Recommendations for Fostering Educational Resilience in the Classroom Joyne A. Downey ABSTRACT: Research has identified many factors that can taster the educational resilience of .students who are at risk" for academic failure. Hduealors have-organized many of the recommendations that arise from this data into cunicula and programs foi implementation at the district and school levels. Researchers and educators have given less attention to compiling recommendations for daily classroom practice. Thus, the present project reviewed findings from current educational resilience research tliat examined students and teachers in classroom contexts. The synthesis produced 12 specific recommendations for classroom practices that can help foster educational resilience and support the academic achievement of students placed at risk for failure. The author organized the 12 recommendations into 4 clusters—(a) teacher-student raprmn. (b) classroom climate, (c) instructional strategies, and (d) student skills—and presents with them the insights and perspectives of over 30 practicing teachers who work with at-risk students every day. KEYWORDS:academic success, at-riskstudents, classroom practice STUDENTS TODAY ARE HEING EXPOSED to increasingly difficult lite environments that can significantly obstruct their path to academic success (Comity. 2006). Research has identified a wide range of risk factors (e.g., racial discrimination, psychological difficulties, community violence, familial difficulties involving poverty, disruption, alcoholism, violence) that can negatively affect students' lives, interfere with learning, and increase the likelihood of school failure (Uorman & Overman, 2004; l-rieman, 2001). However, many studies have shown also that a probability estimate of risk does not necessarily determine future outcomes. Many factors and interactions in students' lives can help them defy the odds and experience educational resilience (i.e., academic success despite adverse environmental conditions; Waxman. Gray. & I'adron. 2003). Educational Resilience: Academic Success in the Presence of Adversity In 1979, Kutter, Mattghan, Mortimore, and Ousion published the results of a longitudinal study of more than 3,00!) students who were living in poverty. Their investigation was one of the first to identify specific school characterislics thai were related to positive outcomes for students who are at risk for academic failure. They found that (a) high academic standards, (b) incentives and rewards, (c) appropriate feedback and praise, (d) teachers' modeling of positive behavior, and (c) offering opportunities for students to experience responsibility, success, and the development of social and problem-solving skills were significantly related to positive academic outcomes even when students encountered difficulties that are associated with poverty (Uulterct al.). In the years that followed, researchers continued to identify various elements of schools and classrooms that related so successful academic outcomes for students who were experiencing adverse life circumstances (Condly, 2006). This field of study came to be known as educational resilience and was defined as "(he heightened likelihood of educational success despite personal vulnerabilities and adversities brought about by environmental conditions and experiences" (Wang, Haeriel, & Watberg, 1997, p. 2). Educational resilience is neither the result of an individual personality trail nor the outcome of a single intervention (Franklin, 2000). Rather, this construct is considered to be a dynamic set of interactions between the student and resources in his or her environment that work together to interrupt a negative trajectory and support academic success (Lmhar. Cicchetti, & Keeker. 2000). Educational resilience has been studied in a variety of arenas that range from alcohol and drug prevention (Brown, Jayne A. Downey is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at Montana Stale University. Her research interests revoke around two complementaiy issues: promoting academic success jor children at risk fur failure and the preparation of prospective teachers to effectively teach children from diverse backgrounds. Copyright © 2008 HeUref Publkothns S6 fall 2008 Downey 57 20(H) to educational leadership fAinseow & West. 2006) to gifted education (e.g., Reis, Colbert, & Hebert, 2005). Across this array of research areas, investigators have also used a diverse set of approaches thai range from longitudinal and empirical designs (e.g., Borman & Overman, 2004; Werner. 1993) to ethnographies and case studies (e.g., McGiiity. 2004; Rouse. Bamaca-Gomez. Newman, & Newman, 2001). The variety of fields of study and methodologies has provided much-needed depth in our understanding of the factors that can foster academic achievement despite adverse environments and has served as the basis for several different district- and schoolwide intervention programs for students who are at risk for academic failure (Wang, Haertel, & Walberg, 1998). However, one of the limitations of these district- and schoolwide resilience initiatives is that the programs have been either short-lived or poorly organized because of financial and lime constraints (Doll & Lyon, 1998). Students who live amid difficult life circumstances are not well served by ephemeral or peripheral programming; rather, they need firm, consistent sources of support that are fully integrated into the daily life of the classroom (Doll & Lyon). Thus, teachers need to know how their daily work in classrooms can be infused with interactions and instructional strategies that research has shown can make a positive difference in the lives of students who are at risk of academic failure. Thus, the present study aimed to examine findings from the current literature on educational resilience and compile a set of recommendations for classroom practices that foster educational resilience and can be integrated into regular classroom practice. METHOD The initial phase of the present study involved an examination of current research that concents fostering academic success when students experience adversity. I examined recommendations offered by published programs (e.g., Wang, Haertel, & Walberg, 1998), literature reviews (e.g., Condty, 2006), and primary investigations (e.g., Barman & Overman, 2004) designed lo foster educational resilience at the classroom level for K-12 students in the United States. Studies that examine preschool-aged or international students and factors not relevant to daily classroom activities were not included in the present stud)'. A synthesis of the findings revealed 12 specific recommendations for classroom practices and instruction thai can foster educational resilience for students who are at risk for academic failure. In the second phase of this project, I organized She 12 recommendations into 4 clusters and invited 32 practicing classroom teacher to provide their perspectives on the strategies. At the time of the study, all of the veteran teachers were working with students who were considered at risk for academic failure because of adverse environments involving factors such as poverty and family disruption. RESULTS I used a content analysis approach to data analysis lo organize the 12 recommendations into the following four clusters (a) teacher-student rapport, (b) classroom climate, (c) instructional strategies, and (d) student skills. These four clusters represent a set of classroom practices and instructional strategies that teachers can use on a daily basis lo foster the educational resilience of students who face serious adversity. Teacher—Sludenl Rapport A teacher's personal interactions with his or her students can make a significant difference for students who arc at risk for academic failure. Research indicates that students' experience of educational resilience is clearly linked to students* connection with their teachers. At-risk students need teachers to (a) build healthy interpersonal relationships with them, , 280-289. Kinney, D.. Eaton. j„ Bain, N.. Williams, B., and Newcombe. E. (1995, August). Nurturing urban adolescents' motivation to horn: A teacher's strategies and his students' perceptions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. Washington, DC. Luihar, S., Cicchetti, D.. & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71. 543-562. Masten, A. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 227-238. McGinty, S. (2004). 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