[Motivating At-Risk Students in High School to Become Successful]

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

The SIFE Team at an AACSB-accredited College of Business received a grant from Sam's Club to provide an entrepreneurship simulation for 53 at-risk students in the Arkansas Delta. The students were given a pre-test to assess their knowledge of business. Then, the SIFE team supplied the students' teachers with curriculum materials the teachers used to provide the students with a basic knowledge of entrepreneurship and the functions of business. The students divided into teams and created products or services, developed a business plan and marketing plan for their companies, and actually sold their products or services. The entrepreneurship program culminated with a Celebration Fair during which time the students presented and sold their products. The Celebration Fair was attended by other students, faculty, and the community. The students were also given a post-test. One of the most interesting results of the post-test was that 83% of the students indicated an interest in pursuing post-secondary education compared with 22% who had indicated that interest in the pre-test. Additional results of the comparison of the pre- and post-tests are explained in the dissertation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REFVIEW5

Motivation Building8

Caring/Personal Investment9

Entrepreneurship Program Details14

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS19

CHAPTER 5: INFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS24

REFERENCES28

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) is an organization that helps provide students and opportunity to learn the tools needed to succeed in a real working situation in a free enterprise system. SIFE Teams develop and implement community outreach programs designed to help teach these free enterprise concepts to others (SIFE website).

During the 2007-08 academic year, the SIFE Team at Arkansas State University, led by their faculty advisor Dr. Larry Dale, developed a program that was funded by a grant from the Sam's Club of Jonesboro, Arkansas. The SIFE team began by inviting 15 of the area school districts with a high percentage of at-risk children to participate in the program and asking the school districts to identify and contact children for the program. Although some of these students were in the Gifted and Talented programs, they were considered at risk in the sense that they were from lower-income families with 83% of the students qualifying for the free-lunch program and/or at-risk for dropping out of school and/or not pursuing post-secondary education.

The SIFE program was designed to provide an opportunity for these 53 at-risk students, 61 2th grades, to explore the role of entrepreneurship and technology in a free-market economic system and to help motivate these students attend post-secondary education and to pursue careers ...