This study examined first exposures to oral and written English from ages 1-16 years, surveying 212 Ming Chuan University (Taiwan) students. The survey asked about the language spoken at home; age at and context of hearing, reading, writing, and speaking the first English word; experiences with conversations in English; and problems learning…

This report uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's March 2001 Current Population Survey to examine health insurance coverage. The number and percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance rose significantly in 2000, driving the overall increase in health insurance coverage. Among the entire population age 18-64 years, workers…

Noting that when adolescents select friends, they are creating a relationship context that will be an important source of influence, this study examined the criteria adolescents use when choosing friends. Adolescents in grades 7 and 10 were interviewed about the criteria they used when selecting friends, particularly the importance they placed…

The construct of moral reasoning may be conceived of as having a dualistic nature, with moral decision-making termed either empirical morality or normative morality. Although it has been tacitly assumed that normative moral values can be inferred from empirical morality methods of investigation, there exists data to suggest that this may not be…

Researchers who employ contextual models of parenting contend that it is not spanking per se, but rather the context in which spanking occurs and the meanings children ascribe to spanking, that predict child outcomes. This study proposed two plausible meanings that children may ascribe to spanking--a legitimate expression of parental authority or…

Two studies examined children's first references to the mental states of perception, desire, and belief in themselves and others. In Study 1, children interacted with their mothers in a laboratory setting at 14, 20, and 32 months of age (n=52); in Study 2, children were observed in their homes at 3-month intervals from 18 to 42 months (n=32).…

Intended to help parents ensure a safe and positive experience for their child's babysitters, this booklet provides helpful information for babysitters of children ages birth through 7 years. The booklet is divided into three major sections. Section 1 contains a letter to the babysitter regarding his or her responsibilities, suggested strategies…

Parent involvement in children's education is important for children's school success; however, not all children have parents who are involved in their schools. This issue brief examines factors that are associated with fathers' and mothers' involvement in their children's schools among children in kindergarten through 12th grade living in…

Risk factors for early adolescents' (700 between the ages of 10 to 13) delinquency were compared between groups of children high and low in childhood adversities. The samples represented young people from the two former Germanies (200 from former East and 500 from West Germany) who were interviewed in person. Additional information was gathered…

This paper reports on the number and percentage of students repeating grades in Louisiana public schools in the years of 1997-1998 to 2000-2001. The findings are grouped by grade, economic status, education classification, gender, and ethnicity. Grade retention trends and the impact of high stakes testing policy on student retention are discussed.…

Noting that parents are very concerned about the safety of their children and the impact school violence has on their children's academic success, this report is intended to help parents and others understand how school safety is monitored in Arkansas. The report presents information on what students say about their access to weapons and…

This report presents data from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 1991 and 1997; Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, 1989 and 1996 ; Survey of Adults on Probation, 1995; National Adult Literacy Survey; and Current Population Survey. Correctional populations were less educated than the general public. Numbers of…

A study examined whether citizens of Pennsylvania are aware of and able to access the Internet, how they are using online state resources, and whether there is a parity of access to advanced information services between rural and urban citizens. Data were gathered via telephone surveys of 1,000 residents from 62 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.…

The Office of Institutional Development and Technology and the Public Information Office created this report that identifies several topics of research in order to inform marketing efforts associated with enrollment management. The report is based upon demographic studies done at the College of Canyons to measure things such as changes in the size…

This annual report presents several articles related to the work of the Clinical Center for Child Development at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. The articles are: (1) "Joint Attention as a System Property of the Infant-Caregiver Interaction System"(Tsuneda Miho and Shing-Jen Chen); (2) "Age-Related Change in Japanese Maternal…