Parental support has been an increasingly essential part of New Zealand early childhood (EC) education services over the last 20 years. This support has taken many shapes and forms over this time period, and has depended on the differing philosophies of the EC education services. What this support "looks like" and how it is delivered is…

This paper presents the results of two qualitative studies, conducted independently in two Early Head Start programs, exploring the reasons given by mothers and home visitors for family success or lack of success in achieving program goals and for engagement in the mother-home visitor relationship. Several patterns pertaining to family issues and…

Peer relationships play an important role in socialization during childhood and young adolescence. Negative relationships may pose multiple difficulties for children related to their development that can have lifelong influences. Research indicates that the quality of peer relationships is associated with a variety of outcomes, such as social…

A social worker and a psychologist, working with troubled youth in a day treatment setting, describe unique ways to use the concepts of Positive Peer Culture (PPC) to facilitate groups from the elementary to high school levels. The authors have adapted the well-known PPC concepts and incorporated them into their strength-based program, SPLASH, to…

To counter schools' unwitting contribution to self-centeredness in American culture, this article advises teachers to study childrearing practices of certain primitive, nonviolent societies like the Mbuti, the Tassaday, and the !Kung. Alternative disciplinary techniques designed to shape students' personal strengths are suggested. Includes 18…

Questions of power, leadership, and the struggle of academic versus administrative influence at Oxford University are explored, and Weber's theory of leadership and authority is applied to the institution, whose objective is to produce members of the elite or ruling social strata. (MSE)

On June 2, 2000, the Los Angeles County Probation Department entered into a settlement agreement with the Black Probation Officers Association in response to a civil suit. As part of the settlement, the Department was required to allocate resources internally based on the administration of a risk and needs instrument to its juvenile probationers.…

Creative leadership calls for leaders to make full use of the analytical as well as the intuitive mind. This paper argues that leadership-preparation programs must therefore provide opportunities for the development of the leader's potential. The paper describes a pilot program implemented by the Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural…

Though recreational programs are not planned specifically to reduce delinquency, well-planned recreation programs can keep potential delinquents from misusing their leisure time. (JN)

Describes cooperative learning in three high school classrooms showing that the cooperative learning strategy may be a potent instrument in work-mate preference stability and change. The examples also demonstrate the value of this strategy for maximizing intergroup interaction for the promotion of learning experiences. (JD)

Describes the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and explores the use of this measure in libraries to help staff better understand themselves and each other, and to aid library administrators in balancing work groups and interacting with staff. A selected bibliography of 3 books, 3 professional manuals, and 2…

Describes a thematic unit for secondary education students that focuses on eight themes, with accompanying activities, on learning from mistakes, such as "mistakes are inevitable, and everyone makes them" and "making mistakes does not make you a faulty person." Provides a concluding activity on the Titanic. (CMK)

One first-grade teacher integrated character education into the existing curriculum. She used a job chart to teach responsibility and teamwork, and helped the class develop a constitution. Her framework was based on the Character Counts! Coalition's crucial character traits: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and…

The author, a psychologist who has been specializing in end-of-life issues for over a decade, uses the death of his fiancee (Becky), following the withdrawal of a ventilator and the refusal to place her back on the machine, to discuss research and analysis of end-of-life care in the United States. After briefly discussing his own background,…

Career counselors frequently encounter clients who are at high risk for career and life development difficulties. Research suggests there is a connection between resiliency and successful career development in high-risk clients. Many high-risk individuals have poor decision-making skills and lack motivation to succeed in life and career…