A Program Evaluation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in a Rural Title I Elementary School

This study evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in a rural Title I elementary school. PBIS, multi-tiered framework, uses proactive strategies to enhance academic and behavioral outcomes. While effective in fostering positive school climates and reducing exclusionary discipline, implementation fidelity remains challenging, particularly in resource-constrained school settings. Teachers often face barriers like insufficient training and resources. Using a mixed methods approach, this study analyzed PBIS’s impact on student behavior, teacher preparedness, and school climate. Quantitative data included office discipline referrals and teacher surveys, while qualitative data were gathered through interviews and focus groups. Findings showed significant reductions in office discipline referrals, indicating improved student behavior. Teachers reported moderate increases in self-efficacy but identified ongoing resources and training needs as barriers. Qualitative data revealed positive shifts in school climate, with both teachers and students perceiving a more collaborative and supportive environment; however, discrepancies in implementation fidelity and staff commitment were noted as areas for improvement. The study emphasizes the need for targeted professional development and resources to enhance PBIS implementation, particularly in underserved rural schools. This research contributes to the growing literature on the scalability and sustainability of PBIS in diverse educational contexts

Investigating the Differential Effects of Early Child Care and Education in Reducing Gender and Racial Academic Achievement Gaps From Kindergarten to 8th Grade

We used the generalized propensity score method to estimate the differential effects of five Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) experiences (Prekindergarten, Head Start, Center-based Child Care, Home-based Child Care, and Parental Care) in reducing math and reading achievement gaps between boys versus girls, Latinx versus Whites, and Blacks versus Whites. Findings revealed differential effects of ECCE in reducing gender and racial achievement gaps. However, results indicated that significant gender and racial gaps still exist despite ECCE experiences and that these gaps widen throughout the elementary and middle school years

Developing the personal narratives of children with complex communication needs associated with intellectual disabilities: what is the potential of Storysharing®?

Background: Sharing personal experience in narrative is challenging for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The aim was to investigate the potential of Storysharing® intervention. Materials and Methods: The study involved eleven pupil-educational supporter dyads at a special school. Storysharing® was implemented over a fifteen-week period. Personal narratives were captured on video pre- and post-intervention. The data were analysed for discourse and narrative. Results: Significant differences revealed a decline in ‘query-answer’ sequences and an increase in supporter use of ‘prompts’. Post-intervention there were fewer story episodes. Narrative structure showed gains in action sequences leading to climax, and in closing elements, indicating a more complete narrative. Conclusions: The Storysharing® intervention appears to be associated with changes to the dyadic, personal narratives illustrating its potential

Initial Validation of the Family Cultural Wealth Survey: Relation with Racial Discrimination and Well-being for Black Families

The purpose of this study is to empirically validate the Family Cultural Wealth Survey (FCWS) by centering Black families with young children by (1) understanding the factor structure of the FCWS; (2) examining differences by income, family structure, and parental education; and (3) exploring the validity of the tool by examining its association with parental experiences of racial discrimination and parent and child well-being. 117 socioeconomically diverse Black families with young children with an average age of 36 years were surveyed: 46% were 200% below the federal poverty level (FPL) and 21% above the 400% FPL, 47% had a B.A. degree or higher, and 75% were in two-parent households. Exploratory factor analyses, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted. Results revealed and confirmed five factors: knowledge and access to resources, supportive network and optimism for challenges, culturally sustaining traditions and practices, spiritual promoting practices, and diverse communication and connection channels. While some differences were found based on income and parental education, there were no differences by family structure. Validation analyses indicated that family cultural wealth was associated with parental experiences of discrimination and parent emotional distress but not child behavioral problems. These findings suggest that the FCWS has adequate psychometrics, making it a potential tool for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers as they ensure that programs and strategies leverage the assets of racially marginalized families

Conversations in early childhood classrooms: review of literature, preliminary findings from a professional development intervention, and policy suggestions

This chapter focuses on classroom conversations during the early childhood years, before formal schooling. We argue that encouraging high-quality conversations between teachers and young children is consistent with empirical findings and professional wisdom demonstrating that such conversations are positively related to children’s language outcomes. Classroom discourse is at the core of strong pedagogy and practice. Yet, few professional development trainings and/or college courses specifically focus on how conversation can be used as an instructional tool. Analyses throughout the article point to the urgency for policy makers to invest in the education and training of future early childhood teachers (both pre-service and in-service) around this issue, especially for those teaching culturally and linguistically diverse learners.Accepted manuscrip

Antiracism defined as equitable sociocultural interactions in prekindergarten: Classroom racial composition makes a difference

This study used secondary data from the My Teaching Partner-Math/Science 2013-2016 randomized control trial to explore whether equitable sociocultural classroom interactions (see Curenton et al., 2019) were associated with the skills of 105 four- and five-year-olds (52% boys; drawn from 20 unique video recordings of preschool teachers/classrooms; 43% were Black, Latine, Asian, or other racially marginalized learners). Equitable interactions predicted children's skills with effect sizes ranging from small (0.01-0.44) to large (1.00). Moderation analyses revealed that when classrooms had more racially marginalized learners, teachers' use of equitable disciplinary and personalized learning practices were associated with higher executive functioning gains across prekindergarten. Findings illustrate how classroom composition can be a key indicator between equitable classroom interactions and young children's early skills

Effects of Racism on Child Development: Advancing Antiracist Developmental Science

Racism, a multidimensional system of oppression and exclusion, is part of the foundation of the United States and is detrimental to the health and well-being of Black communities and other racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) communities. There is an emerging body of literature that draws attention to the impact of racism and different racialized experiences on the lives of REM children. Based on the Racism + Resilience + Resistance Integrative Study of Childhood Ecosystem (R 3 ISE) and focused on attending to the interaction between racism and the cultural assets of REM families and communities, this review highlights how racism impacts REM children's healthy development and learning. In addition to calling for research that advances racial equity using the R 3 ISEintegrative model, we also identify policies that have some potential to ensure equity in economic stability and security, home and community environment, birth outcomes, and educational opportunities for REM children and their families

Narrative competence among hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children: analytical cross-sectional study

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Oral narrative is a means of language development assessment. However, standardized data for deaf patients are scarce. The aim here was to compare the use of narrative competence between hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional study at the Department of Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). METHODS: Twenty-one moderately to profoundly bilaterally hearing-impaired children (cases) and 21 normal-hearing children without language abnormalities (controls), matched according to sex, age, schooling level and school type, were studied. A board showing pictures in a temporally logical sequence was presented to each child, to elicit a narrative, and the child's performance relating to narrative structure and cohesion was measured. The frequencies of variables, their associations (Mann-Whitney test) and their 95% confidence intervals was analyzed. RESULTS: The deaf subjects showed poorer performance regarding narrative structure, use of connectives, cohesion measurements and general punctuation (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the number of propositions elaborated or in referent specification between the two groups. The deaf children produced a higher proportion of orientation-related propositions (P = 0.001) and lower proportions of propositions relating to complicating actions (P = 0.015) and character reactions (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Hearing-impaired children have abnormalities in different aspects of language, involving form, content and use, in relation to their normal-hearing peers. Narrative competence was also associated with the children's ages and the school type.CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A narrativa oral constitui elemento de avaliação do desenvolvimento lingüístico, entretanto, são escassos os dados padronizados para pacientes surdos. O objetivo foi comparar o uso das competências narrativas entre crianças deficientes auditivas e ouvintes. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo transversal analítico no Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). MÉTODO: Foram avaliadas 21 crianças com deficiência auditiva de grau moderado a profundo bilateral (casos) e 21 crianças ouvintes sem alterações de linguagem (controles) pareadas por sexo, idade, grau de escolaridade e tipo de escola frequentada. Foi apresentada uma prancha com figuras em sequência lógico-temporal para cada criança, para elicitar uma narrativa, e foi medido o desempenho na estrutura da narrativa e coesão. Foram analisadas as frequências das variáveis, suas associações (teste de Mann-Whitney) e intervalos de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: As crianças surdas apresentaram desempenho pior, na estrutura da narrativa, uso de conjunções, medidas de coesão e pontuação geral da narrativa (P < 0,05). Não houve diferença no número de proposições elaboradas e especificação de referentes nos dois grupos. Os surdos produziram maior proporção de proposições do tipo orientação (P = 0,001) e menor proporção dos tipos ações complicadoras (P = 0,015) e reação do personagem (P = 0,005). CONCLUSÃO: Os deficientes auditivos possuem alterações nos diferentes aspectos da linguagem, envolvendo forma, conteúdo e uso em relação a seus pares ouvintes. A competência narrativa também está relacionada ao tipo de escola e idade das crianças estudadas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Hospital São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of Speech-Hearing SciencesUNIFESP, Hospital São PauloUNIFESP, Department of Speech-Hearing SciencesSciEL

GETTING READY: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF A RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED INTERVENTION ON THE PARENT– INFANT RELATIONSHIP IN RURAL EARLY HEAD START

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a relational intervention (the Getting Ready intervention) on parenting behaviors supporting the parent–infant relationship for families enrolled in Early Head Start home-based programming. Two-hundred thirty-four parents and their children participated in the randomized study, with 42% of parents reporting education of less than a high-school diploma. Brief, semistructured parent–child interaction tasks were videotaped every 4 months over a16-month intervention period. Observational codes of parent–infant relationship behaviors included quality of three parental behaviors: warmth and sensitivity, support for learning, and encouragement of autonomy; two appropriateness indicators: support for learning and guidance/directives; and one amount indicator: constructive behaviors. Parents who participated in the Getting Ready intervention demonstrated higher quality interactions with their children that included enhanced quality of warmth and sensitivity, and support for their children’s autonomy than did parents in the control group. They also were more likely to use appropriate directives with their children and more likely to demonstrate appropriate supports for their young children’s learning. Results indicate an added value of the Getting Ready intervention for Early Head Start home-based programming for families of infants and toddlers