Head Start has stood as the largest and longest-running early childhood care and education government program in the United States for nearly four decades--and one of the most heavily researched. Yet, despite evidence of both short- and long-term benefits, debate lingers over how effective it is at achieving its primary goal of improving the…

This article portrays the ongoing and ever-expanding journey of the Center for Research and Practice of School Psychology (CRPSP) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Based on an integrative approach to school community well-being that includes positive psychology perspectives and systems interventions, all activities of the…

Art therapists must overcome systemic challenges in order to continue to provide art therapy services in U.S. public schools. An understanding of how art therapy programs fit within the national standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the ASCA National Model may help in this effort. This review article compares recently…

Each culture's values shape its education practices. A comparison of U.S. and Portuguese practices in including children with disabilities in regular classrooms illuminates much about both our systems. The Portuguese value interdependence, and their education system promotes shared responsibility by students in a class to help the education of a…

For some time now, questions have been asked about the impact of television and video materials on the cognitive and social development of preschoolers and older children. More recently, these same questions have been asked in relation to the extensive exposure to these media that infants and toddlers are currently experiencing. To answer these…

Intergenerational programs unite people of different ages and provide opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to enjoy and benefit from the richness of a culturally and generationally diverse society that encompasses the needs and interests of the individuals involved. Reflecting on the numbers of young children and senior adults…

Children with learning disabilities in four types of special education settings were compared in terms of social acceptance, number of friends, quality of relationship with best friends, self-concept, loneliness, depression, social skills, and problem behaviors. Two of the placements (In-Class Support and Resource Room) were for children with mild…

Associations between experiences and outcomes could be due to (a) continuation of adversity or (b) organismic changes, including experience-expectant and experience-adaptive developmental programming. The adoption into British families of children who had been reared in profoundly depriving institutions in Romania presented an opportunity to test…

In 2 studies (125 college students and 51 adults), 2 forms of growth goals (exploratory and intrinsic) were compared with 2 forms of personality development (social-cognitive maturity and social-emotional well-being). Participants whose narratives of major life goals emphasized conceptual exploration were especially likely to have high levels of…

Reviews evaluation studies, box-score reviews, and meta-analyses on effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) conducted from the 1960s through 1980s, using student achievement as a dependent measure. Conclusions are drawn as to CAI's effectiveness with regard to social and academic achievement and a cost analysis of CAI is provided. (29…

The basic properties of a dynamic systems approach of development are illustrated by contrasting two simple equations. One equation is characteristic of dynamic systems models. The other refers to what, for the sake of simplicity, is referred to as the standard developmental approach. We give illustrations from cognitive, language and social…

Presents a comparison between service learning and composition, suggesting that both lead toward action and engagement with the social world while presenting possibilities for growth and failure. Describes a first-time service learning participant's experience with a second grader to explain the complicated and constrained position of the service…

This paper presents a comparative case study of diverse approaches to deinstitutionalization of developmental disabilities residential services in two Midwestern states. During the 1970s and 1980s, the convergence of leadership by advocates, legislators, and bureaucrats led to Michigan's rapid transformation from an institutional to a…

This paper describes the Parent Child Development Center (PCDC) model and related experimental programs at Birmingham, Houston and New Orleans and summarizes findings from data gathered during the first five years of program operation. Preliminary findings from data collected after 1975 are also reported. All PCDC programs share several common…

Curriculum developers have a responsibility to fully understand national goals and to translate them into educational programs that will equip citizens to realize these goals. This topic is discussed in this manual for a basic training course in systematic curriculum development, designed for students in developing nations. A brief description of…