Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) is a framework that continues to expand as students' social-emotional needs emerge at younger ages. The present systematic review examines the extant literature surrounding the use of ECMHC and behavioral consultation in addressing mental health concerns and challenging behaviors in preschool…

Although ethnic and racial identity (ERI) are central to the normative development of youth of color, there have been few efforts to bring scholars together to discuss the theoretical complexities of these constructs and provide a synthesis of existing work. The Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group was assembled for this…

Researchers have long been interested in racial attitudes and preferences of young children with a focus on the implications of societal racism on healthy development. The doll study paradigm popularized by Clark and Clark is the most commonly used measure for children; however, researchers also have adapted paper and pencil measures and…

A meta-analysis was undertaken, including 66 studies, to determine the relationship between father involvement and the educational outcomes of urban school children. Statistical analyses were done to determine the overall impact and specific components of father involvement. The possible differing effects of paternal involvement by race were also…

During the past three decades, extensive literature has accumulated on the early years of life for children. Research findings unequivocally agree that these years are a critical period of intense learning for children which provides the foundation for later academic and social success. This review explores the literature on the complex…

This article explores an innovative strategy for battling the obesity epidemic. The strategy involves demonstrating to policy makers and education leaders the value of promoting physical activity in school as a way of enhancing academic-related outcomes to narrow the current achievement gap. A literature review was conducted to ascertain the…

The purpose of this review of literature was to describe affinity spaces and identity formation for children of color in schools and recommend texts currently in use. The literature reviewed included studies utilizing qualitative and quantitative research and the Undoing Racism workshop. Topics reviewed include affinity spaces, understanding…

Objectives: To outline the prevalence and disparities of vision problems among school-aged urban minority youth, causal pathways through which vision problems adversely affects academic achievement, and proven or promising approaches for schools to address these problems. Methods: Literature review. Results: More than 20% of school-aged youth have…

Objectives: This article provides an introduction to the October 2011 special issue of the "Journal of School Health" on "Healthier Students Are Better Learners." Methods: Literature was reviewed and synthesized to identify health problems affecting school-aged youth that are highly prevalent, disproportionately affect urban minority youth,…

This article describes kindergarten from the perspective of the whole child. Specifically, it reviews current research on best practices to improve children's math and language arts competencies, memory skills, and the role of kindergarten in beginning science. It also describes the social experiences children have in kindergarten with respect to…

Throughout his life, John Ogbu worked untiringly to diagnose the educational problems of minorities, with the goal of remedying them. Although his earliest works propose a comprehensive anthropological approach, his last works seem to settle into exhortations to parents and teachers to put more pressure on (involuntary) minority children whose…

Objective: This literature review describes evaluation and treatment of minority youth with ADHD. Method: A search of databases for reports of ADHD in minority children was conducted. Results: Interpretation of behavior varies among parents, as does their trust in health care providers and school personnel. Parents desire to avoid stigmatization…

This paper explores the potential role of creative learning in helping to create positive experiences for socially excluded young people. Noting the increased influence of the market into education and the onus engendered in the 'Third Way', which seeks to give socially and economically marginal individuals the opportunity to adapt to changing…

Throughout our nation?s history, faith communities have played an essential role in educating children. Churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations have supported and extended the work of local schools by offering tutoring, reading instruction, mentoring, after-school programs and a wide range of other services. Faith…

This document contains fact sheets on four contemporary issues related to young people, (1) teenage pregnancy, (2) juvenile delinquency, (3) youth tutoring of youth, and (4) youth advocacy. The sheet on teenage pregnancy presents statistics on the teenage birth rate, discusses financial and educational problems faced by teenage parents, and…