Discusses seven of the most common myths and misconceptions about students at risk, and argues that the Goals 2000 educational reform movement could result in negative consequences for this group unless policymakers and practitioners develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of this population. (SLD)

School staff can use information on risk factors to identify student needs and assess the ability of the school to address these needs. It is also important to identify protective factors that promote successful development or buffer risk factors that might otherwise compromise development. Three key factors that have been identified as fostering…

Magnet schools were created as a result of the failure of mandatory desegregation plans, but the magnet schools concept has spawned the ideas of controlled parent choice of schools and the chartering of public education. Implementation of the Goals 2000 Act could jeopardize trends magnet schools have set in motion. (SLD)