Falling Through the Cracks
Welcome
A parent talked with me about their son who was struggling in his first year in high school. He had been a top student in elementary and middle school. Halfway through his freshman year he was posting C’s and D’s for the first time. His parent reported that he was becoming withdrawn and sad about his academic performance. He was staying up very late studying and stressing about his grades. The parent had him independently evaluated to see if he had a learning disability, and was relieved to learn that there were no significant learning issues at play. What distressed the parent the most was that there was no concern communicated from teachers or advisor. He asked me how a student could be struggling for months, and nobody seemed to notice.
There are many possible reasons why a capable student could be struggling without being noticed. I suggested to the parent that if there are no academic reasons or learning disability causing the struggle, then it may be a “non-academic” reason.
With the academic trend of longer school days, students are spending more time at school. Students are often engaged in after school programs and involved in extracurricular activities well into the evening. Schools are recognizing that effectively addressing the academic needs of students requires addressing “non-academic” (social, emotional, behavioral, health) needs as well.
It is important for schools to have a strong student support component to address the non-academic barriers to student learning. A rigorous academic curriculum combined with the normal adolescent social pressures, health issues, and family/community pressures creates a uniquely stressful experience for students. Unattended, this stress could have a negative effect on academic achievement, social/emotional adjustment, and academic persistence. Schools should seek to provide appropriate supports to help students navigate these non-academic challenges. Most schools face the challenge of providing supports while in the face of limited resources. This calls on schools to think carefully about the resources available, and to maximize the effectiveness of their resources. Some schools partner with community resources to supplement counseling, learning support/tutoring, and academic enrichment.
It is also important for parents and caregivers to be aware of how children are progressing in school. Parents would benefit from carefully reviewing their children’s grades and communicating with teachers every four to six weeks. If academic performance does not match their ability, get ready for action. Notice any changes in mood or patterns of behavior. Pay particular attention to social/peer relationships. Parents and caregivers also should seek supports if they become concerned.
Several national organizations (school psychologists, counselors, nurses, etc) suggest that creating a culture of high academic achievement requires support for students experiencing learning, health, behavioral, and emotional challenges. All of these organizations recommend that schools implement a comprehensive prevention model of intervention designed to help students in need before there is a crisis.
Unfortunately, most schools do not a model like this in place. This calls for collaboration between families and schools to identify students in need of support early so that an appropriate plan for support can be developed.
