Being able to recognize and support at-risk students is one of the many important parts of being an effective educator. At-risk students are those individuals who show “persistent patterns of underachievement and social maladjustment in school, leading to their failure to finish high school” (McMillan & Reed, 1994). Being an ‘at-risk student’ could mean that an individual has a history of trauma, could be experiencing a disability that is not being treated properly or is not identified, or could show differences in brain health or physical health. If a student is ‘at-risk’, then most likely they do not feel safe. Efforts to assist these students in feeling safe in your presence and giving them the tools that they need to feel safe within themselves are the top priorities.

For these students, after safety, learning regulation strategies is critical so that they can be more functional. After this step, higher level skills can be taught to these individuals so that learning can take place. Referrals to support services or reporting for safety is also usually necessary so that these individuals can access the support that they need to be successful. There are 3 categories that we identify as being at-risk. Traditional at-risk students, withdrawn students, and agitated students. They all can be “at-risk” and each displays different signs that identify them. These are the signs to be aware of that can assist you in identifying a student who may be at risk:

• Social isolation or withdrawal if the student was previously connected

• Excessive feelings of rejection

• Bed Wetting

• Have been a victim of neglect or abuse

• Feel they have been picked on and persecuted

• Truant or tardy from school

• Self-injurious behaviors

• Disciplinary problems

• Grief and Loss

• Experiences sleep challenges (too much or too little)

• Have brought a weapon to school or community

• Have harmed animals

• Challenges with attending to school tasks and/or poor academic performance

• Expressions of violence in writings or drawings

• Lack of future-oriented language

• Experiences eating challenges (too much or too little)

• Preoccupation with games with violent themes

• Extreme sadness and/or anger (anger and sadness are normal human emotions but in extremes can be warning signs)

• Drug and alcohol use gives possessions away

• Not wanting to go home from school

• Property destruction

• Change in social group/gang affiliation

• Patterns of aggression, intimidating and/or bullying behaviors

• Blames others for difficulties

• Intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes

• Threats of violence

• They may be preoccupied with television and/or social media

Students who are withdrawn, showing signs of anxiety or are risk-averse are typically those who are at a higher risk of not coming to school as time goes on, and they can often become unsafe due to feeling overwhelmed or cornered. Being able to identify the signs of anxiety can help the approach taken by staff to meet the student where they are at. If staff miss the symptoms, the students may not feel as though they are being seen. Signs to identify these individuals can include:

• Glazed, glassy eyes (looks through rather than at)

• Looks away for a long time, looks down

• Seems drowsy/tired

• Does not look around the room for interesting items

• Truant or tardy from school

• Looks at things more than people

• No eye contact

• Grief and Loss

• Low muscle tone

• Little or no exploring play or curiosity

• Makes few to no sounds

• Sounds cold, soft, sad, too quiet

• Flat/blank face

• Mouth turned down, sad

• Slow movements

• Slow to start moving

• Stomach pain

• Does not hear you when you are talking

• Wanders

• Frozen or slow moving

• Flat voice

The students that appear as agitated and ready to engage in fight or flight are often those considered to be risk seekers. These individuals are at a higher risk for disruptive behaviors and can become unsafe. “Some rapidly acquired symptoms form without conscious awareness because severe stresses can dysregulate mental and physical components within systems ensuring survival” (Baldwin, 2013). When in freeze/flight/submit/fight, students’ bodies tell them they are in imminent danger and they need to protect themselves. These students cycle through these phases during times they may not be in immediate danger, but due to their history, their bodies resort to this in an attempt to safety. Signs to identify these students include:

• Fingers spread out

• Arched back, tense body position

• Constant motion

• Seems drowsy/tired

• Demands space by pushing, shoving and getting into others space

• Biting, hitting, kicking, jumping, throwing

• Bumps into things, falls

• Makes threatening gestures (shakes fingers or fist)

• Wide, open mouth

• Anger, disgust

• Frown, grimace

• Fake, forced smile

• Clenched jaw or teeth

• Open, squinted or closed eyes

• May have direct, intense eye contact

• Eyes rolled upward

• Eyes look quickly around the room

• High-pitched crying, screaming or yelling

• Loud

• Hostile or grumpy

• Sarcastic

• Out of control laughing

• Fast movements

• Impulsive movements

The ability to self-regulate and feel successful is challenging for students that are at risk. Students facing trauma history, a disability, mental or physical health issues typically need more support and direct instruction with strategies so they can feel safe and regulated. “There is growing evidence that SR (self-regulation) plays an important foundational role in development and maintenance of physical health and well-being in childhood and across the lifespan” (Pandey et al., 2018). Teaching students these self-regulation strategies is not only essential for being successful at school, but also successful in life.

1. Provide elements of safety within the environment: use the stance of safety, caving, calm spaces. Reduce stimuli and connect with the student.

2. Use regulation strategies to prepare students for learning: such as moving the furniture, watering plants, filling water bottles, sharpening pencils and carrying items to another location.

3. Be fun! Tell funny stories, a joke, or do something engaging - act something out or talk with a funny accent.

4. Encourage students: to help a favorite staff member or use skills for tasks within the school. They might be able to get extended learning opportunities for this.

5. Create opportunities for success: Construct scenarios that force success to happen.

6. Recognize good decision-making skills.

7. Pick your battles: Address safety concerns first, then focus on any behavior that is the most annoying to others.

8. Follow the students plan and/or school policy: If the plan is causing more behaviors, then speak with your team to see if the plan needs to be updated.

9. Connect curriculum to at-risk students: Help them see themselves in the lessons.

10. Whenever possible use peers to connect the student: Having a structured activity is extremely helpful in these cases.

11. Teach higher level strategies: like mindfulness, social-emotional learning, and incorporate therapeutic activities.

12. Give choices to the student: If a student can determine when they do specific class work or what items to work on when, then this will help them to get things done.

13. Keep calm: about low grades or missing assignments. Determine what will make the student feel successful as well as give them the tools to progress their learning.

14. Remind them of why they are great and that what they do is amazing!

15. Let your students know: that you are interested in them, expect them to succeed and care about them.

16. Connect: with the guardian, support providers, and other team members to relay what is working and where the barriers are. Plan how to address barriers/highlight the successes.

Baldwin, D.V. (2013). Primitive mechanisms of trauma response: An evolutionary perspective on trauma-related disorders. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(8), 1549-1566. Doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.004

McMillan, J.H., & Reed, D.F. (1994). At-Risk Students and Resiliency: FactorsContributing to Academic Success. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 67(3), 137-140

Muller, C. (2007). The Role of Caring in the Teacher-Student Relationship for At-Risk Students. Sociological Inquiry, 71(2), 241-255. doi:10.111/j.1475-682X.2001.tb01110.x

Pandey, A., Hale, D., Das, S., Goddings, A.L., Blakemore, S.J., & Viner, R.M. (2018). Effectiveness of Universal Self-regulation Based Interventions in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(6), 566-575. doi:10.1001.jamapediatrics.2018.0232