THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508170147
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Much has been written in the media concerning students referred to as ``at-risk.'' This label is usually meant to describe students who are performing below grade level, are frequently absent and have general patterns of school failure.
To address the needs of these students, many school divisions across the country have developed special programs and classes in an attempt to save these children from the stigma of failure.
In Hampton Roads, every major school system runs alternative schools, special programs within schools, summer youth programs, vocational and career training centers, and even ``boot camps.'' Regionally, the Richard Milburn School exists for students highly at-risk who have been removed from the local school systems, usually for serious disciplinary reasons.
While many students are served by these programs successfully, many more are not. Space, increasing enrollment, skyrocketing costs and students requiring more specialized services are straining local school systems' resources to meet demand. Clearly, school boards are faced with difficult choices in providing equal educational opportunities for all students in spite of scarce financial re-sources.
In Virginia Beach, the School Board has made the issue of ``at-risk'' youth a strategic planning priority. No doubt there will be discussion involving funding, test scores, student performance, available space, program evaluation and instructional methodology. But when it comes to attacking the ``at-risk'' syndrome, the real problem historically has been a lack of vision, focus and equality of opportunity.
Since dealing with at-risk youth involves complex social, psychological and educational concerns, simply offering various programs is not enough. A fully integrated system of skills development, psychological support, social work, tutoring, remediation and community support should be organized as part of a new vision for at-risk education. Distinctions need to be made between alternative education offerings such as evening school and career and technical education, and the intensely more individualized requirements of at-risk education.
Barring a windfall of taxpayer cash to address the situation in traditional ways, it is time to orchestrate an at-risk policy that includes curriculums integrated around themes involving the world of work, community and family. Teachers need to be trained in methods of instruction that research has proved effective, such as cooperative learning, portfolio assessment and inquiry techniques. Exceptional teachers of these children should become coaches for others.
The role of community in educating our at-risk should be expanded greatly and grant funding should be aggressively pursued. Principals should create action teams designed to bolster performance of specifically targeted students.
Finally, special programs need to be developed that will ensure that poor and minority students become beneficiaries of the public school system. Entirely too many of our students have become ``at-risk.''
In at-risk education, customer service, delivery of product, quality control and social equity must become an established part of the new vision. Demanding standards of performance should be clearly established for teachers, students and administrators in all areas pertinent to children at-risk. The School Board and the superintendent should be expected to provide the courage, strength and leadership necessary.
Making the at-risk portion of the strategic plan work will be the mark of outstanding school leadership, from the board level to the classroom level.
John McLaughlin
Nellie Court by CNB