The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is a comprehensive youth health risk and resilience data collection service for local education agencies (LEAs) sponsored by the California Department of Education (CDE). It is an easily customized, comprehensive self-report youth survey for grades 5-12. It assesses all major areas of health-related risk…

Literacy is often broadly defined as the ability to read, write, speak, listen, and think critically. Young people need to develop strong literacy skills to communicate effectively, gain respect from peers and authority, participate in their communities in a meaningful way, and fully contribute to society. Building literacy, therefore, goes far…

This text brings together the research, theories, and practices around youth development and utilizes the experiences and approaches tested by practitioners. A brilliant blending of theory and practice comes to life in this textbook. The authors' intention is to provide an introductory overview for the professional practice of youth work in the…

This is a theoretical study of adolescent maturation within a cultural context. Personality development and disintegration due to the pressure of a dominant culture on a minority culture is considered. An attempt is made to understand how teachers might assist students to work out their psychological growth by story telling. The need for cultural…

Kids who distrust adults are highly skilled at hiding their real nature and resisting change. Most adults shun such youths or get mired in conflict with them. Punitive get tough practices as well as traditional flaw-fixing treatment are reactive strategies that often drive these youths further from adult bonds and reinforce oppositional and…

This study examined aspects of adolescent identity formation and the socio-cultural context that shapes the self. A sample of 950 eighth-grade students (males and females of both African-American and European American descent) were asked to identify 2 hero figures (one that they know personally and one that they do not know but is famous) and list…

The values humans possess take form in relation to the day-to-day activities and decisions (instrumental values) and as criteria for a lifetime (terminal values). This study compares the importance level assigned by adolescents to instrumental and terminal values and the relationship of adolescents' perception of value importance with their…

Activities and lessons, based on the theory of active learning and designed for a course to promote student involvement, are discussed in this document. Each activity is described and followed by an evaluation that students completed immediately following the activity. Students were asked about how interesting, useful, and relevant each of the…

Identity formation from a relational viewpoint is a process of internalizing the expectations, needs, and opinions of significant others while recognizing and expressing one's own needs and interests. To achieve this, adolescents must resolve disagreement between their own and others' points of view through mutual regulation between self and…

The Children and Adolescent Support and Self-Sufficiency (CAPSS) program serves pregnant and parenting adolescents eligible to attend an urban school district in the Midwest. It employs a Youth Development Framework promoting connections with caring adults. While pregnancy prevention has become a major initiative for schools, programming to help…

This paper presents a review of 25 sources on school-based eating disorder prevention programs for pre-adolescents and adolescents. The sources used to collect the information include Search ERIC database, PsycINFO, InterScience, and Expanded Academic. A review of the literature concluded that the most effective method of implementing a…

This book examines the characteristics and educational needs of unmotivated adolescents. It suggests that many of these students suffer from low self-esteem and are learning disabled and/or have an attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. It offers a definition of learning disabilities that emphasizes the presence of significant differences…

Middle level students have unique needs that can be met by a school advising program. Outlines the goals and a timeline for implementing an advisory program along with nine components essential to a successful guidance and advisory program. (MLF)

A developmental psychologist describes her experience in testifying at Congressional hearings on proposed revisions in child labor legislation. The testimony argued that proposals to increase job opportunities for school-going teenagers are a threat to their development and to the job prospects of unemployed out-of-school youths and adults.…

Explored possible differences in students' identity between groups planning to attend college after high school, those not planning to attend college, and those undecided. Found no differences in identity between those who planned to attend college and those who planned not to attend. (PAS)