Conducted a management and organization development program in eight mental health agencies. Describes the stages and activities of this 18-month effort and the results of its evaluation. There were significant, positive results for almost all the participating management teams as well as for their organizations. (Author)

Japanese elementary school children were administered a series of trials in a paired-associate learning paradigm. It was shown that younger children learn foreign words faster than older children. (JB)

Examines the transition from concrete to formal thought in Piagetian theory. The questions investigated relate to the abruptness of the transition period, the simultaneity of changes across schemes, and the influence of one scheme of development on another. (SA)

Examined the change in number knowledge and number strategies from school entry to year end among kindergartners. Found a wide range of knowledge and a broad span of achievements at both times. Overall, many children displayed considerable numerical competence at school entry, most displayed marked improvement over the year, whereas a small…

Details an investigation of language development and subsequent readiness to learn of preschoolers in a disadvantaged Griqua community in South Africa. Notes that preschoolers revealed a relative lack of verbal fluency, associative reasoning, and relational thinking skills, and had a restricted vocabulary. Argues that inadequate language…

Transcripts and a survey from college prep graduates of public high schools showed 46% did not graduate with academically competitive credentials. Of these students, 51% completed three years of math, 62% went no higher than biology, average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores were 754. They were more likely to attend community or technical college,…

A survey of 60 adult students participating in university preparation courses found a weak positive correlation between importance of personal goals and success in achieving them. Of 193 participants in the course and 193 controls, controls took more courses, possibly because those who are aware of their anxiety about college consciously choose a…

Calls for new priorities in U.S. federal government that focus on children and deemphasize military spending. All government efforts to improve education will be worthless unless more attention and funding is devoted to children's readiness to learn. (LB)

Discusses the need for foreign language teachers to restructure their views of culture learning by increasing their understanding of the preparation necessary for students to succeed in learning about another culture and the problems they may face in the culture learning process. (37 references) (Author/CB)

What is striking about the Goals 2000 initiative is its virtual omission of the student, except as passive receptacle. To claim that students will learn more with heightened expectations is misleading. For content to take root, it must connect with students' internal "prepared structures" and become a "comfortable friend." In…

Argues that teachers should encourage critical thinking among primary school students. Asserts that readiness exercises can help students develop the mental reasoning skills necessary for critical thinking. Suggests (1) posing questions that elicit reflective responses; (2) encouraging students to ask questions to obtain information; and (3)…

Promoting moral, language and literacy development is particularly important for children in inclusive early childhood programs serving disadvantaged children. In the first section of this article, the author: (1) summarizes research about the gap between typically developing children in professional families and most disadvantaged children and…

Ensuring that children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, start school ready to learn is an important goal. This paper presents lessons learned from the state of Ohio's multi-year program to develop a standards-based assessment system for programs delivering state-funded early childhood education (ECE) through programs receiving…