In this commentary for the special issue on the social and character development (SACD) research program, the author identifies some of the dilemmas facing practitioners attempting to do evaluation research in SACD in schools and discusses some of the related concerns raised in this issue's papers. His familiarity with the SACD program derives…

Social maturity in deaf children has been gauged by the norms of hearing counterparts. This does not take into consideration differences in maturity rates or ways of maturing, factors which contribute to delayed or accelerated development, peer measures, and comparisons to other groups deprived of elements contributing to accepted growth. (Author)

Describes the role of observational research in the assessment of children's peer-related social competence and the conceptual frameworks that serve as a foundation for observational assessment of children's social goals. Describes technological advances that allow more descriptive, precise, and complex behavioral codes. Provides an example of an…

This paper examines data from three survey activities conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes for specific relevance to social/behavioral outcomes development and assessment. Findings suggest that little effort is being directed to the measurement of the extent to which students with behavioral disorders are meeting such outcomes.…

The proposed modified definition of learning disability by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities, which includes social skills deficits as a specific learning disability, is presented and analyzed from primary, secondary, and social learning theory causative hypotheses. Development of an adequate assessment technology is urged.…

Offers a rebuttal to Giyoo Hatano's commentary on a study on sociomoral development in the kindergarten classroom. It is suggested that the danger in restricting evaluation to stated goals is that unintended negative effects will not be recognized. (LB)

General issues raised by Gersten in his commentary on DeVries' article are discussed. These include the role of error, academic content, and direct instruction in constructivist education. His criticisms of sociomoral research by DeVries and others are emphatically refuted. (LB)

Aserts that it is unclear how the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional ratings link to other critical child and family risk factors. Identifies questions regarding how well individual dimensions of social behavior are measured and concerns about the partial overlap between competent and problem behavior. Expresses concerns about the…

The observational study of effective instructional processes in kindergarten by DeVries and others is critiqued. It is maintained that (1) the study takes a narrow approach to constructivism that does not reflect current thinking; (2) there are flaws in the coding system used; and (3) the understanding of instructional issues involving minority…

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 876) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It discusses concerns relating to whether the research is sufficiently meritorious to result in a valid measure of growth outcomes suitable for national use. (Contains 4…

This response to comments on two studies (EC 629 876) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities, discusses the GGOs as a way for educators to provide a quick effective reading of a child's status and growth within a developmental area. (Contains 8 references.) (CR)

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 875) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It argues that without additional efforts focusing on the nature of GGOs, the ultimate utility of the outcome measures will be limited. (Contains references.) (CR)

In this article, Jonathan Cohen argues that the goals of education need to be reframed to prioritize not only academic learning, but also social, emotional, and ethical competencies. Surveying the current state of research in the fields of social-emotional education, character education, and school-based mental health in the United States, Cohen…

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 876) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It discusses concerns that the respondents were not culturally diverse and need to provide public and empirical demonstrations of the operationalization of the outcomes…