Educators will be provided with the tools to: expeditiously identify at-risk characteristics; incorporate policies that support and monitor their achievement; implement research-based strategies designed to create a positive school culture that promotes teaching and learning for all.

At-Risk Students Transforming Student Behavior was written for district and school administrators, department heads, teachers, individuals employed in a traditional public or charter school system, staff in an alternative school working with at-risk students. At-Risk Students is a must-read supplement for graduate students seeking a degree in educational administration.