Education
Institute of HeartMath Education Applications

Education Applications: Performance

At-Risk Students

Why do some students fail while others succeed? It is a question educators, parents and society in general have unceasingly endeavored to answer and devoted considerable resources, time and energy to in the hope that one day every child will realize his or her full academic potential.

The reasons are many and although there are wide-ranging opinions on the causes and solutions, there are factors that are nearly universally included among those cited as the reasons why millions of the nation’s children are at risk annually of performing poorly during their educational years and eventually dropping out of school altogether.


Identifying At-Risk Students

"At-risk students … are usually low academic achievers who exhibit low self-esteem, according to a report at Eric.ed.gov, the U.S.-government-sponsored website repository containing a wealth of educational materials related to the nation’s schools. "Disproportionate numbers of them are males and minorities. Generally they are from low-socioeconomic-status families. Students who are both low-income and minority status are at higher risk; their parents may have low educational backgrounds and may not have high educational expectations for their children."

Facts at a Glance:

Some Indicators of the At-Risk Student†:

  • Comes from low-income family.
  • Resides in unstable school district.
  • Is a minority, especially African-American and Hispanic.
  • Has a least one disability.
  • Low academic skills (not necessarily low intelligence).
  • Retained in a grade at least once.
  • Parents did not graduate high school.
  • Speaks English as a second language.
  • Child of a single parent.
  • Lives in high-growth state.
  • Has negative self-perception, low self-esteem.
  • Paid work for males, marriage and children for females take priority over school.
  • Neither parent/guardian employed.

† From general educational research.


  • Analysis shows that while a majority (54%) of school-age children have no significant risk factors, a significant minority does, with 36% experiencing a familial risk factor and 18% a personal one.
  • The single most common personal risk factor is being retained in school.†
  • The most common familial factor is not living with both parents.
  • Records show 18% of children who fall into the at-risk designation have more than one risk factor in their lives.
  • Multiple risk factors are more frequent for males and African-Americans.

† Statistics on personal versus family factors comes from the U.S. Census Bureau.

At-Risk Students and School Dropouts

Much of the information pertaining to at-risk students comes from school dropout research and the most recent comprehensive statistics to date on dropout rates, issued by the EPE Research Center in April 2008, revealed that 1.2 million American teens drop out of high school every year. In the EPE Center’s ranking of graduation rates for the 2004-05 school year in the nation’s 50 largest cities, Detroit ranked last with a rate of 24.9%, meaning that 75.1% did not graduate. Mesa, Ariz., ranked 1st at just over 77%. Los Angeles and New York ranked 42 and 43 respectively, at 45.1% and 45.3%.

One widely circulated report from several years ago assessing the causes for dropouts echoes risk factors similar to those noted above: "Dropout rates are higher for students coming from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, from single-parent families, and from non-English-language family backgrounds," M. Frase observed in the first annual report on dropout rates for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCEL).

One of the most important efforts at identifying and reaching at-risk students before they’re set on paths that lead to becoming dropouts and helping to turn around those already headed in that direction is America’s Promise Alliance, which is supporting more 100 dropout summits in 2008 and 2009 in every state in the nation. (The Promise Alliance was founded by retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the chair is his wife, Alma J. Powell.)

Although efforts to identify at-risk students and the factors that place them at risk of poor performance in school and those to identify students at risk of dropping out invariably overlap and frequently are collaborative, there is a perplexing truth about the two groups that baffles many in the educational sector and make mutual solutions elusive:


"Different risk factors are important in different communities. Even within the same school, students drop out for different reasons. Finally, most dropouts are simply unexplained. The majority of students with any particular risk factor do not drop out, and the majority of dropouts are not in the at-risk groups."

– From the Eric.gov report Identifying Potential Dropouts


Who Needs HeartMath Research-Based Programs?

  • At-risk students of all ages
  • Teachers of at-risk students
  • Counselors of at-risk students
  • Parents of at-risk students

HeartMath Bridges Emotions, Academics for Success

As educators and others continue the hard work of trying to reach children early to identify potential future problems in school and working with students already experiencing academic troubles, the Institute of HeartMath has had great success in both areas with its learning programs and emWave® technology, which teach young people emotion management skills and stress reduction techniques. These programs and technology have helped them build healthier relationships with teachers, family and peers, and to overcome the anxieties not only of test-taking and other academic tasks, but also many of the worries and fears common to young people generally and to those who may be coping with one or more of the risk factors noted above.


"Unmanaged emotional reactions to stress not only lead to behavior problems in young people but also create physiological conditions that inhibit learning and potentially increase the risk of disease later in life. For these reasons, the integration of emotional self-management skills training programs has become an increased priority in some schools."

– The Impact of an Emotional Self-Management Skills Course, a HeartMath study


Feelings such as anxiety, anger and frustration cause the neural activity in the two branches of the autonomic nervous system to get out of sync, IHM researchers explain. This disrupts the ability to think clearly because it affects the synchronized activity in the brain. When, however, we experience uplifting feelings such as appreciation and caring as the HeartMath System teaches, it leads to greater harmony and synchronization in the brain and nervous system. The result, naturally, is an improved ability to think clearly.

HeartMath educational programs and services, which have been administered in more than 1,000 schools to students at the elementary level through college and beyond, were developed after extensive scientific study to measure their effectiveness. Here are two of those studies:

  • The Impact of an Emotional Self-Management Skills Course on Psychosocial Functioning and Autonomic Recovery to Stress in Middle School Children: This joint IHM/Miami Heart Research Institute study examined the impact of a HeartMath emotional-management program on psychosocial functioning and physiological responses to stress in students at Palm Springs Middle School in Hialeah, Fla., near Miami. School counselors had observed that many students in the study, including high achievers, were distracted at school by various social pressures and negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, which diverted their attention from focused learning.

    Following participation in the HeartMath program, there were significant improvements in 17 of the 19 areas of psychosocial functioning that were measured, including anger management, teacher comfort, self-reliance, work management and focus, perceptions of family support/satisfaction and risky behavior. After the training, the students scored well above the average range on many of the scales on which they had previously scored below the norm. To read the complete abstract of this study, go to The Impact of an Emotional Self-Management Skills Course.
  • The TestEdge National Demonstration Study (TENDS): In a major educational study, IHM, in collaboration with faculty and graduate students at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif., and with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, investigated the ability of TestEdge® learning program to reduce stress and test anxiety and improve emotional well-being, quality of relationships and academic performance in public school students.

    Researchers found that 61% of all students in a HeartMath intervention group and a control group reported being affected by test anxiety, with 26% experiencing high levels often or most of the time. Following the intervention group’s participation in the TestEdge program, 75% of those who had reported experiencing test anxiety at the beginning of the study had reduced levels by the end of the study. The TestEdge group learned simple techniques for calming themselves, stopping the "mental noise" that can block recollection of important test material and prevent them from focusing their complete attention on the task at hand. Go to TENDS.

HeartSmarts™: Early Intervention for Those At Risk

  • HeartSmarts™ Grades 3-5: An oft-heard lament of parents, teachers, counselors and other educators is that they couldn’t help students with academic and behavioral problems earlier in their education. Years spent in frustration and heartache can instead be years of success and happiness by working with children while they are still in elementary school. The HeartMath Research Center and Education Division had exactly that in mind when they developed HeartSmarts™ Grades 3-5 for the classroom.

    HeartSmarts, organized into five modules, teaches upper elementary students to manage stress, improve learning and strengthen relationships. Short lessons in each module use experiential learning for problem-solving and collaborative discussion on topics related to school performance. Through minimal practice and reflection, students develop "habits of the heart," which improve learner readiness, motivation, behavior management and classroom climate. Read more about HeartSmarts.
  • Early HeartSmarts™ Pre-K: Now in its second-round pilot implementation, Early HeartSmarts™ Pre-K teaches preschoolers’ skills that help them self-regulate their emotions and behavior. Learning outcomes include: ability to recognize and name their own feelings and those of others. Includes demonstrations of positive attitudes about learning and of problem-solving skills. Two of HeartMath’s most effective techniques, Quick Coherence® and Heart Lock-In® have been specially adapted for these young children. Results of the initial pilot have been very positive and show that young students love learning about their hearts. Go to: Early HeartSmarts.

Related IHM Research Publications and Articles

  • The Role of Your Heart in Learning: An important finding by IHM researchers is the key role the heart plays in determining how "in sync" we are. "The heart puts out a powerful, rhythmic signal that the brain responds to," explains IHM Director of Research Rollin McCraty. "Nerve impulses originating in the heart dramatically affect how we think, perceive and perform. In a way, we could say that the heart and brain ‘talk’ to one another – and together they set the rhythms for the entire nervous system and body. Read more of this important research in The Science of Learning.
  • Keeping Teachers on the Job and Students in School: "The American education system is currently faced with three seemingly separate challenges—the alarming number of students who drop out of school before graduation, the increasing number of teachers who leave the profession during their first years of employment, and the challenge to both teachers and students to improve academic performance." Read the complete article on Page 7 of the HeartMath Summer 2005 Newsletter.

Products and Programs for At-Risk Students

  • TestEdge® Grades 3-12+: As at-risk students learn to recognize and manage emotions, overcome test anxiety and learning blocks with these scientifically developed programs. They experience less dread about taking tests and feel more at ease in school. TestEdge helps increase focus and comprehension skills in the classroom and during high-stakes tests. It’s easy to use and integrates effortlessly into regular curricula. Go to the complete line of TestEdge Learning Programs and Software.
  • The Resilient Educator® Program: Qualified Instructors learn to present The Resilient Educator®, an engaging, activity-based, stress-management workshop for in-service staff development. Teachers and administrative staff learn how to develop greater personal resilience and well-being. These and other skills learned in the Resilient Educator can greatly benefit the at-risk student as the educator teaches similar skills to their classes. Go to: The Resilient Educator.
  • emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC: HeartMath’s groundbreaking interactive learning system has had great success engaging students at all academic levels, whether they are motivated or disinterested in their studies. This software program gives real-time feedback about emotions and how they affect heart rhythms. Many students are bored in school and don’t see how their studies relate to their lives, but one session on the emWave had proven sufficient to engage the attention and desire for further exploration of thousands of students. Go to: emWave Desktop for Mac and PC.

Funding Tips for Educators:

  • Click here for links to information about a variety of federal, state and private educational funding sources for schools and districts interested in purchasing programs and products from the Institute of HeartMath.
  • Click here for information about the IHM Heart-Based Education Sponsorship Fund and to learn how you can apply to be a recipient.