In this essay the author argues that today's resurgent focus on noncognitive skills, especially for low-income students, may unfairly mask cognitive deficiencies and work to relieve our society of its duty, at which we are currently failing, to help low-income children improve their lives by improving their cognitive skills. The author points to a…

While agreeing with Scriven's exposition of the cognitive approach to moral education, the author disagrees with and comments on three points: the argument against developmentalists, morality and rational justification, and the affective aspect of moral argument. (DW)

Explains the Kohlberg moral stages in moral development, discusses the aims of moral and civic education, then describes the continuing experimental work at the Harvard Center for Moral Education. (Author/DW)

The affective and developmental approaches to moral education are described as inadequate, while the cognitive approach based on moral knowledge, moral reasoning, and the study of ethics is described as defensible and preferable, even though difficult to implement in public schools. (DW)