The effects of vocational training on 22 severely mentally retarded adults were examined through naturalistic observation of leisure behavior, the Becker Adjective Checklist, and the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS). Secondary analyses revealed significant growth in perceived competence on the Becker and ABS factor of Independence and Social…

The Samoan culture is instituted and organized in part through the daily use of respectful behavior and words. These words carry the essence of "Gagana Faaaloalo," the Samoan Language of Respect (SLR). "Gagana Faaaloalo" is a way of speaking that combines linguistic and non-linguistic elements as a more elaborate and careful…

In the past decade, study abroad programs (SAPs) have more than doubled, where today, about 223,000 U.S. college students study abroad, immersing themselves in foreign language, culture, and business practices. It is customary to hear students describe these experiences as "life changing," yet little empirical evidence exists to establish the…

Theoretical considerations suggest that problem behavior should increase when a child's competency does not match the curricular demands of the environment (i.e., when there is poor environmental fit). In the present study, environmental fit was examined for six children with autism spectrum disorders. Results indicated that the children exhibited…

If students are to become proficient at using social skills, parents must be involved in teaching and reinforcing these skills at home. Parent involvement is associated with increased student success, especially when it includes a two-way exchange of information between home and school. As the traditional family has changed, new methods of…

This study evaluated a professional development intervention that stemmed from a university-district partnership and was developed through participatory action research. Baseline and postintervention survey items showed participating school psychologists' (n = 57) knowledge related to youth suicide improved reliably immediately after the…

In recent years, interest has increased in preschool programs that promote low-income children's early learning and development. Although research in this area has focused mostly on 4-year-olds, a growing number of 3-year-olds attend publicly funded preschool. In fact, in Head Start--a federally funded early childhood education program--the…

This report presents exploratory impact findings for 3-year-olds from the Head Start CARES demonstration, a large-scale randomized controlled trial implemented in Head Start centers for one academic year across the country. The study was designed primarily to test the effects of the enhancements on 4-year-olds, but it also provides an opportunity…

Preschool has long been viewed as a way to promote low-income children's early learning and development. Some promising classroom-based strategies have been found to enhance preschool children's social, emotional, and behavioral competencies. Most of this research has focused on 4-year-olds, even as a growing number of 3-year-olds attend Head…

REL Appalachia conducted a systematic review of the research evidence on the effects of increased learning time. After screening more than 7,000 studies, REL Appalachia identified 30 that met the most rigorous standards for research. A review of those 30 studies found that increased learning time does not always produce positive results. However,…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of social interaction on participants' learning experience in enterprise education. Design/methodology/approach: On a sample of 420 high school students who participated in an enterprise activity in Hong Kong, two questionnaires surveys were conducted to collect data on them at the…

Research Findings: Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschool children, and relationships between families and professionals are an important contributor to school readiness. Furthermore, social-emotional competence is a key component of young children's school readiness. This study…

This study examined the effectiveness of a multicomponent psychoeducational prevention program ("EQUIP for Educators") Two aspects were examined: (1) if there was a significant relationship among the three psychometric measures: Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), Children's Inventory of Anger (ChIA), Sociomoral Reflection and…

A model for teaching children skills to strengthen emotional self-regulation is introduced, informed by the developmental concept of scaffolding. Adult modeling/instruction, role-play and in vivo coaching are tailored to children's level of understanding and skill to promote use of skills in real life contexts. Two-hundred twenty-six…

Research indicates that the quality of co-parenting and couple relationships has an impact on parenting and on children's development, including their social skills and academic abilities. However, few applied studies have tested whether efforts to enhance the couple and co-parenting relationship result in benefits to the children, and no research…