One of the hazards we face in our focus on test preparation and results-driven schooling is neglecting the needs of our most disenfranchised students. This important book was written to help counter this trend and offer new hope. If, as Gabe Simon suggests, we forge strong relationships and provide scaffolded supports, then we may just make school the transformative experience it should be. An experienced teacher and principal of a Title I school, Simon provides classroom practitioners, support team specialists, and all levels of schools leaders with numerous strategies for helping students rebound from risk. Included are: compelling descriptions of research on the link between resiliency and academic achievement; the most importanat steps educators can take to build students' resiliency; game plans for creating caring school-wide teams and classroom structures that engage students, including positive peer influences; and comments and perspectives from students considered to be at risk. Discover how creating the will to change, combined with the deidication of caring, supportive adults, can support students in reaching their full potential and close the achievement gap once and for all.

How do we know they will bounce back? -- The caring school team -- The engaging classroom team : the classroom game plan -- What we urgently stand for and against : does your school truly put student learning first? -- All-star performance : what will your legacy be? the leadership and classroom implications of systemic change for all students.