Designed for professional educators as well as students of the field, this definitive reference provides comprehensive coverage of educational theory and practice from the primary grades through higher education. The set integrates numerous theoretical frameworks with field-based applications from many years in educational research, and features contributions from respected specialists in education, psychology, sociology, philosophy, law, and medicine. The "Encyclopedia of Education and Human Development" offers truly comprehensive coverage of important themes in education and human development. While it focuses on contemporary educational policies and issues, it also traces the history of the subject back through the nineteenth century, when the foundations of the modern American educational system were laid down. The contributors treat each entry from the perspective of its social and political context, as well as its historical background. The set also covers the people whose contributions have played a seminal role in shaping educational ideas, institutions, and organizations, and includes comprehensive entries on the institutions and organizations themselves. Selected contents present the following sections: (1) Constructs of Learning; (2) Philosophical, Social, and Political Issues in Education; (3) Levels in Educational Practice; (4) Physical, Motor, and Cognitive Domains; (5) Educational Issues Concerning Diverse Populations; (6) People; and (7) Organizations. A list of tables and figures, introduction, and index is included.