Two groups of children who had attended open and traditional classrooms, respectively, for three years were compared. Multivariate analyses of repeated measures showed that open-classroom subjects had higher scores in social problem-solving cognitions, self-esteem, and ego strength. (Author/BW)

Jigsaw, a cooperative learning technique, was evaluated for its effects on fifth- and sixth-grade students' attitudes and behaviors with regard to themselves, peers and school. Few affective gains were found, although participants in Jigsaw rated their classes as less competitive. (Author/DWH)

A cost effective intervention method was designed to demonstrate the practical implementation of classroom social skills training. Subjects were identified as withdrawn by the teacher. Social skills intervention was begun after a pretest observation. Behavioral change indicative of improved targeted social skills was noted at posttest…

Reviews recent literature which has investigated the interaction between learning disabled adolescents' self-concept and academic, peer family, and community systems. A unique behavioral pattern of emotional disturbance may result from continuous, negative self-concept experiences. In the family and/or community, however, these students can be…

The use of a developmental curriculum design to teach a direct practice methods course is described. The design is based on the principles of andragogy, which highlights self-motivated adult learning. Students and faculty collaborate in setting and implementing course objectives. (Author/LBH)

In order to facilitate entry of a new child into the classroom, the teacher of cognitively and emotionally impaired children should be aware of the class's hierarchical social organization. (CL)

In this paper, the authors discuss three main ideas. First, they examine traditional approaches to teacher preparation, and argue that teacher-preparation programs currently tend to train teachers mostly on issues related to instruction. They propose that teacher-preparation programs would benefit from expanding their focus to include explicit…

Lions Quest "Skills for Adolescence" is a schoolwide program designed for middle school students (grades 6-8). The program was designed to promote good citizenship skills, core character values, and social-emotional skills and discourage the use of drugs, alcohol, and violence. The program includes a classroom curriculum, schoolwide…

Developmental assets are a research-based list of the essential building blocks of healthy youth development and comprise the relationships, experiences, and values that youth need to grow up caring, confident, and responsible. In November, 2001, Assets for Colorado Youth (ACY) convened a group of educators, students, and family advocates from the…

The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) is a national study of the characteristics, experiences and achievements of students with disabilities in elementary and middle school. This report presents results of data (mainly surveys of and interviews with parents) on more than 12,000 students with disabilities, ages 6-12, selected…

This book concentrates on the connection between organizational behavior and the clamor for school reform, whether market-based, standards-based, or whole-school reform. It explains the great need for school leaders to develop a theory and practice that draws on what is known about organizational behavior in education. Educational leaders need a…

Based on the view that making social concepts and feelings concrete would help children in primary grades to take turns, cooperate, and solve their problems respectfully, this curriculum uses a story about the Rainbow Kids, an imaginary community of children, to introduce children to social concepts and conflict resolution skills. The Rainbow Kids…

Noting that low-income children are at risk for early school difficulties and that social and emotional competencies are hypothesized to be crucial for early school success, this study used naturalistic observations to provide descriptive information about low-income children's emotional and social competence in school settings. The specific goals…

This report discusses findings of a study that investigated the effectiveness of video self-modeling (VSM) for increasing request communication of children with autism. A single subject design using multiple baselines across subjects was used. Four participants (ages 4-6) with autism were taped in the home setting for the purpose of creating VSM…