genuine caring, respect, and encouragement as preconditions for stimulating the motivation to learn (p. 100). However, this type of attitude can only lower the at-risk students' self-esteem. This is an example of schools passively allowing students to dropout by withholding any effort to retain them or even finding the problem (SIRS). In this sense, schools are failing students. While schools cannot do much about demographic or socioeconomic factors that place students at-risk, they do have control over factors that may help keep them (students) in school. Haertel, Walberg, and Wang (1998) asserted that "maintaining high expectations for students, offering high-quality academic interactions among teachers and students; and peer tutoring," are all features that schools effectively utilize to help keep students in school (p. 70). However, schools that foster low expectations, have little or no curriculum focus, and offer little support are sited among schools offering little or no school success (SIRS). There are many ways schools and educators can meet the needs of at-risk students "including small group work, tutoring, and alternative schools, as well as attention especially to one or more contributive factors" (Tice, 1995, p. ). However, Hootstein (1996) maintained that regardless of the model adopted by the school, motivation and frequent opportunities for success must be involved in order for the program to be appealing and rewarding. This may include leaving comfortable teaching practices behind and looking for ways to actively engage students in their learning. A tremendous amount of research has been documented on the positive correlation between active engagement in a task and student achievement. The classroom structure for at-risk students should be no different. "Traditionally, schools have had lower expectations for students identified as at-risk" ( technology). "Recent findings indicate that by not challenging ...
