Description of the At-Risk StudentAcross the United States, there are certain factors that predict the likelihood that a student will be at risk of failure. Benard states that “social science research has defined poverty, a social problem, as the factor most likely to put a person at risk of academic failure” (1997). Since there were 12.1 million children living in poverty in the United States in 2002, according to the census, the risk rate among college students is just as high. But poverty is not the only risk factor. Children raised by a single parent are twice as likely to drop out of school as those raised by two parents. Additionally, black and Hispanic children, children of mothers with low education, students with poor health and nutrition, and students in poorly funded schools are more likely to drop out (Natriello 2002). Although some of these factors are interrelated, they increase the number of at-risk students in the United States. In addition to these environmental risk factors for failure, there are situational factors. Students who frequently have to change schools have higher failure rates than those who stay in the same school (Natriello 2002). Students with poor academic records and those with poor behavior have a lower risk of graduating, as do students who teachers perceive as uninterested and unmotivated (US Dept. of Ed. 1994). The risk factors for academic failure are all closely related and all contribute to 35 to 40 percent of students in the United States being at risk (Natriello 2002). Teachers often struggle to manage at-risk students. Therefore, over time, educators have developed different strategies to teach these students. Managing at-risk students in the past... middle of article...... students /atrisk/at400.htmNewspaper articles (no author) (June 17, 2003). “Leaders to help students at risk of failing high school.” The Cambridge Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2003 from the Lexis-Nexis database. Schacter, Ronald (October 2003). Growing Minority Leadership.www.techlearning.com. Extracted October 5, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis. Stuart, Bob (June 7, 2003). "Virginia governor targets students at risk of failure". Virginia news. Retrieved November 3, 2003 from the Lexis-Nexis database. Natriello, Gary (2002). Students at risk. In DL Levinson, PW Cookson, Jr., AR Sadovnik (Eds.), Education and sociology: An encyclopedia. New York: Routledge FalmerNational Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 15, 2003, from nces.ed.gov.US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2003 from www.census.gov