Historically Black youth have been labeled as needing to be "saved" and "fixed" because they are "at-risk," "broken," and more likely to subscribe to deviant behavior. This deficit rhetoric frames community-based education programs (CBEPs) that serve Black youth as vital spaces that must prevent and save…

Public library storytimes have been well-established as informal learning environments that can support the learning and development of young children through interactive, intentional programming produced by storytime providers (McKechnie, 2006; Becker, 2012; Campana et al., 2014; Campana et al., 2016; Mills et al., 2018; Campana, 2018; Campana,…

Students with disabilities are 200% more likely to be restrained by school personnel compared to nondisabled peers (Katsiyannis et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) in de-escalating the risk behavior of children with disabilities from exceptional children (EC) teacher…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of the elaborative conversation strategies (ECS) intervention in improving the quality of parents' science talk during everyday home learning interactions using a single-case experimental design. Specifically, the study explored whether training parents in ECS could increase their use…

Hope has a powerful influence on individuals, especially those battling critical illness. The problem is the Make-A-Wish wish-granting experience was never designed to improve the health care of children being granted a wish; thus, hope was a mere by-product of the wish experience. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to…

Brain-based visual impairment is the leading cause of visual impairment in early childhood populations in the developed world and its contribution to childhood visual impairment is increasing (Bosch et al., 2014; Dutton & Bax, 2010; Hoyt, 2007; Kong et al., 2012; Kran et al., 2019). In order to meet the needs of this population, comprehensive…

Parents of children with ASD need access to a variety of services, resources, and parental knowledge to best meet the needs of their children. The lack of access to supportive services and resources in rural communities creates challenges for parents of children with ASD. The challenges of rural America can cause stress, impact familial…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a literacy-based intervention on the conventional pretend play skills of preschool children who are visually impaired. The intervention involved experience books, real objects, story-reading, and role-play, which are common strategies used to teach children with visual impairments. A…

Young children with HCP experience difficulties performing age-appropriate daily activities such as self-care and play. Research in neuroplasticity has shown that intensive, task-specific training in early development is ideal to maximize functioning in children with HCP. The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of a new manualized…

This program evaluation examined students that entered kindergarten not ready on the Brigance screener and received research based reading interventions to determine if an elementary school was successful in closing the achievement gap so that they would have the literacy skills needed to be successful in first grade. Evidence of success was based…

Background of Problem: Brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (2015) ages 0-4 and 15-19 are the two age groups at greatest risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion. Five out of ten concussions are not reported or go undetected. The…

This study was conducted as a program evaluation of an existing social skills program. A review of literature identified a limited number of empirical studies on group-based social skills training for young children with social delays. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social skills groups as well as the effects of homework…

Early learning standards have been articulated in an effort to improve and create cohesion between and within informal and formal learning environments for young children. To fulfill these goals, early learning standards need to be implemented in a manner that is: (1) tailored to the variable nature of early childhood development, (2) adapted for…

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between EBI training for special education teachers and their practice of classroom interventions for children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evaluating the usage of EBIs in the classroom is imperative because of the many obligations educators have to uphold federal compliances…

This program evaluation focused on one year of Bridges to Tomorrow, a multi-year initiative designed by Metro United Way to better prepare at-risk children for academic success upon entering kindergarten. Bridges to Tomorrow provided three child care centers operating in at-risk neighborhoods with interventions that included a structured…