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The impact of father absence on early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy was investigated in longitudinal studies in the United States (N = 242) and New Zealand (N = 520), in which community samples of girls were followed prospectively from early in life (5 years) to approximately age 18. Greater exposure to father absence was strongly associated with elevated risk for early sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy. This elevated risk was either not explained (in the U.S. study) or only partly explained (in the New Zealand study) by familial, ecological, and personal disadvantages associated with father absence. After controlling for covariates, there was stronger and more consistent evidence of effects of father absence on early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy than on other behavioral or mental health problems or academic achievement. Effects of father absence are discussed in terms of life-course adversity, evolutionary psychology, social learning, and behavior genetic models.

Past educational reforms were commonly found to be of limited success, due to the fact that schools alone cannot overcome the developmental challenges that poverty and ethno-cultural segregation impose upon many children. However, there are reports of some reform programs that have frequently been successful in low-achieving, poverty-ridden, and ethno-culturally segregated schools. In this paper, two such successful school reform programs —School Development Program ; Child Development Project— were examined in order to identify processes linked to their frequent success, with a focus on the implementation and sustainability of these programs. The analysis was theoretically guided by Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological theory of human development . A web of interdependent processes, related to relationship building, autonomy, resistance to change, competence, leadership, team support , and school-family-community partnerships , was identified. These findings are discussed in regard to a conceptual and practical shift in school reform: (a) towards schools as caring communities that address universal human needs in culturally appropriate ways, with accountability tied to providing continuity and support to empowered students; and (b) away from schools that universally focus on narrow, externally imposed, and discriminatory outcome goals.

Character education often uses exhortations and extrinsic inducements to make children behave and work harder. Extrinsic rewards and awards erode intrinsically motivated behavior. Programs should answer five basic questions, avoid indoctrination, and provide students with opportunities to construct meaning around moral concepts and to change classroom culture. Oakland's Child Development Project provides a good example. (59 references) (MLH)

Experience with the Child Development Project shows that poorly implemented community building may be detrimental to students. Caring is not synonymous with \"easy\"; teachers are pivotal in student-centered classrooms; schoolwide change is essential; school values must be examined; and assessment must be aligned with instruction. (Contains 10 references.) (MLH)

Refutes Alfie Kohn's criticisms of modern character education programs in the February 1997 \"Kappan.\" The basic structure of true \"for character\" education relies on an approach relevant for students of all ages, has been time-tested over 2,500 years, has broad public support, and has a valid research base. Kohn advocates developmental principles and \"educating for democracy\" approaches that have not proved effective. (27 references) (MLH)

This article focuses on coparenting-the extent to which spouses function as partners or adversaries in the parenting role-in families raising toddler sons. Preliminary longitudinal research findings are reviewed concerning the nature of coparenting and the contextual determinants of different types of coparenting alliances. Coparenting processes are proposed to interact with marital and parent-child relations and to independently contribute to children's development.

Students work harder and learn more when they feel they belong and contribute to a caring community in their classroom.

Creating a \"sense of community\" in school can have a broad and lasting impact on student behavior.

Staff at a Louisville, Kentucky, school have created a caring community of learners whose members feel valued, personally interconnected, and committed to everyone's growth and learning. Child Development Project schools emphasize warm, supportive, and stable relationships; constructive learning; intrinsic motivation; a challenging curriculum; and social and ethical learning dimensions. (10 references) (MLH)

Based on theoretically driven models, the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP) targeted low-income children's school readiness through the mediating mechanism of self-regulation. The CSRP is a multicomponent, cluster-randomized efficacy trial implemented in 35 Head Start-funded classrooms (N = 602 children). The analyses confirm that the CSRP improved low-income children's self-regulation skills (as indexed by attention/impulse control and executive function) from fall to spring of the Head Start year. Analyses also suggest significant benefits of CSRP for children's preacademic skills, as measured by vocabulary, letter-naming, and math skills. Partial support was found for improvement in children's self-regulation as a hypothesized mediator for children's gains in academic readiness. Implications for programs and policies that support young children's behavioral health and academic success are discussed.