Indicators+of+Educational+Risk

Educational risk is those “students who are in danger of failure at school as a result of underachievement” ( Krause et al,2010, pg 331 ) Any child at any time can be at educational risk as a result of problems at home, illness, a learning difficulty or unrecognised giftedness ( Krause et al,2010 ).

Risk factors associated with the home environment: Risk factors can also be associated with the school environment, such as:
 * Belonging to a large, Impoverished or single parent family
 * Parental unemployment
 * Stressful life events and being situated in unsafe and unhealthy neighbourhoods ( Krause et al,2010)
 * Low academic achievement and expectations of achievement
 * Low verbal and non verbal abilities
 * Poor mental health, attention problems, and difficulties in social relationships
 * Few resources
 * Inadequate teaching staff
 * Bullying, violence, truancy, suspensions and exclusions. ( Krause et al,2010)

Cole (2003, p 788) concluded “the more risk children experience, the worse their academic trajectories.’ As teachers we have we have the ability to recognise significant changes in children behaviour that may lead to them becoming at risk. Some of these indicators are:
 * Significant changes in behaviour and performance
 * Anxious or unhappy appearance
 * Not attending or participating in school
 * Not getting along with teachers and peers, and noticeable changes in achievement level or rate of progress ( Krause et al,2010 )

Reference list:
 * Krause et al, 2010, __“Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching__”, Cengage Publishing, Australia