Research examining reading abilities among Black children diverges significantly from prior literature, which either lacked focus or lacked substantial representation of Black children. Black students, particularly boys, tend to exhibit lower academic achievement compared to their peers. The problem addressed in this study is that Black boys, in…

The present study examined boys' race in moderating the association between teacher-child relationship quality, measured by closeness and conflict, and boys' language gains and conduct problems change scores during Pre-K. The study was conducted using data from the National Center for Early Development and Learning's (NCEDL) Multi-State Study of…

In this statewide, multiyear analysis, the extent to which differences were present in reading by the economic status of Grade 3 Asian, Black, and Hispanic boys was determined. Specifically examined was the relationship of poverty to the three State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading Reporting Categories for Grade 3 Asian,…

The purpose of this review is to understand what has been learned over the past 20 years of research on preschool and childcare expulsions in the United States. Our literature search identified 16 research studies on this topic. An extensive review of the identified studies was conducted to critically examine the methods used to measure expulsion,…

Play is a gendered activity among young children, especially boys. Boys often tend to be more actively engaged in the (re)production of gendered play. However, most research studies and conceptual papers have misread, ignored, devalued, or scrutinized the gendered ways Black boys engage in play. This idea is particularly true for Black boys who…

Disparities in school discipline data indicate that children of color, particularly boys, receive more frequent and harsher disciplinary actions than their white peers, and this begins in early schooling. Within today's print-centered, bodily restricted school curricula, literacy instruction is often reduced to highly controlled, leveled readers…

At one Title I K-4 elementary campus located on the Gulf Coast of Southeast Texas, there seemed to be a prevalent problem of minority students, particularly male students, receiving office referrals at a higher rate than their non-minority counterparts in past years. Research from a 2010 Children's Defense Fund report indicates that…

Since the United States Congress enacted the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, school districts have been charged with ensuring that all students are proficient in reading and math by 2014. Schools failing to achieve are labeled as failing or needing improvement. This study sought to determine if commercially produced elementary math curricula…

African American male students in elementary schools are scoring approximately 30% lower than their peers in reading and content areas. There are many factors causing the discrepancy; indeed, the complexity of the problem has inhibited a clear solution. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine factors associated with low…

America is failing its young Black boys. In metropolitan ghettos, rural villages and midsized townships across the country, schools have become holding tanks for populations of Black boys who have a statistically higher probability of walking the corridors of prison than the halls of college. Across America, the problem of Black male achievement…