ERIC Identifier: ED316617 Publication Date: 1989-00-00 Author:
Pallas, Aaron M. Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education
New York NY. Making Schools More Responsive to At-Risk Students.
ERIC/CUE Digest No. 60. Current approaches to educating at-risk
students are the result of several shifts in thinking over the
last 35 years. Now, a new way of defining at-risk students is
needed for changes in school policy and practice to better meet
these students' needs. Past Definitions. Earlier, risk was
considered the result of only a single factor in a youth's life.
Over time, policymakers and educators have identified different
factors as the factor. Thirty years ago, the problems of school-
aged children were attributed to cultural deprivation. As an
antidote, children were provided with preschool compensatory
enrichment that attempted to create a middle-class culture for
them. Subsequently, educational deprivation was considered the
primary cause of at-risk status. Resulting educational programs
focused on K-12