Sorting, Supporting, Connecting, and Transforming: Intervention Strategies for Students at Risk

Abstract

The author reviews the literature on strategies for serving students considered to be at risk because they need assistance to succeed academically and socially at the college level. After reviewing the changing demographic and functional definitions of students at risk and providing an overview of why such students need special services from colleges, the author uses Beatty-Guenter's (1994) typology to provide a research and practice framework for current intervention strategies. Sorting strategies attempt to divide the student body into meaningful subsets for intervention. Supporting strategies strive to ease students' everyday problems with academic life. Connecting strategies promote bonding between the student and others at the college to motivate continued enrollment. Transforming strategies seek to overcome barriers that might prevent students from achieving their potential. A summary of characteristics that distinguish successful intervention programs and strategies concludes this review.