Even in this era of school reform and change, the expectations set for today's students may require an educational transformation to eliminate the discrepancy that exists between this new goal for schooling and the reality of America's classrooms. However, many obstacles need to be overcome: a dropout rate exceeding 30 to 40 percent and groups of students who do not share the language, values, or experiences of the majority population. This volume focuses on the theoretical and practical bases of teaching thinking to at-risk students. Individual authors define the population of at-risk students; outline relevant aspects of cognitive development research; discuss school interventions that are sensitive to different linguistic, social, and cultural backgrounds; redefine models of curriculum and instruction; evaluate the use of standard psychological assessments for at-risk students; outline general guides for teaching thinking; and offer strategies for teachers of at-risk students. Chapter references.