This secondary analysis of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a randomized study of program participation of children and families in Early Head Start (that is, enrolled in programming prior to children's first birthdays) investigated sociodemographic (race and ethnicity, income level, and maternal education level) and program…

Conventional school improvement models traditionally involve "walled-in" approaches. These models focus primarily on academic learning strategies in response to standards-based accountabilities. Although positive outcomes have been documented, expanded school improvement models such as the Ohio Community Collaboration Model for School Improvement…

School-based mentoring programs that promote academic success and prosocial behaviors among youths are of interest to school social workers. Because these programs are relatively new, little has been reported on the effectiveness of the services or the benefits to participants. The authors examined outcome evaluations of eight school-based…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that predict academic achievement and school attachment among Hispanic seventh- and eighth-grade adolescents and to determine whether the associations between these factors are similar for Hispanic and white adolescents. The sample consisted of 170 adolescents. Results for Hispanic…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among a school's psychosocial environment and the prevalence and types of bullying behaviors that either lead to or result from that environment. More specifically, this study examined how the frequency of aggressive behaviors (for example, bullying) experienced by students (as…

Although research has highlighted that dating violence is a serious and pervasive problem in many adolescent relationships, the prevalence and characteristics of such violence at schools is not fully understood. Yet, adolescents spend a great deal of time at school, and schools facilitate their relationships by providing numerous opportunities for…

School social workers are in a position to positively influence the educational experiences of those students placed most at risk by current school practices, and data indicate that Hispanics are particularly vulnerable in this regard. An examination of trends and educational outcomes are provided as evidence of the educational challenges…

Although corporal punishment has been banned in 29 states, more than a million cases of corporal punishment in U.S. schools continue to be reported annually, with states located in the southeastern and southwestern United States accounting for the vast majority of instances of corporal punishment. This article provides an overview of corporal…

Parents need to play an important role in early intervention services to have a significant effect on children's developmental and social-emotional well-being. With some exceptions, the field of early intervention has failed to engage parents as active and primary mediators of the developmental services their children receive. This failure is…

Children younger than three are overrepresented in substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. As with all maltreated children, infant and toddler victims of abuse and neglect are disproportionately affected by developmental delays. Over the past 20 years, child development research has demonstrated the importance of the first three years of life on…

Three early transitions are significant for young children with disabilities and their families: (1) into Early Intervention, (2) between that program and preschool services, and (3) from Early Childhood Special Education into kindergarten special education. Each of these transitions is significant for families in terms of obtaining appropriate…

Many children come to kindergarten with insufficient social skills to participate in the activities necessary for academic achievement. Children enrolled in prekindergarten programs across the United States are expelled at higher rates than older students. Boys are expelled 4 1/2 times more often than girls. When children excluded from…

School social workers are increasingly faced with students who have attachment issues, those who have been diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder (RAD), as well as the families affected by this disorder. In this article, key features of the RAD diagnosis are presented. Other psychiatric disorders associated and confused with RAD are also…

In home visiting programs for children younger than age three, home visitors work with parents to enhance the child's environment. This study examined how the home visitor-parent relationship, amount of contact, and level of need affected the intensity of case management interventions received. Researchers interviewed 90 mothers to measure the…

This article discusses the difficulties in conducting intervention research or evaluating intervention programs in a school setting. In particular, the problems associated with randomization and obtaining control groups are examined. The use of quasi-experimental designs, specifically a paired comparison design using the individual as his or her…