One possibility? Engaging families of at-risk youth. That could be done with a “recognition activity” for student achievement of short-term goals – passing certain tests or completing a number of assignments, said Teresa Egan, who works with Cleveland-area youth who are or have been incarcerated.  Egan is a program officer at Employment Opportunities for Youth, part of the Cuyahoga County Department of Justice Affairs in Cleveland.

The program deals with some 100 out-of-school youth aged 16-21, providing them with job readiness training and GED program access, and connecting them to vocational training and construction trades programs.

Many of the young Egan sees are in trouble for drug-related offenses, including possession, sales, receiving stolen property, and theft. Their families are accustomed to a long history of parole officers, probation officers, and teachers calling about what’s going wrong. Contact from those in authority with good news -- for a change -- could draw the family of an at-risk student into his education, Egan said.

Activities such as pizza parties, field trips, or movies in class as recognition for achievements go over well with the population Egan sees.

“A big thing is the kids want to feel appreciated,” she said. “They love seeing that the little things they have done have paid off.”

In the classroom, the first step teachers need to take with at-risk students is to look at the causes of inappropriate behavior, according to teacher Michael Wunderle. A former special education instructor who teaches classroom management for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Wunderle mentors new teachers and also works with the Department of Justice Affairs.

“You need to analyze why students are behaving in the way they are instead of treating behavior all the same,” Wunderle said.

A child may want attention or power, or may know their behavior isn’t right but not know what else to do. Sometimes it’s a combination of motives, he said.

Take the case of the attention-seeking elementary school student who acts out by refusing to line up for lunch. If a teacher reacts with negative attention, it might stop the behavior short-term, but could inadvertently support it long-term, Wunderle said.

The teacher could ignore the behavior instead, and provide positive attention when the child does the right thing – in this case, lining up correctly.

Another practical suggestion: Go over classroom expectations and procedures every day. Then behavior issues eventually become routine and don’t require as much time, Wunderle said.

The larger picture? Teachers need to treat behavior like they do academics.

“If a student can’t add, the teacher will come up with a different way to teach them that,”  Wunderle said. “If they don’t know how to behave, they should work on teaching them to behave.” 

Low self-esteem, often resulting from years of academic failure, is the underlying problem, he said. At-risk students who are bored or unable to handle schoolwork look for other things to do. That can lead to disruptive behavior, which can result in suspension and expulsion. 

Being out of school can then lead to opportunities for more serious trouble. Alcohol and drugs, and the need to get money to obtain drugs, can follow.

“That eventually puts them at risk of getting into the juvenile justice system,” he said.

Wunderle places some responsibility for the downward spiral of at-risk students squarely on teachers. “Often a teacher looks at the disruption, but not the reason for the disruption,” he said.

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