Nonverbal behavior is a ubiquitous, everyday cue that is often used as a basis for social evaluation. Numerous studies indicate that children are sensitive to these signals and form evaluative judgments after viewing positive or negative nonverbal cues directed toward a target. Furthermore, they generalize these judgments to other members of a…

"Hoti? Anybody home? Karibu! Welcome!" This study explored one teacher's exploration of using two picture books about a Kenyan child in her seventh grade classroom. For this predominantly white classroom and teacher, this was a first step in raising awareness of other cultures, potentially opening windows and glass doors for the students.

Previous literature reported that Black students receive out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) and expulsions at disproportionately higher rates and have lower test scores than White students. This study provides recent evidence on the relation between racial disparities in discipline and in achievement, with particular focus on achievement gains, in…

An understanding of cross-cultural differences in narratives, particularly in children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, can help clinicians and other professionals distinguish narrative differences from impaired narratives. This study describes similarities and differences in micro-and-macrostructural components in the…

I use an ecological approach to analyze a presentation in which four teacher candidates used racialized discourses to describe the indigenous students with whom they worked while studying abroad. I discuss this event and a subsequent interview with two faculty members present at the event, triangulating these data points with program artifacts,…

Early onset of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems is associated with persistent and more severe academic, social, and mental health challenges later in life. Understanding the factors that increase children's risk of developing these behavior problems prior to the start of formal school is important for preventing their emergence…

Diverse children's literature can support understandings of our world as culturally, linguistically, and socially rich. It can cultivate empathy and understanding, and open a dialogic space of possibilities. In this article, we examine how "purposefully selected" children's literature prepares needed conditions for dialogic space:…

There is an issue occurring in public schools that is not often addressed and that is the Black-White disparity in exclusionary discipline. The conversation often centers around the "achievement gap" or more recently the "opportunity gap". But what are some of the factors that can be addressed in schools that are leading to…

Outdoor environmental education (OEE) programs can provide a valuable entry point for youth of color and girls who may have felt excluded and/or marginalized from traditional science learning experiences. This study investigated: (1) Can OEE programs contribute to the development of positive dispositions toward science and the environment?, and…

"Do You Know Where the Children Are? A Five-Year Analysis of Public School Enrollment" examines public school enrollment trends over the last five school years (2019-2024), focusing on patterns between public charter schools and district schools since the pandemic. It examines year-to-year changes in overall enrollment, with charter…

Studies persistently show disparities in exclusionary discipline across racial/ethnic groups in U.S. schools. Using administrative data from kindergarteners through fifth graders in Indiana, we examine the effects of student-teacher race/ethnicity matching on disciplinary outcomes. We find that Black students exhibit lower rates of suspension and…

Black youth overwhelmingly experience excessive discipline and exclusionary practices in schools, which contribute to the growing achievement and opportunity gaps between Black and White students. This study examined 915 teacher education students' (TES') interpersonal attributions of classroom behaviors of elementary age Black and White girls,…

Background: Inequality along racial and economic dimensions is well-documented and widespread in educational contexts. Achievement gaps are observed among children as early as primary school and are especially notable in standardized testing (Fryer & Levitt, 2004; Fryer & Levitt, 2013; Bond & Lang 2013). In response, some observers and…

Children's ability to monitor subjective feelings of uncertainty (i.e., engage in uncertainty monitoring) is a central metacognitive skill. In the current study, we examined the development of uncertainty monitoring as well as its relations with vocabulary and executive function development in children (N = 137, 52% female) from predominately…

Background: Despite overall declines in risky teen sexual activity, racial and ethnic disparities persist. This study compared abstinence-only and comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs to explore the effects of the programs on teen sexual activity-related outcomes that may differ by race/ethnicity. Methods: Program evaluation data…