A core attribute of the positive youth development movement has been to nullify negative perceptions of youth's capacities. Toward this end, measurement and classification systems benefit from efforts to view youth's capacities as assets contextualized by developmental potentials and opportunities. In this article, we consider this point with…

Writing can be challenging to implement in upper elementary classrooms because teachers report needing additional support and students may struggle to meet the academic and developmental demands of emerging adolescence. This was true of one diverse, high-need, under-resourced school that had ambitious writing instruction goals. To meet these…

Our aspirations for gifted learners in talent development programs need to go beyond the development of expertise, creative productivity, and eminence. It is argued that wisdom development should be the ultimate goal of educating gifted learners. It is not merely what talents gifted learners develop, but how they use these talents, which will…

Given the preponderance of deficit-oriented discourse about Black men and adult learners in higher education, there have not been theoretical frameworks put forth to explain the success of Black male adult learners in higher education. Thus, this article describes the Black male adult learner success theory, which builds on Gilman Whiting's…

At the start of this new school year, most educators' attention will be split between attending to students' social and developmental well-being and overcoming pandemic-driven lack of engagement in learning. When these two goals are addressed in tandem, students can be exposed to new challenges and experiences. This article explores how a…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

Age of onset has long been assumed to predict outcomes in second/foreign language accent. Yet beyond early childhood, acquiring a new accent has much to do with social-affective factors such as learner identity and motivation, as well as cognitive factors such as learning strategies (Pfenninger, 2017). Newer perspectives acknowledge this…

Many students experience difficulties during their graduate education. Scholars have proposed mentoring as one potential strategy to support them. While often assumed to be the sole responsibility of faculty, graduate students are also in a position to provide meaningful mentorship to their peers. Thus, the purpose of the current article is to…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

Research examining the effects of track placement in the USA has predominantly focused on racial/socio-economic differences in access to learning opportunities. However, track assignment might also create academic social groups within schools that shape students' social-cognitive processes. This article provides a conceptual model that describes…

Historically, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) were limited in the amount of assets that they could earn. However, the enactment of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014 provided for significant increases in the amount of earnings and savings allowable. Many of these individuals are capable of saving money and…

This article examines different approaches to motivation and effective motivational strategies to engage students to learn. It discusses major perspectives on motivation and classroom applications. It analyses the teacher's role in creating motivational atmosphere. It suggests various motivational strategies for creating effective learning…

Purpose is conceptualized as an intention to make meaning for self and to contribute to a greater world. Purpose in youth is critical to well-being, especially in the areas of good health and overall life satisfaction. An intentional set of strategies can be employed by educators to infuse and integrate purpose into youth development,…

"Self-Determination" concept is based on the simple assumption that human beings ought to be in a position to intrinsically influence their life outcomes. The concept as well avails people with the right to control positive life outcomes by managing the Decisions and Choices they make. Typically, the concept revolves around the approach…

The non-cognitive factors (NCFs) endorsed by Sedlacek (2004) appear to align with the core values of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). This article explores theoretical and empirical evidence that suggests REBT fosters the development of NCFs. School counselors can promote non-cognitive development by embedding REBT throughout direct and…