James P. Comer

School power : implications of an intervention project

First published in 1980--now considered a classic--School Power was the first book to show how powerful positive forces can transform the performance of administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Now with a new preface and epilogue, and a forword by Marian Wright Edelman, the book describes in detail the way educators can use the knowledge of social and behavioral science, and education to overcome motivation, self-esteem, discipline, and learning problems.

Rallying the whole village : the Comer process for reforming education

Rallying the Whole Village: The Comer Process for Reforming Education, edited by James P. Comer, Norris M. Haynes, Edward T. Joyner, and Michael Ben-Avie. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996. 185 pp.

The Yale-Haven Primary Prevention Project: A Follow-up Study

21.95 paper. Reviewed by Donna Y. Ford, The University of Virginia. As its name implies, Rallying the Whole Village addresses the role and responsibility of the educational community, the neighborhood community, the business community, and families in promoting the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical well-being of students. In rallying these various communities, the editors and authors also highlight the importance of focusing on the whole child. They further recognize that effective teaching is a multidimensional enterprise that must be grounded in a holistic educational philosophy. The primary objectives of this book are to close the gap between theory and practice, and to guide educators, parents, and decision-makers through the process of developing educationally relevant and sound programs for minority and economically disadvantaged students. The authors encourage readers to stop finger-pointing and share the responsibility of helping all children reach their optimal potential. Their overarching perspective is that consensus, collaboration, and no-fault philosophies promote healthy learning environments for students, which in turn lead to success in the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical realms. Toward these goals, Rallying the Whole Village delineates how educators can optimize minority student outcomes. As such, its contributors note generally that educators must attend to the following: (a) provide integrated services; (b) teach children to respect themselves and others; (c) recognize the centrality of the family in childrens development and self-definition; (d) develop curricula and pedagogical approaches that are sensitive and responsive to the diverse needs of children from different cultural and racial groups as well as those with special cognitive, psychological, and physical needs; and (e) prepare school staff more substantively in child development and in recognizing individual differences. Various aspects of the Comer Process are discussed in the seven chapters of this book. The majority of chapter one describes the diagnostic and prescriptive approaches adopted by Comer and colleagues to address the poor education and negative educational outcomes of students. In it, the authors lay the historical foundation for the Comer Processs School Development Program (SDP), which focuses on the overall well-being of children in the context of the home, school, society, and social networks. Also stressed is the influence of these contexts on the social, cognitive, psychological, language, and ethical development of students. The interconnectedness and balance of these developmental pathways are discussed relative to designing appropriate prevention and intervention strategies and programs for individual students. This chapter also reminds readers that children fail to thrive in schools for many complex reasons, the majority of which can be overcome in a healthy school climate. Also noted are the shortcomings of the fragmentary approaches often adopted by schools to address school problems and the inadequate training provided school staff on helping children from a developmental perspective. Chapter two presents an overview of the theoretical models underlying Comers philosophy of school reform. Key theories discussed include field theory, human ecology, social action, and population adjustment. Most importantly, the contributors to this chapter effectively bridge theory and practice by stressing the holistic perspective needed to reform schools for minority student achievement and empowerment. Chapter three goes a step further by urging educators to move away from a mechanistic educational philosophy and toward student-centered education. Also discussed are family involvement and the benefits school members (families, children, teachers) receive when family involvement is substantive, meaningful, and relevant. …

The Comer School Development Program: A Theoretical Analysis

Because early school problems frequently endure, intensify and predict later, more severe mental health problems and because those from racial and ethnic minority groups show a low rate of benefit from psychotherapy, a program of early intervention and prevention was developed. The program provided a representative governance group, a parent participation program and group, a mental health program and team, and an academic program. Children involved in the program were found to have increased academic and social gains when compared with subjects outside of the program.

The Yale School Development Program: Process, Outcomes, and Policy Implications.

Practice resting on theories of society, of needs, of social relationships: applications.

Dimensions of Children's Self-Concept as Predictors of Social Competence

The plight of urban education in America continues to evoke considerable concern among many educators, policymakers, and average citizens. Urban schools whose populations are disproportionately minority continue to experience high rates of failure despite the many school improvement efforts of the past three decades. The most effective strategies are those that address the socioemotional and psycho-educational needs of children. The linkage between school programs and communities, including families must be strengthened The School Development Program of the Yale Child Study Center has been successful in improving urban schools because of its emphasis on systemic change, child development, and parent involvement.

Gender and Achievement Status Differences on Learning Factors Among Black High School Students.

Abstract The relationship between specific dimensions of childrens self-concept and their social competence as assessed by their parents, teachers, and themselves was examined in the present study. The relative predictive power of six self-concept dimensions in predicting childrens assessment of their social competence was also studied. Subjects were 253 randomly selected middle-school students in a northeastern, inner-city school system, their teachers, and their parents. Instruments used included the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Social Competence Scale (SCS). Children completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the childrens version of the Social Competence Scale. Teachers and parents completed a slightly modified version of the Social Competence Scale. A correlational analysis indicated moderately high and significant Pearson moment correlation coefficients (p < .01) between self-concept dimensions and childrens ratings of their own social competence. A hierarchical stepwise multi...

Social Policy and the Mental Health of Black Children

AbstractRecent investigations have established strong causal relationships between higher achievement outcomes among students and their increased use of specific learning strategies and meta-cognitive processes. Moreover, it has become increasingly evident that even the lowest achieving students can be taught to improve their achievement outcomes through the use of specific learning strategies. Yet, among Black high school students in urban schools and especially among Black high school males, achievement outcomes continue to be disappointingly low. The authors felt that an examination of the use of learning strategies among a sample of these students might provide some useful information. The present study examined differences between high, average, and low achieving Black male and female high school students on measures of learning and study behavior, as well as on motivation and attitude. The results indicated significant differences between high and low achievers and between male and female students o...

Differences in Self-Concept Among High, Average, and Low Achieving High School Sophomores

Psychiatric training programs should provide information about the impact of social conditions on the behavior of all communities, families, and children. They should also provide knowledge about minority communities that have had particularly traumatic social experiences as well as some understanding of the variationof experiences between and among racial, ethnic, religious, and income groups. Trainees should participate in activities beyond the clinical setting to promote social policies which facilitate adequate child and family functioning.

Improving the quality and continuity of relationships in two inner-city schools.

Abstract Although the literature on the relationship between self-esteem and achievement among high school students is complex and inconclusive, there is strong support for the view that self-esteem is highly correlated with achievement. Given this evidence, can the conclusion be drawn that, generally, low achievers tend to have low self-esteem? The present study was undertaken to examine the differences in the six self-concepts dimensions among 148 above average, average, and below average achieving sophomores in an urban high school. A multiple analysis of variance indicated significant differences on four of the six self-concept dimensions. Scheffe post hoc analysis indicated that students in the below average group differed significantly from their higher achieving peers. The average and above average students, however, did not differ significantly on any of the self-concept dimensions.