Strategies for Reaching At-Promise Students

The goal of this course it to provide ASPDP teachers with the necessary skill set to identify, assess, and meet the needs of students at promise. The first half of the course focuses on exploring the personal, cultural, and institutional norms and biases associated with the traditional “at-risk” label, establishing a fairer characterization of students at-promise, identifying the causes and manifestations of the risks students face, and empathizing with the personal, cultural, academic, and behavioral needs of at-promise students. In the second half of the course, participants will explore a variety of classroom-, district-, and community-based strategies and programs for students at-promise. Throughout the course, NYC teachers will also be asked to reflect on their prior experience with at-promise students, as well as how their own culture, experience, and biases affect their ability to effectively engage students at-promise and apply the concepts and skills they learn to improve current practices.

In the final project, ASPDP educators will put the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course to use in order to create a holistic student plan. The student plan will demonstrate the participant’s knowledge of the various strategies explored throughout the course and incorporate their understanding of the personal, cultural, and academic experiences of their students in order to effectively address the needs of those at-promise.

Objectives

As a result of this course, NYC DOE SAPDP teachers will:

• Examine potential factors and needs-deficiencies that at-promise students face.
• Assess the impact of various risk factors on the at-promise student and the overall classroom environment.
• Apply effective strategies for assessing the unique strengths and needs of at-promise students in their classrooms.
• Explore a variety of district- and community-based programs designed to meet the needs of at-promise students.
• Create a plan for the effective implementation of various classroom-, district-, and community-based strategies to address the unique strengths and needs of an at-promise student.