This article describes the Early Years Summit, meetings between kindergarten and preschool educators in New Canaan, Connecticut, to improve communication and foster collaboration. Outcomes included defining the kindergarten curricula and outlining expectations for children's preschool experiences. The Summit collaboratively drafted a statement of…

Examined the influence of 3-year-olds' facial characteristics on adults' predictions of children's gender- typical behaviors. Found that adults' expectations for children's gender-typical behaviors are influenced by the masculinity/femininity of children's facial appearance, regardless of the gender information provided. Explored implications on…

A study involving 34 children (ages 5-16) prenatally and environmentally exposed to drugs or alcohol, found teachers perceived the students as distractible, lazy, stubborn, and impulsive. Teachers who knew the children had been prenatally exposed seemed to be willing to adjust expectations and to modify the learning environment. (Contains…

Administered an occupational choice questionnaire to 316 students to find out why some college courses are particularly attractive to ethnic-minority school-leavers. Results indicate that entering a "respected" profession and working with others who share similar beliefs were of greater importance to Asian subjects than to those of…

Assessed college students' occupational preferences, activity preferences, and career self-efficacy expectations. Results supported the importance of prestige in all of the major types of vocational interest data and also validated the spherical-structure-of-interests construct. People used prestige in responding to activities as well as to…

A college English teacher describes a communications course in which Appalachian students, primarily women, learned basic Internet skills. Compares stereotypes of Appalachian people and women as ignorant or incompetent, and suggests ways that teachers can overcome stereotypical expectations and address the sources of student reluctance and fear of…

Presents results of research study conducted to determine perceptions of student teachers, cooperating teachers, school administrators, and supervisors concerning the responsibilities, skills, and attitudes of university supervisors toward special education field experiences. Results indicate that student teachers expect more from their university…

Discusses the collaborative efforts of educators, parents, the program coordinator, and a consultant in a bilingual child care setting in Montreal to find solutions to the poor fit between a preschool-age child's behavior, educator expectations, and the classroom setting. Includes discussion of the educators' strategies, the team approach, the…

Examines the factors that explain why teachers are able to accurately predict their students' future reading ability in a longitudinal study from first- to third-grade in children exposed to poverty. Notes that virtually all of the shared variance between teacher ratings and later reading skills was explained by prior levels of emergent literacy.…

Discusses techniques for managing toddler circles. Notes that flexible transitions reduce frustration, suggests the importance of flexible and reasonable expectations, and considers the value of instruction grounded in child experience. Recommends materials that can be safely manipulated by toddlers and emphasizes that activity transitions must be…

As higher education improves, it should not become so concerned with numbers that it forgets that employees of the 1990s, to which corporations look for their success, must do more than perform well on tests. Graduates should be creative, receptive, communicative, participating, cooperative, and flexible people who love learning. (MSE)

Samples of 52 high school students and 52 college students were interviewed to determine whether subjects' anticipations about their future correspond to demographic trends that were previously observed. Adolescents acquire a shared life course perspective that is richer and more differentiated than that implied by previous investigations. (TJH)

Examined strategy outcome perceptions of popular, average, neglected, and rejected third and fifth graders. Found that children's outcome expectations and strategy evaluations varied as a function of peer status, age, and gender. (RH)

Describes guidelines that can be used by teachers to promote student learning. Suggests that realistic expectations, the use of activities, demonstrations, labs, a variety of teaching methods, and good discipline are important to higher-level motivation of lower-level students. Discusses testing of mildly handicapped children, and dealing with…

Analyzed kindergarten report cards from Ohio public schools. Results indicated that there was an emphasis on academic skills and that kindergartners were expected to master skills in work habits and reading and math readiness. A behaviorist perspective was favored. (PCB)