f contemporary public education in the United States is the high dropout rate among secondary schools students. A second, and equally serious failing, is the poor levels of competency among a large proportion of students who do complete their secondary education (Alspaugh, 1998).
The issue focuses on those students who are at-risk for failure รน quitting school before graduation or graduating with low levels of competency. At-risk students are those students with special needs who require programs and services over and above those provided to the general body of students. At risk students in the United States, therefore, may be those students who are handicapped (mentally or physically), those students with limited English language proficiency, those students from lower socioeconomic groups often thought to be susceptible to educational risk, students experiencing serious family difficulties, or any number of students whose behaviors and attitudes place them in academic jeopardy (Botwinik, 1997).
The combination of a wide variety of factors leads to difficulties for some students in American schools. The attitudes of some students toward the value of education to their future lives often create significant barriers between the students and the schools. If students feel that they have little opportunity, regardless of education, they are not likely to place a high priority on academics. Another important factor is the support received by both the schools and the students from parents. Without encouragement from home, most students will not perform well, and without parental support, schools often find their tasks frustrating (Ogbu, 1995).
The effectiveness of classroom teachers is another factor that influences student performance. Teacher effectiveness is the product of several factors; however, the ability to manage the classroom in a way that assures that the focus of students remains on learning objectives is poss...