Identifying At-Risk Students Before It’s Too Late

Posted by Laura Amendola on January 5, 2026

There are many factors that contribute to why some high school students are considered at risk. Academic, social, health, and engagement barriers, to name a few, can be major hurdles that can lead to dropouts, late graduation, chronic absenteeism, and course or year failure. Unfortunately, identification and intervention often happen too late. Once students fall too far behind, regardless of the cause, it can become harder and more expensive to help them recover. This is why early identification as well as streamlined referral pathways can change outcomes for these students for the better.

Why early identification of at-risk students matters

Early risk signs can often lead to larger issues for students, such as credit loss, withdrawal, and even behavioral concerns. In the 2022-23 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate was at 28% across the US, according to the US Department of Education. While less than the year prior, this low attendance rate is still impacting academic success.

The improvements that are happening are largely seen at the elementary level, with high school continuing to see struggles. In fact, grades 10-12 showed a regression in the first half of the 2024-25 school year. The good news is that early intervention does make an impact. Districts must find ways to carry the positive momentum seen at the elementary and middle school level over to the high school level with early identification.

Common indicators counselors should watch for

How can schools and guidance counselors work on early identification? Below are some warning signs they can watch out for:

Course failures and missing credits
Chronic absenteeism or tardiness
Low engagement during the first 30 days of a semester
Behavioral flags or social-emotional concerns
Work or family responsibilities impacting school hours
Students returning after long absences or transfers

Action can be taken for students who meet any of the above, especially if a student meets more than one.

The biggest challenge: too many at-risk students, not enough time

Unfortunately, there are often more at-risk students than one school’s counselor can realistically help in the time they have with the caseload they are drowning under. Many schools lack formal processes for rapid referral to support programs as well. Partnerships with high school diploma or credit recovery programs can help decrease how many students slip through the cracks.

How Penn Foster helps schools support at-risk students before they fall too far behind

Penn Foster can be the ideal solution for many school districts and counselors that are struggling to provide the help at-risk students need to reach graduation. Some benefits a program like Penn Foster’s offers include:

Flexible, accredited, online learning
- Self-paced courses can help students graduate anytime, anywhere when they need it, or regain lost credits without disrupting counselor workflow.
Early identification
- Counselors can match risk indicators to appropriate Penn Foster courses.
A partner for districts
- Works for both individual schools and district-wide initiatives.
- Can support graduation rate goals year over year.
Affordable tuition
- Flexible monthly payment plans starting at $20 down for families unable to take on a large financial burden.

Building a protocol for identifying and supporting at-risk students

An important early step in helping at –risk students is creating a plan that can be implemented at the start of the semester. A practical, value-driven list that counselors can use immediately includes:

Run an early-semester academic audit to spot credit deficits.
Review attendance data from the first 10–20 days.
Use a standardized checklist for risk indicators.
Meet with students early before grades drop further.
Refer qualifying students to Penn Foster for credit recovery or flexible coursework.
Communicate wins and barriers during weekly grad-coach meetings.

Following these protocols can help prevent at-risk students from falling so far behind they won’t be able to catch up, therefore aiding in improving graduation rates.

How Penn Foster works with schools, counselors, and parents

Penn Foster has an entire department dedicated to credit recovery and working with school districts and guidance counselors to help struggling students who are falling behind. Cathy Breymeier, High School Course Sales Manager, shares some insights into how we do this.

"We work with the schools to put that list [of courses] together,” she explains. “We never assume or choose the credits that the student needs ourselves. We always want to make sure that whatever courses we're putting the student in is lining up with the school's requirements." She goes on to share how we communicate with school that may need our services. "We're constantly calling out to our schools, sending emails, sending them course lists, things like that so that we stay relevant in their brain. So when they have an at-need student, they will recommend that the parent call."

Regardless of the situation an at-risk student finds themself in, their counselor can feel confident in recommending Penn Foster as an accredited high school diploma program or credit recovery option to help them get back on track.

Start a partnership with Penn Foster

Early identification is crucial to ensure at-risk students don’t fall through the cracks. This can be overwhelming for guidance counselors, but it doesn’t have to be. With Penn Foster, they can support these students with self-paced credit recovery or full program options that struggling high schoolers may find easier than summer school or repeating a year. To determine if a student would benefit from Penn Foster’s program, download this informational guide counselors can use when reviewing a student's status.

Download our free guide