PROJECT ACHIEVE - ANALYZING A SCHOOL-REFORM PROCESS FOR AT-RISK AND UNDERACHIEVING STUDENTS

As the school reform process initiated by the 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, continues, we cannot ignore that many of today's children are s ignificantly at risk for both educational and social failure. This art icle describes Project ACHIEVE, a comprehensive school reform process focused on helping schools to deal more effectively with at-risk and u nderachieving students. The foundation of Project ACHIEVE is a buildin g-wide in-service training and implementation process providing all re gular education, special education, and support staff with needed comm on knowledge, skill, experience, and confidence in (a) student-focused , intervention-based problem solving, (b) assessment and intervention techniques for students' academic and behavioral problems, (c) classro om-based social skills training, and (d) data-based evaluation of stud ent outcomes. Implemented through seven interdependent components over a 3-year period of time, the training encourages collaboration, consi stency, and multidisciplinary sensitivity and understanding. This arti cle describes the seven components of Project ACHIEVE, the 3-year impl ementation process, the systems-level data and outcomes that are conti nuously tracked, and the Project's impact in one particular elementary school as contrasted with a demographically matched comparison school . The results of this study are described from multiple system, teache r, student, and reform perspectives, and future directions and researc h limitations are addressed.