Social Status as a Predictor of At-Risk Children

The purpose of this paper is to review the importance of children's social status as a predictor of social and academic success in school. Behavioral and cognitive correlates of social status are described, and the research on intervention strategies is discussed. Procedures for assessing children's social status are reviewed with a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. Suggestions are made for the use of assessment and intervention procedures by classroom teachers. The author calls for a priority in the schools for promoting conditions that facilitate social acceptance of children.