Proven strategies for helping students rebound from risk One of the hazards we face in our focus on test preparation and results-driven schooling is neglecting the needs of our most disenfranchised students. This important book was written to help counter this trend and offer new hope. If, as Gabe Simon suggests, we forge strong relationships and provide scaffolded supports, then we may just make school the transformative experience it should be. An experienced teacher and principal of a Title I school, Simon provides classroom practitioners, support team specialists, and all levels of schools leaders with numerous strategies for helping students rebound from risk. Included are: Compelling descriptions of research on the link between resiliency and academic achievement The most important steps educators can take to build students′ resiliency Game plans for creating caring school-wide teams and classroom structures that engage students, including positive peer influences Comments and perspectives from students considered to be at risk Discover how creating the will to change—combined with the dedication of caring, supportive adults—can support students in reaching their full potential and close the achievement gap once and for all. "The reader is compelled to engage in what Gabe Simon calls ′tenacious caring,′ not because it raises test scores, but because it is the moral imperative of our profession." —Douglas Reeves, Founder, The Leadership and Learning Center "Students will be more successful if they have the benefit of caring relationships and high levels of engagement. The challenge, of course, is creating these conditions for every student. This book provides the answer to that challenge." —Richard DuFour, Educational Author and Consultant "This is a wonderful, well-researched book, full of statistics and practical strategies that work for at-risk youths and those from high-poverty environments." —Ruby Payne, Author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Turning Points, Urgently Identifying the Roadblocks to Student Success 1. How Do We Know They Will Bounce Back?: Evidence from the Record Books 2. The Caring School Team: The Schoolwide Game Plan 3. The Engaging Classroom Team: The Classroom Game Plan 4. What We Urgently Stand For and Against: Does Your School Truly Put Student Learning First? 5. All Star Performance Appendices References Index