This resource book was developed to provide information that state and local leaders can use to stimulate discussion of the problem of students at risk and support the planning of initiatives that address the problem. An overview defines students at risk, summarizes the content of the book, and lists recent reports and publications on the problem of students at risk. Section I presents eight sets of data, summarizing national and state data on the changing nature of students attending the public schools, students who do not become engaged in school activities, drug and alcohol use, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, teenage suicide, and student achievement. The second section reviews four lines of research that suggest that schools can be more successful with more students. The third section provides an overview of the kinds of data that school staff can use to identify students in need of assistance and educational practices in need of improvement. The fourth section provides a framework for comparing approaches that schools are trying in order to become more successful with students at risk. The final section recommends that the problem of students at risk be considered in the context of Pennsylvania's Long-Range Planning process. It provides an overview of the "Program Development Evaluation Method" and discusses obstacles frequently raised by school staff. Fifteen tables and 13 figures are included. (NB)