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Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the Scientific Research on Adolescent Development
by Peter C. Scales, Nancy Leffert (Foreword: Richard Lerner)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Search Institute Press (2004-12-01)
ISBN: 1574823388
EAN: 9781574823387
Dewy Decimal #: 305.2355
Paperback: 304 pages
Edition: 2nd
SKU: 081003017
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: This First Printing copy is in good condition. Theres a name on the top front page. Otherwise, No visible markings, highlights, underlining, tears to text. Tight spine. No Dust Jacket. Front Soft Cover has a crease with tiny scratches to back cover. Minimum shelf/edge wear. Very interesting copy, worth having at an affordable price. (L8-16)
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
This volume examines more than 800 scientific articles and reports on adolescent development that tie to each of the 40 developmental assets identified by Search Institute. An invaluable reference for people who seek to build assets for youth through their programs and communities, it not only shows the strong scientific foundation that undergirds the asset framework, but also shows what is known about how assets are built and their impact on different populations of youth.
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Customer Reviews
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Get Answers to Your Questions about the Developmental Assets!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-06-01
As a middle school principal who believes in educating the whole child, I immediately loved the Developmental Assets Framework when our district started using it a year ago. During our first year of implementation, we spent a great deal of time educating parents, teachers, and students about the Framework and attempting to tie our current practices to its language. In preparing for next year, I wanted to have a much better understanding of the research behind the Developmental Assets, so I could go beyond simply knowing that they are research-based. This book was exactly what I needed! It is comprehensive, easy to read, and addresses many of the questions people have raised about its validity. The authors clearly state that although the Framework is comprehensive, it is by no means all that youth need. The descriptions of the research behind each asset category outline variations in the findings as well as areas that do not have as strong a research base. The authors don't claim that the Framework is perfect, and they believe that it shouldn't be immune to testing, criticism, and revision. I feel confident after reading this book that the Developmental Assets Framework is a solid tool for anyone working with youth.
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Skip It
Rating  (1)
Date: 2003-07-30
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
I found the listing of the Assets in the book what Young Children Need To Succeed trite and not very illuminating. Whereas it was too obvious and cursory to be useful, it was a nice pat on the back and a boost of support for making me feel like I was doing the right thing anyway. So I was hoping that this book which was touted as the research behind the assets would be more substantive and useful. As someone who is accustomed to reading credible research books and articles in the sciences and social sciences, this book was complete rubbish. From a pscyhology and educational standpoint, this book is not a credible source. It adds nothing more than what you will find in the books that list the assets (The what children need to survive books.) and even those books are not as useful as others in the market but then as an advocate for children, I don't really think anyone should need a book to remind them to respect and support ones' own children and all of the children in our various communitites.
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If only everyone could have the assets
Rating  (4)
Date: 2002-04-10
I read this book as a class requirement and I loved it. True, there may be some gaps in the research, but the point is clear: We must have a mindset that youth are valuable and worth investing time in and these 40 assets provide you with a framework and a mindset that will help you help youth around you. These may not be the absolute 40 things that work (they never claim to be) but they sure are things every child/youth can benefit from: caring adults, postive peer influence, achievement motivation, etc. I highly recommend this for any parent, teacher, or anyone that works with youth on a regular basis.
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Interesting and useful synthesis, but flawed paradigm
Rating  (3)
Date: 1999-08-10
11 out of 12 customers found this reveiw helpful
The Search Institute's "developmental assets" model is flawed, arbitrary, incomplete, etc., but in this book that ersatz "youth development research institute" gets the benefit of some pretty good scholarship by at least one respected scholar (Nancy Leffert has an established track record publishing on child/youth development issues in a variety of good journals). In this volume, the 40 developmental "assets" that the Search Institute has identified as essential through survey instruments are [somewhat belatedly] linked to real research on youth psychology, sociology, etc. The result is a useful literature review, clearly written and better edited than many similar volumes. Ironically, this book actually helps illuminate many of the gaps in the Search Institute's "assets" model--in some chapters, the authors allow that evidence to back up some of the "assets" is slim or that the research suggests there are things missing from the model. Advice: read this for its lucid summary of youth-related research; forget the assets "packaging."
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This is a must read for teachers an administrators!
Rating (5)
Date: 1999-06-10
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
So many people think they know what's wrong with young people today, but Developmental Assets by Scales and Leffert creates the real picture of our kids--a few are giving the whole generation a bad name. These experienced authors do this in an amazing way--meticulous reading of 1200 studies about adolescents and culling out the best 800 to tell us what is settled research and knowledge about how to encourage kids to grow up healthy and responsible in today's society.mroper
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