You know this student. Perhaps too well. How could you not? Early in the semester this particular student will make his or her presence known mostly by name. You will hear about the student again and again. Occasionally, you will catch a fleeting glimpse of the actual person.

As a principal, staff will come to you with concerns about this student. The concerns will quickly turn to complaints.

From the teacher, "Student is on my role. I've only seen Student twice. Other kids want to take the class. Can I drop Student?"

From the dean: "Student was at the corner market during class time."

From the parent: "Student won't listen to me and refuses to get out of bed."

From the counselor: "Student was the focus of our SAP (Student Assistance Program) meetings last year. We always talked about the same thing. Nothing worked!"

Student just started school and already has a reputation. And it is not a good one.

The "20%-80%" Student

When I was a high school principal, every year we undoubtedly had a group of students who, to be honest, completely wore us out. These students constituted perhaps 20% of the student population but often received 80% of the resources available to the school. Not to mention - the time and energy of staff, district support providers, and community workers.

Some years the percentage of students would go down to around 8-10%. Regardless of the actual number, a year never went by when this type of student did not show up at the school. Somehow, they would manage to pass a class or two. The majority of students were middle school and 9th graders who were too young for dropout programs. Some stayed until the 10th grade. That is a 10th grader by age not credits.

Many Variables, Many Programs

Obviously there is no simple answer. We have attendance programs. We have truancy programs. We have dropout programs. The problem is that most of these programs are not designed for this type of student.

Attendance programs best reach the student who is interested in changing; the student who is listening to you; the student who shows up to reap the benefits of the program. Dropout programs, although resourceful, often come too late. Truancy programs serve an important role, but need to be created before the problem presents itself.

Regardless of the program, the student must be available to receive the services.

Start With What You Can Control

One thing is certain. The student we are talking about does not have strong school relationships or feel connected to the school. This gap is where we start to build our solution. In general, a school can never go wrong by creating a relationship based environment for students. Take it one step further and develop practical, short term strategies for the start and first month of school.

Implement Immediately

Do your research. Find out about incoming students and returning students who fall into this category. Plan early intervention activities. Assign mentors. Create an advisory. Arrange a luncheon. Provide a welcoming environment. Decide NOW what you will do the first month of school. Start day one. You will only have a brief window of time to reach this child.

It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel (yet.) With the stress of school opening, keep it simple! Don't make it complicated. Strategies and people are available to help.

Timing Is Critical

The important part of this recommendation is the timing. We lose many of these students the first few months of school when the school is often busy with other priorities. Find the time to meet and interact with this special group of students. Capture their attention the moment they arrive on campus.

Make it a win-win situation for everyone! The student will no longer be just a name on a piece of paper. The school will also have the opportunity, early in the semester, to modify their year long plan based on current observations and interactions with the student.

Here are a few resources to get you started.

Keeping Kids in School
Why Students Don't Attend School
Student Transition to Ninth Grade
Dr. Patricia Fioriello is an education consultant specializing in secondary school solutions. Visit http://www.drpfconsults.com for services, publications, newsletter, and blog.