Assessed the association of parental discipline and monitoring with early conduct problems of 123 children in a highly disadvantaged, African American sample. Analyses indicated that, after earlier conduct problems were controlled for, coercive parent discipline and poor parental monitoring at age 4.5 predicted age 6 conduct problems. Associations…

Recounts the author's experiences teaching writing for several years in the New York city public schools. Relates his changing thoughts, feelings and assumptions about why creative writing matters (or does not matter) to these students. Concludes that writing can help people struggle against suffering and injustice, and it can also give the…

Outlines the predominant paradigm of teacher training that claims theory as the primary component in teacher preparation and that holds an empty vessel view of teachers-to-be. Advocates asking questions from an ecological and phenomenological viewpoint. Describes four different ways, drawn from the author's experience, that a person might be…

In 1999, the 21st Century School Fund interviewed seven large school districts regarding management of capital-improvement programs. Researchers found three basic models: in-house management, other-public-agency management, and private-sector management. Systematic oversight and quality-control approaches will protect school systems from…

Develops an initial theory of teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion using in-depth interviews and grounded theory's constant-comparative technique. Identifies six generally held conceptions of discussion and five factors that influenced teachers' use of discussion. Examines implications for teachers, teacher educators, and researchers…

Illustrates problems facing researchers trying to demonstrate causal relationships between types of nonparental care and differences between groups of Swedish children. Argues that efforts must be made to validate and interpret differences that are found. Indicates ways to avoid misinterpretation of differences that are attributable to…

Examines intervention models addressing the welfare of abused and neglected children and those affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Notes larger, government-sponsored interventions and innovative local programs working with at-risk children, including the National Strategy on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Gauteng Programme of Action for Children,…

Evaluated a path model of teacher expectancy effects in 376 first- through fifth-grade urban children. Found that classroom environment and developmental differences moderated the strength of teacher expectancy effects on students' year-end achievement. Results suggested that teacher expectations may tend to magnify achievement differences in the…

The International Conference on Rural Aging (June 2000) endorsed policy recommendations in the following areas: health and active aging of older rural people; education, participation, and rights of older rural people; policy development, advocacy, and implementation; components of successful model policies and programs; implications for…

Presents encouraging empirical findings related to an attempt to create an efficient and reliable instrument to assess the nature and quality of critical discourse and thinking in a text-based educational context. Suggests that cognitive presence (critical, practical inquiry) can be created and supported in a computer-conference environment with…

Describes dual language instruction models, and presents a paradigm for examining congruence among theoretical models, teacher beliefs, and actual classroom practices to determine program effectiveness. Examples illustrate implementation pitfalls. Analysis of Proposition 227 finds it to be a decontextualized procedural model; it has an incoherent…

Compares the effectiveness of three classes teaching ethical reasoning to high school students. The three classes were an introductory ethics class, a blended economics-ethics class, and a role-model ethics class taught by graduate students. Tests measured the ways students reason, feel, and act with regard to ethical-normative issues. (MJP)

Finds that the life and writings of Thomas Merton can be quite appealing to high school and college students because he embodies and articulates the dynamic activity of God's call in his life. Merton gives voice to students' struggles to find meaning and to their difficulties in expressing their experiences of grace in their lives. (VWC)

Discusses how child development research, social policy design, and human service delivery for children and families reflect three separate yet related cultures. Argues that transmitting knowledge from the academy to social policy and practice could be facilitated by a simple taxonomy differentiating established knowledge from both reasonable…

Describes potential contributions of theories of person-environment fit to understanding of the transition from school to work. Provides specific implications for integrating these concepts into school-to-work programs including: students need to spend time in exploration that leads to self-knowledge; programs should teach elements of…