This newsletter presents a critical view of some of the perils of translating research findings into classroom practice without careful examination of the human dimensions involved. The first issue discussed is ability grouping; it is pointed out that this practice does not necessarily increase academic achievement, particularly in the lower level…

This document describes the population of youth needing special assistance in the transition to adulthood and the special problems they face. It describes the social systems that attempt to serve these youth and examines the deficiencies of current social policies. Promising developments in policy and practice that can offer guidance in finding…

Case studies of self-actualizing people according to the ideas of A. Maslow and the criteria of K. Dabrowski are presented. To find people meeting the criteria of Level 4 of the Dabrowski theory, a pool of 21 subjects was established by nomination. All subjects were given the Definition-Response Instrument to assess levels of emotional…

This paper addresses the issue of how children should be reared from birth to become members of a faith community. The paper begins by seeking answers in psychological theories and research studies of Piaget, Bandura and Sears, Mahler, and Erikson. It is asserted that interactions with primary caregivers are the essential ingredients by means of…

Symbolic interactionists have proposed that one's self-concept is primarily affected by interactions with others to the extent and in the way one perceives those interactions. According to this perspective, an individual's global self-esteem is largely the result of subjective "reflected appraisals" of others' evaluations of him rather…

The study was designed to assess the impact of high school community service programs on students' social development. These programs enable students to earn academic credit through volunteer work in various agencies. Their work is supervised by teachers and on-site supervisors. Frequently a seminar or class is part of the program. Eight community…

Factors which aid an individual's progression from one stage of moral reasoning to another remain a mystery. Theorists suggest that intraception, defined as a predominance of feeling, fantasy, and aspirations (connoting a humanistic outlook and an ability to develop role-taking skills) as opposed to a down-to-earth, skeptical attitude, may be an…

The connections between human communication and mental health were first noted 50 to 60 years ago by such early psychiatrists as Alfred Adler, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Karen Horney. They were concerned with understanding those communication processes and skills that make for effective, fully functioning human beings. Adler emphasized faulty…

This study examines the activities which Head Start parents actually engaged in and the facts they learned at the 14th annual conference held in New Orleans in April, 1987 and the 15th annual conference held in Salt Lake City in May 1988. At the 14th annual conference, 70 parents voluntarily attended a workshop advertised in the conference…

This report presents results of the first product evaluation of the Saginaw School District's Michigan Early Childhood Education Preschool (MECEP) program. The MECEP operated at five elementary sites, with 154 pupils participating. The goal of the program was to provide 4-year-olds with an environment that would enable them to develop school…

Because little is presently known about changes in children's knowledge of the logical principles of arithmetic and, more specifically, about how children's developing knowledge is reflected in the use of solution procedures, two types of three-term arithmetic problems were presented for solution to 6-, 7-, 9-, 11-, and 20-year-olds. Problems were…

Two drug intervention courses were developed for students at risk, entitled "Personal Growth" and "Advanced Personal Growth." These courses were implemented by continuation high school staffs to raise self-esteem. Both courses emphasize building positive relationships and support systems, sharing feelings, and trusting. These are skills students…

Implemented at a community center, this practicum developed an educational program which informed parents and teachers of ways to help children progress during and after divorce. Specific goals were: (1) to implement an educational program for parents, children, and teachers that focused on reducing the effects of divorce on children; (2) to…

In the first section of this monograph, the reasons why the personal nature of teaching makes it relatively impervious to outside influences are explored. It is suggested that change in education occurs only when the individual teacher changes. Educational innovation is viewed as a matter of facilitating and sustaining modification in the…

A life-course perspective of the diagnostic histories of 75 autistic individuals (ages 4-25) was obtained through the use of parent surveys and a review of their charts. The study was made to understand better how children who presented with uneven or unusual behavioral development are identified as developmentally multihandicapped. Areas examined…