Self-Regulation Among Students: Sharpening the Questions

In this chapter, the findings from research studies that were conducted in Jewish schools, camps, and youth groups are applied to urban schools that serve low-income, minority youth. The importance of these findings emerge from the realization that school reform today does not tend to address students’ formation of a relationship with a group and the needs of society. Instead, there is a narrow focus on higher standards, better instruction, and more rigorous testing. The longitudinal study in an urban setting demonstrated that the knowledge created in the Jewish community and Judaism’s social values have much to offer the wider community by sharpening questions, contributing towards solving pressing educational challenges, and adding a distinctive values orientation.