AN ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CONCEPTUALIZING EDUCATIONAL RISK

Contemporary approaches to educational risk have been criticized becau se of their (a) lack of attention to student-environment interaction a nd (b) focus on populations at risk as opposed to individuals at risk. Ecological theory is presented as a conceptual orientation to educati onal risk that confronts both of these criticisms. Specifically, Bronf enbrenner's ecological network consisting of four nested interactive s ystems is adapted to educational risk. Educational risk is thus unders tood as discordant child-environment interaction that may occur in the classroom (microrisk), in the home (mesorisk), in the community (exor isk) and/or in the larger society (macrorisk). Conceptualizing educati onal risk as potentially occurring in each of these four ecosystems al lows for organization of existing thought and praxis and also broadens the scope of viable intervention strategies.