Discusses the necessity for schools to be responsive to the developmental needs of young adolescents in order to develop an effective learning environment. Analyzes the application of the Middle Grades Assessment Program to this effort, as exemplified in the case of the Francisco Middle School in San Francisco, California. (PGD)

This chapter furthers the discussion of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation by contending that learning and studying are multidetermined and that intrinsic motivation is typically accompanied by extrinsic motivation. The chapter begins with a discussion of the concept of future time perspective as a cognitive-motivational personality…

This report documents and summarizes research findings on the influence of religion on the lives of U.S. adolescents. It examines recent academic research on religious influences during adolescence and reports findings from quality studies, published mostly in academic journal articles or book chapters. The report focuses on: "Levels of…

As demand for after-school services has grown, the public has responded with support for growth in federal, state, and local funding for these services. As in other successful grassroots movements, this high level of support is evident across groups with diverse objectives. Some after-school advocates are mainly interested in increasing the supply…

Research on girls' development has found that girls see the world that coheres through human relationships rather than through systems of rules, and that 12 or 13 is a watershed age for girls, a time of "central relational crisis." As their bodies enter the physiological transformations that culminate in womanhood, they face an onslaught…

Noting that young adolescents are very much affected by their families, this booklet, in both English- and Spanish-language versions, was prepared for parents/guardians of children ages 10-15 to help them provide the support needed by a child undergoing some of the most dramatic changes in a lifetime. The booklet describes typical behavior of…

With the passage of the 1996 welfare reform law, numerous commentators expressed concern about the impact of welfare reform on young children of welfare recipients, while few expressed concern about adolescents. However, recent evidence suggests that adolescents are affected negatively when their parents participate in welfare-to-work programs.…

Based on the formula of love, laughter, limits, and linkages, this book presents practical, parent-tested ways parents can help their adolescent children become emotionally intelligent. The book is presented in three parts. Part 1 concerns parent preparation for raising an emotionally intelligent teenager, discusses the importance of parenting by…

Noting that the dynamics of interaction in the coparenting setting, the mother-father-child triad, may change substantially during the transition to adolescence and that there is a need for an observational tool that describes both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of triadic dynamics, this study examined the Coding System for Family Triads (CST),…

This document details Canada's mission to safeguard and improve the health and well-being of all Canadian children and youth and presents eight national goals through which Canada plans to fulfill that mission. The document is presented in three parts. Part 1 describes the development of national goals, including their origin in the underlying…

This TIP on the best practice guidelines for treatment of substance abuse aims to help teach treatment providers about the latest information available to design and deliver better services to adolescent clients with substance use disorders. This publication represents advances in the understanding of the immediate and long-term physiologic,…

The upcoming reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant is prompting closer scrutiny of how families affected by the law are faring. This research brief examines teen employment in the context of welfare reform, drawing on data from the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to describe employment…

Discusses developmental needs of college students as indicated by psycho-social theories. Describes roadblocks to positive self-concept development in Black students. Offers suggestions for assisting Black students in developing a positive self-concept. (RC)

Discusses the concept of egocentrism and its relation to cognitive development. Describes the major stages of egocentrism: sensori-motor, preoperational, concrete operational, and adolescent egocentrism. Focuses on research support for the theory of adolescent egocentrism. Discusses educational implications. (RC)

Ties Native American Medicine Wheel teachings on the cycle of life to Eric Erickson's work on the eight developmental stages: trust, autonomy, initiative, accomplishment, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. To have healthy communities, people need to move successfully through these stages. Knowing about these stages can help a person…