Abu Dhabi mandates school policy to identify students at risk; violators will be penalised
ADEK issues 10 pointers to help detect those with educational challenges
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has identified 10 indicators that schools can use to detect students at risk of educational challenges.
The education regulator said that if a student is confirmed to be at risk due to mistreatment, schools must follow the protocols outlined in the Student Protection Policy. These measures should remain an internal process, conducted confidentially to protect the student’s privacy and psychological well-being while addressing their needs.
ADEK has introduced a new policy on “educational risks”, highlighting the importance of early detection and support for students in need.
The goal is to enhance their chances of continuing their education, transitioning between grades, graduating and pursuing post-secondary education or alternative career pathways.
Schools are now mandated to establish a policy to support students at risk of educational challenges, develop a mechanism for their identification, and implement intervention programmes with ongoing monitoring and evaluation, adhering to a tiered support model when designing these interventions.
In its new policy, ADEK stressed that schools must regularly analyse and identify students facing educational problems using evidence-based factors and indicators. These include concerns about student safety, overall well-being, behaviour, additional educational needs, family-related circumstances, academic or health assessments provided by the school with parental consent, academic performance, language difficulties, parental engagement, frequent school transfers and referrals from staff, parents or students themselves.
Meeting student needs
The new policy emphasises the necessity for schools to adopt a tiered model to support the needs of students at educational risk. This model begins with evidence-based, inclusive core teaching for all students in the classroom. At this level, the focus is on building positive relationships and creating a supportive environment, with student progress monitored continuously. Students who do not respond to interventions at this level are moved to the next tier, which provides targeted, additional teaching to help them meet academic and behavioral goals.
ADEK explained that the third tier involves “intensive support”, focusing on specialised, individualised instructions, tailored to the student’s needs. This may include support from external specialists, with the student’s progress monitored consistently.
The new policy further emphasises the importance of schools implementing intervention programmes through a systematic, tiered approach. This approach addresses the underlying factors that contribute to a student being identified as “at risk” and ensures their needs are met comprehensively. Collaboration between the school and the home is essential, alongside a whole-school approach that supports improvement in both contexts. High-quality intervention programmes should be research-based, culturally and linguistically relevant, and include adaptive teaching strategies to foster inclusion. The policy underlines the principle that every student is capable of learning and achieving their potential.
Timely intervention
The intervention programme for students at educational risk includes integrating evidence-based data collection and evaluation systems, such as universal and diagnostic screenings and progress monitoring, to guide decision-making at each level of support.
Schools should employ problem-solving techniques to develop individualised learning plans and apply positive, research-backed behavioural approaches in classrooms and schools to enhance academic achievement and social-emotional learning. Collaborative approaches should also be adopted to analyse student data and coordinate interventions.
Intervention team
ADEK has highlighted the necessity for schools to establish and implement intervention programmes (documented learning plans, processes and strategies) to enhance opportunities for all students at educational risk. Schools should form an intervention team to provide guidance and support to teachers in designing and implementing interventions for students.
The recommended intervention team should include relevant stakeholders and the student at risk and their teachers should be involved in the planning process for any individual interventions whenever possible.
Additionally, schools must use a variety of methods to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors affecting the educational, social and emotional well-being of students at risk. This should align with integrated safety policies and involve allocating available resources to support both individual students and groups within this category.
Schools must also ensure engagement with internal and external stakeholders to support these efforts.