1. MELS 601 Aldridge & Goldman Ch. 3

2.  Divide into 4 groups:  Group 1: At-Risk Students (mainly non-English speaking)  Group 2: Students Living in Poverty  Group 3: Homeless Students  Group 4: Students Facing Abuse and Neglect  Research and be prepared to discuss with the class the current issues faced by these students/parents/families.  Develop a list of best practices that classroom teachers can utilize to adequately meet the needs of these students  Be prepared to lead the class discussion of your topic

3.  Discuss the McKinney-Vento Act  What is your district’s policy on homeless students?  http://www.ncpublicschools.org/progra m-monitoring/homeless/ http://www.ncpublicschools.org/progra m-monitoring/homeless/

4.  Maria comes from a large family, originally from Mexico. She is a first grader who does not speak English and has been identified by readiness tests and by her teacher as a child at risk.  Is Maria at risk for failure because others believe she is not ready to learn in school?  If so, what does this mean?  What does this mean in our schools?  A massive school readiness problem exists, but who owns the problem?  The children are ready for school. Are the teachers ready for the children?--Discuss