A Novel Methodology for the Study of Children at Risk for School Failure

This paper introduces the conceptual framework guiding a 3-year investigation of first-grade children at risk for referral and placement in special education. Preliminary data for the first of three planned cohorts are presented that illustrate a novel methodological approach to identifying the characteristics of children at risk for referral. The sample ( n = 35) consisted of 25 first graders who were referred by their teachers to Teacher Assistance Teams and 10 control children, matched for classroom membership and sex. Children's scores on a battery of standardized and experimental tasks were used to form subgroups based on the presence or absence of risk factors. The resulting profiles were examined via a relative risk analysis to determine degree of risk for referral associated with each subgroup. The potential of the proposed methodology to understanding the characteristics and learning environments of at-risk children is discussed.