Counseling Students to Increase Motivation and School Completion

Abstract

This chapter reviews strategies for working with students who are at risk for school failure or dropout. Because each of the populations discussed in the earlier chapters may be at risk for dropout or failure, this chapter builds upon previous strategies by providing a framework for targeting motivation and academic enabling skills (e.g., note taking, study skills). It describes risk factors (both membership in certain groups and personal risk factors) that may contribute to school failure or dropout. It also addresses the need to distinguish between skills/acquisitions deficits and performance deficits in identifying the reasons a student is struggling academically, is chronically truant, or is at risk of dropping out. Counseling strategies to address motivation and academic enabling skills include motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group counseling.