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Strategies For Creating Inclusive Learning Environments Through A Social Justice Lens, Beverly Araujo Dawson, Whitney Kilgore, Renee M. Rawcliffe

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Culturally situated and cross-cultural approaches to instructional design and research have become increasingly important in higher education, particularly in online learning environments. As higher education becomes increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, learning environments must be structured and facilitated to meet the learning needs of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) students. Based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and culturally inclusive pedagogy, this paper provides an overview of inclusive teaching practices and the necessity to take a holistic approach to online teaching with BIPOC students. This paper provides an overview of key instructional design elements to achieve equity-minded instructional design.

Social Emotional Learning In Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brittany A. Dale, Kristin Rispoli, Lisa A. Ruble

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often focus on reducing negative behaviors or increasing the frequency of positive behaviors. Little discussion, however, focuses on the underlying mental health and developmental factors or ancillary skill deficits that may be contributing to problem behaviors. With social emotional standards built into the educational system, schools are uniquely positined to provide social emotional support and instruction to students with disabilities, especially children with ASD. Often, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of preschool and early elementary school children with ASD focus on state academic standards rather than the social-emotional needs often associated with …

Strategies For Increasing Early Childhood Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Culturally Responsive Practices, Melissa Stormont, Nargiza Buranova, Marina Antonova

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

N/A

Universal Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Screeners For Preschool Students: A Systematic Review, Brian Daniels, Stacy L. Bender, Staci Ballard, Anastasia Iun, Danielle Fowler

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) screening is an essential component of multi-tiered systems for supporting students’ social-emotional development. SEB screening facilitates early identification and intervention for individual students and may be used to evaluate population-level response to universal positive behavior supports and social-emotional learning programs. Although school-based SEB screening research is common, the majority of studies have focused on screening tools for use with students in K-12 settings. The current study expands upon prior research to systematically review research on school-based teacher-report SEB screening tools for students in preschool. Results indicated 17 studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2008-2019, which …

Preliminary Examination Of The Reliability And Validity Of The Teacher Rating Scale Of Social Competence And School Adjustment For Preschool And Kindergarten Children, Kristen N. Missall, Kayla D. Polk, Salloni Nanda

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Prosocial behaviors in preschool and kindergarten are associated with student well-being and positive school outcomes. A teacher rating scale focused on young children’s social strengths can provide educators with important information for supporting children in their classroom with social instruction and intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the technical adequacy of a teacher rating scale developed expressly to measure prosocial development in young children, the Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment (SSCSA). Using data from a sample of preschool- and kindergarten-aged children in inclusive classrooms, analyses examined the reliability and validity of the SSCSA. Results provided …

The Need For Performance Standards In Preschools: Stealing Shamelessly From Comprehensive School Mental Health Literature, Samantha Reaves, Samantha N. Hartley, Brandy Clarke, Sharon Hoover, Nancy Lever

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Young children are at-risk for developing significant mental health difficulties just as their older, school-aged peers. Preschool settings have increasingly attempted to proactively address early childhood socioemotional needs by expanding their prevention and intervention activities. A number of emerging best practices in promoting early childhood mental health have been proposed. However, there are no comprehensive performance standards for preschool mental health and limited guidance on how preschools can align themselves with best practices. This expansion in service scope parallels the development of Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems in K-12 schools. Resources and tools developed for K-12 educational settings may serve …

Transition To Kindergarten: Parental Efficacy And Experiences During Covid-19, Samira Amirazizi, Emily Edelman, Matthew Quirk, Erin Dowdy

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Previous research has highlighted the effectiveness of supporting parents in fostering children’s academic and/or social-emotional development in preparation for kindergarten. Considering the emergence of COVID-19 as a risk factor to which all children and parents have been exposed, it is essential to understand parental mental health as it relates to early childhood development. This study utilized mixed methods to examine the experiences and perspectives of parents (N = 82) whose children were transitioning into kindergarten during the fall of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that parents’ knowledge/confidence in managing their child’s transition to kindergarten was inversely associated with …

Educando A Nuestros Hijos: Examining Latinx Parental Stress Factors And Parental Engagement In Head Start Preschools, Agustina Bertone, Erin Dowdy, Madeline Spiess

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

This study sought to understand Latinx parental stress factors as they relate to three types of parental engagement (PE; foundational education, school participation, and supplemental education) in preschool. Stress was examined in the form of global stress and acculturative stress (English competence pressure and pressure to acculturate). Spanish- and English-speaking Latinx parents (N = 189) of children enrolled in Head Start completed self-report surveys. Hierarchical linear regression results demonstrated that global stress significantly predicted foundational education and supplemental education, but not school participation behaviors. English competence pressure did not significantly predict any type of PE and pressure to acculturate only …

School-Based Relationships Among Children With Or At Risk For Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Melissa Washington-Nortey, Kristen L. Granger, Michael Broda, Jason Chow, Kevin Sutherland, Bryce D. Mcleod

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

We investigated the influence of a teacher’s perceived emotional state (e.g., feeling emotionally exhausted; feeling accomplished) on the association between parent-teacher relationships and teacher-child conflict among young children. We used pretest data from a pilot study examining the efficacy of a socio-emotional learning intervention for children with or at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). Twenty-six teachers and 45 children (Mean age= 7.46 years; SD = 1.21) participated in the intervention. Teachers rated their relationships with children and their parents using the Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. Multilevel models showed that teachers with a higher sense of …

The Role Of Professional Development In Bridging High-Quality Social-Emotional Learning In Laboratory And Community Preschools, Sue K. Adams, Jessica Macleod, Hyunjin Kim, Sarah Behm, Nilton Porto

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The current study presents an exploratory model of comprehensive professional development that provides early childhood education and care teachers with opportunities to enhance their skills in social-emotional learning (SEL). Skills development strategies include a combination of workshops, observations of high-quality university laboratory preschool classrooms, consultation with master educators, on-site coaching, and communities of practice. The study found statistically significant improvements in content knowledge, knowledge of evidence-based strategies, and self-efficacy to implement new strategies in the classroom for participants of the Promoting Prosocial Behavior workshop. Teachers and administrators who participated in observations, coaching, and/or communities of practice reported value in each …

Early Childhood Educators: The Forgotten Tier, Kara E. Mcgoey, Jessica Dirsmith, Karl L. Jancart, Justine Vecchiarelli, Timothy Hanchon

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Early childhood educators are often overworked, underpaid, stressed, and at risk for burnout (Wells, 2015). In addition to teaching early academic skills, early childhood educators are also tasked with teaching and supporting students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Given the aforementioned limitations, it is imperative to examine how the social-emotional needs of early childhood educators are supported as they implement and sustain SEL. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are often implemented to promote SEL and meet the social-emotional needs of young children; however, MTSS is only effective if all components are implemented with fidelity. In contrast to school-aged MTSS, …

The Effect Of Teacher-Child Interaction Training (Tcit) On Children Who Are Exhibiting Disruptive Behaviors Within The Classroom Setting, Jaclynn S. Stankus, Karl L. Jancart, Kara E. Mcgoey

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The current study examined the impact of Teacher- Child Interaction Training (TCIT) on child behavior, teacher-student relationships, and teacher satisfaction within a general preschool setting utilizing a three-tiered approach. Participants included three preschool children without clinical diagnoses. A single subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design was utilized across participants. Results suggest that TCIT is effective in reducing disruptive behaviors within the classroom and successful in improving the teacher-student relationship. TCIT is also considered socially valid based on teacher responses, which indicate that the intervention is acceptable and feasible within the general preschool classroom setting.

Workforce Development Needs To Address Early Childhood Mental Health Within The Childcare And Early School Years Setting, Margo Candelaria, Jenny Afkinich, Kate Sweeney, Laura Latta, Angelique Kane

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Supporting infant and early childhood mental health is a vital component of school readiness, but suspension or expulsion from early childhood educational settings can have a lasting impact on a child. The Pyramid Model for Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (PM) framework and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) are two models to address preschool suspension and expulsion, while promoting young children’s healthy social emotional development. Both models require a qualified workforce. In Maryland, several initiatives are underway to address workforce development needs and to create pipelines of professionals trained in infant and early …

Promoting Mental Health And Positive Well-Being In Early Childhood: Delineating The Critical Role Of The School, Timothy A. Hanchon, Kristin Scardamalia

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

N/A

Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble: A Call To Create Identity Affirming Spaces For Black Youth To Grow As Agents Of Change In Early Childhood And Elementary School Classrooms, Lauren C. Mims, Addison Duane, Cierra Kaler-Jones

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

In their early years, youth begin to notice race, develop attitudes related to race, form their own racial identity, and make decisions based on race. Adults can play a critical role in teaching about and affirming Black children’s developing identities. As educators passionate about the success and wellbeing of Black children, we envision spaces where energy is divested from surveilling, suspending, and expelling Black children and energy is invested in working to address educational injustices, particularly through the cultivation of identity affirming spaces for Black youth to grow as agents of change. In this paper, we share how the first …

Playing Together: A Call For Multiple Stakeholders To Reduce Exclusionary And Harsh Discipline For Young Bicoc With Disabilities, Saili S. Kulkarni, Sunyoung Kim, Tunette Powell

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Punitive disciplinary actions deny Black, Indigenous,2 Children of Color (BICOC) with disabilities from access to meaningful instruction and increase their risks for truancy, dropping out, and incarceration. At the intersection of race, disability, and discipline, this paper is a call to action for research and practices that bring together stakeholders and co-constructed, local solutions to exclusionary disciplinary practices affecting BICOC with disabilities. Specifically, we assert that efforts to reduce disproportionately racist responses to the challenging behaviors of young BICOC with disabilities (birth through age 8) cannot be solved with a single intervention strategy or simplistic approaches. Instead, we highlight the …

“Breathe And Be Ready To Learn”: The Issue With Social-Emotional Learning Programs As Classroom Management, Molly E. Mcmanus

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

As social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a more acknowledged and central part of early schooling in the last two decades, many schools and educators, particularly those in progressive spaces, have adopted SEL programs to supplement or substitute other systems of classroom management. While research demonstrates that children’s social, emotional, and cultural practices and experiences are central to inclusive, humanizing, and culturally relevant learning, SEL programs are often implemented to more closely resemble behaviorist systems of classroom management. This article presents findings from a progressive first-grade classroom of Latinx children from immigrant families led by a white teacher. Examples from ethnographic …

Compliance And Control: The Hidden Curriculum Of Social-Emotional Learning, Kristin Cipollone, Emily Brown Hoffman, Maria B. Sciuchetti

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

In this paper, we seek to critically address the enactment and impact of social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and implementation in early childhood and elementary (PK-5th) classrooms. Specifically, we argue that SEL, as frequently operationalized, is a dehumanizing process that seeks to assimilate non-dominant children into dominant ways of being while concurrently seeking to enforce compliance and normalize children to oppressive structures. SEL is often seen as a “nice” form of classroom management, perfect for a field dominated by “nice” white women who see their work as apolitical and neutral rather than political and rooted in the maintenance of white supremacy …

The Racial Pandemic: Positive Behavior Intervention Support As An Asymptomatic Carrier Of Racism, Jade Calais, Matthew Green

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

In an attempt to close the discipline gap, school systems have replaced traditional exclusionary practices with alternative interventions such as Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). PBIS, as an alternative to exclusionary discipline practices, does little to help historically oppressed youth, specifically, because it denies the presence and value of race. This attempt to be race-neutral results in racist discipline outcomes. PBIS presents harmful outcomes for early childhood and elementary-aged children, as it normalizes children to the disciplinary structures that result in high school dropouts and other negative outcomes for older youth. Exploring this program aids in understanding the limitations of …

Unpolicing Childhood: Cultural Approaches To Anti-Child Disciplinary Violence In The Elementary Setting, Marquita D. Foster, Catherine Smith

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Nineteenth century western beliefs about race and gender ushered in the concept of othering, in which non-white individuals were viewed and treated as subhuman and dangerous. Concurrently, the shifting concept of childhood buttressed the notion that innocence and purity were qualities most associated with and demonstrated by children from the dominant culture. As organizations tend to reflect societal values, beliefs and fears, school became a major institution designed to mold children into responsible and moral citizens. This symbolic social contract between society and school has come to reinforce childism--a form of oppression against children who have been othered. We assert …

The Ecosystem Of Racial Inequalities In Discipline In Early Childhood Education, Alexandra Aylward, Rachel Garver, Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides, Christine Hodgson

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Preschool children are suspended and expelled at a rate greater than school-aged youth, and exclusionary discipline practices are further inequitable across racial and ethnic groups. Denied the documented benefits of early childhood education, Black students are disproportionately excluded from US educational institutions beginning in early childhood, effectively preserving and reproducing racial inequities. Black students, especially boys, are the most likely to lose access to schooling due to exclusionary discipline. The disparities are dehumanizing and detrimental to students’ opportunities to learn, as early educational experiences greatly influence development and future outcomes. Although there is a plethora of evidence concerning the significant …

Why We Are Done Talking About Classroom Management, Kristin Cipollone, Emily Brown Hoffman

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

N/A

Increasing Voter Investment In American Democracy: Proposals For Reform, Adam Drake

Fordham Law Voting Rights and Democracy Forum

Millions of Americans choose to stay home every election cycle. Polling suggests that these nonvoters are either apathetic with respect to the democratic process or feel alienated from the United States government. Reforms to the democratic system should focus on alleviating these sentiments, ultimately encouraging more voters to show up to the polls. As turnout increases, so too does the legitimacy and stability of the U.S. government.

With that goal in mind, this Article advocates for a five- prong approach to reforming the electoral system. The first proposed step is to eliminate unnecessary barriers to voting by establishing federal automatic …

Book Review: World Wide Weed: Global Trends In Cannabis Cultivation And Its Control By Tom Decorte, Gary R. Potter & Martin Bouchard, Editors, Lora J. Bristow

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Book Review: World Wide Weed: Global Trends in Cannabis Cultivation and its Control by Tom Decorte, Gary R. Potter & Martin Bouchard, editors

The Fallacy Of A One Size Fits All Cannabis Policy, Amanda Reiman

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Although the cannabis plant is one of the oldest herbal products currently in use, the policies and research surrounding its use and associated risks and benefits have been points of contention throughout its modern lifespan. Cannabis has been seen as a revered botanical medicine, a demon substance sure to ruin modern society, and an alternative to Western-born pharmaceutical drugs and treatments. Over time, the debate concerning cannabis has been driven by morality, science, politics, economics and social control. Given its multiple uses (textiles, medicine, and relaxation), developing one policy to encompass these uses in a responsible way remains elusive. This …

The Trouble With Mary Jane’S Gender, Wendy Chapkis

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

This essay explores some of the gendered dimensions of contemporary cannabis politics and culture from the perspective of a long-time sexuality and gender scholar recently migrated into the world of drug policy reform. My essay suggests that inattention to gendered stereotypes and inequalities creates obstacles to women’s full participation in drug policy reform and complicates efforts to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.

Patients And Caregivers Report Using Medical Marijuana To Decrease Prescription Narcotics Use, David C. Peters Ii

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

In depth qualitative interview data were collected from medical marijuana patients and knowledgeable producers in Michigan about their perceptions and observations on the medical use of marijuana. Patients consistently reported using marijuana to substitute or wean off prescription drugs. All patients and producers who were taking opiate pain killers claimed they reduced overall drug use, especially opiates, by using medical marijuana. Patients and caregivers also claimed medical marijuana was preferred over opiates, eased withdrawal from opiates, and in some cases was perceived as more effective at relieving pain.

Inside The Gate: Insiders’ Perspectives On Marijuana As A Gateway Drug, Rashi K. Shukla

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Marijuana is often referred to as a gateway drug due to its placement in the stage-like progression of drug use (Kandel, 2002; Zimmer & Morgan, 1997). This study examines the gateway drug concept from an insiders’ perspective. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 current and former users of marijuana. Data were collected between 2000 and 2002. Data on drug histories and perceptions about marijuana as a gateway drug were analyzed. While 80.3% (n = 41) of participants initiated their drug use experiences with alcohol or tobacco, one-third (n = 15) used an illicit drug other than marijuana prior to …

Full Issue

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

Full issue of volume 35 of HJSR

How Porous Are The Walls That Separate Us?: Transformative Service-Learning, Women’S Incarceration, And The Unsettled Self, Coralynn V. Davis, Carol Wayne White

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

In this article, we refine a politics of thinking from the margins by exploring a pedagogical model that advances transformative notions of service learning as social justice teaching. Draw- ing on a recent course we taught involving both incarcerated women and traditional college students, we contend that when communication among differentiated and stratified parties occurs, one possible result is not just a view of the other but also a transformation of the self and other. More specifically, we suggest that an engaged feminist praxis of teaching incarcerated women together with college students helps illuminate the porous nature of fixed markers …