Accommodating the at Risk Student in the Middle School Classroom

Abstract

classroom who cover the entire array of eth nic, cultural, and academic diversity. Indeed, President Clinton's reinforcement of Presi dent Bush's 2000 plan stresses subject matter exit examinations in the fourth and eighth grades, as well as excel lence in science and mathematics achieve ment (Bush, 1991). A large number of students entering the middle school are ill prepared for these demands and will not receive any type of remedial services, thus appearing at risk for school failure. Invest ing in the education of at risk students is not an expense, but an investment in the future of America (Committee for Economic Devel opment, 1987; Schorr, 1988; Chafel, 1990). Traditional teacher-dominated, text book-centered instruction maintaining the same expectations for all students will show little success. This time-honored approach assumes that all students possess the cul tural background, as well as sufficient cogni tive development, for learning all content-area subjects at the same breadth and depth and in the same manner (Stevenson, 1992). For at risk students to receive the most from the middle school curriculum, teachers must promote authentic learning calling for firsthand experiences of an exploratory na ture and deliberately plan and incorporate both into the curriculum. Students should be