School-based screening instruments have traditionally focused on assessing within-child factors, such as a student's academic, social, emotional, behavioral, or physical development. This emphasis in school-based screening may be a missed opportunity to assess and ameliorate contextual factors (i.e., social determinants of health) influencing…

School-based screening instruments have traditionally focused on assessing within-child factors, such as a student's academic, social, emotional, behavioral, or physical development. This emphasis in school-based screening may be a missed opportunity to assess and ameliorate contextual factors (i.e., social determinants of health) influencing…

As the public profile of early childhood education has increased, state education agency staff, policymakers, and researchers are interested in understanding the lasting impacts of quality pre-K. Particularly for states beginning an investment in early childhood education or expanding access to an existing program, it is important to examine the…

Background: Research on resilience in the aftermath of potentially traumatic life events (PTE) is still evolving. For decades, researchers have documented resilience in children exposed to corrosive early environments, such as poverty or chronic maltreatment. Relatively more recently, the study of resilience has migrated to the investigation of…

In the United States, racial-ethnic differences on tests of school readiness and academic achievement continue. A complete understanding of the origins of racial-ethnic achievement gaps is still lacking. This article describes social equity theory (SET), which proposes that racial-ethnic achievement gaps originate from two kinds of social process,…

This article presents findings from a study of the role of prior childhood adversity in the pubertal narratives of 16 African-American and White girls, defining "adversity" as the experience of stressful circumstances (e.g., abandonment, abuse) or psychological states (e.g., depression) that influence the experience of later life events,…

The literature on clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse suggests that there are two modal populations of survivors: boys and adult women. We review what is known about trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder following sexual abuse and explore the different treatment needs for these two survivor groups. For children, clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse can…

Synthesizes theoretical perspectives from social opportunity, critical pedagogy, and interactive literacy to interpret data on schooling outcomes for Black, Hispanic, and White students. The analysis draws on the High School and Beyond database to show significant patterns of divergence as well as convergence in the process of academic…

This paper provides an overview on ways of thinking about young children's respect for diversity. It maps sources of knowledge about four different sorts of diversity in young children's lives: cultural and racial diversity, developmental diversity (including "special needs'), gender diversity and socio-economic diversity. It sketches this…

It has long been recognized that childhood socialization occurs mainly through relationships with others, but only within the last decade or so can it be said that the study of relationships has become central to developmental psychology. As young children grow older, their sphere of relationships extends beyond the primary caretakers, and perhaps…

Examines issues associated with transracial (black to white) adoption decisions. Discusses racial disparity in supply and demand for adoptable children, the institutional framework, early development of attachment in children, attachment issues in foster care and adoption, the significance of racial identity in early childhood, racial identity…

This article identifies several national developments that have focused renewed attention on promoting young people's health through schools, highlighting relevant National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) initiatives, and summarizing 12 recent NHLBI-funded studies of children and adolescents focusing on developmental stage, gender, and…

Reviews the state of knowledge on adolescent sexual behavior in the following areas: (1) onset of sexual behavior as a function of cohort, gender, and ethnic differences; (2) biological, social, and cognitive processes underlying such behavior; (3) demographic trends in the use of contraceptives; (4) research problems; and (5) successful programs.…

Noting that there is near universal agreement that children from families with higher socioeconomic status (SES) have access to more of the resources needed to support their positive development than do lower SES children, this monograph examines the myriad questions remaining regarding relations among SES, parenting, and child development from a…

To enable educators, parents, and policymakers to make sound decisions about programs for young children, the Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy was established in 1997 by the National Research Council to study a broad range of research on early learning and development and to explore the implications for the education and care of children ages…