Using data from a Midwest project, this study examines malleable factors associated with the reduction of language, achievement, and social-emotional development gaps among Black, Latine, and White children at the end of kindergarten. Gaps at the end of kindergarten between Latine and White children in expressive language, and between Black and…

There is limited research on the relation between approaches to learning (ATL) and Latino kindergarteners' math development, and mixed results regarding the role of Latino home numeracy practices. This study examined the associations among Latino kindergarteners' ATL, home numeracy practices, and growth in math skills. Participants were 151…

This qualitative study examines strategies used by children in a kindergarten dual language immersion (DLI) class, when enacting and negotiating intersecting social constructions such as ethnicity, social class, and bilingualism. Drawing on data collected during the 2017-2018 academic year, this paper uses an intersectional lens to describe the…

The early elementary years are foundational for future academic achievement, and, as the number of Latino students in U.S. schools continues to rise, more attention has been given to the academic performance of these young learners. Yet little is known about the cognitive skills, such as executive function (EF), that may underlie Latinos' academic…

Future Forward (FF) is an early primary program that leverages both one-on-one tutoring and parent engagement to develop the literacy skills of struggling readers. In 2010, FF was awarded an i3 grant, under the name of SPARK, to develop and test its impact in seven Milwaukee Public Schools primarily serving low-income Black and Latinx students. In…

Research Findings: The present study examined patterns of executive function (EF) development among socio-demographically diverse children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort: 2011, we estimated children's growth in working memory and…

The purpose of the current study was to determine students' early reading profiles at the beginning and end of kindergarten using existing school-based measures with a sample of Spanish speaking, Latinx students. Using latent profile analysis, a multivariate analytic technique that empirically identifies profiles based on student responses to…

Even as research on teachers of Color increases, there still are few studies that examine Asian American teachers working cross-culturally with Latinx American students in US K-12 schools. This qualitative case study uses elements from borderlands theory and culturally responsive teaching to examine three Chinese American teachers working with…

Many Indigenous Latinx students in Spanish/English dual language programs in the US speak languages that are often not valued or taken advantage of in the process of learning Spanish and English. This participatory critical (collective) autoethnography explores the possibilities of handwriting lessons as a vehicle for the incorporation of K'iche'…

Research Findings: The purpose of this study is to advance our understanding of student-teacher ethnoracial matching in early elementary school by exploring two executive function outcomes -- working memory and cognitive flexibility. Drawing on nationally-representative, longitudinal sample of kindergartners (N = 18,170) from the Early Childhood…

Background/Context: There were over 500,000 open computing jobs across the country in 2018, but only 35% of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes, and only 8-10% of STEM graduates study computer science (Code.org, 2018). In 2021, only 5.1% of all Bachelor's degrees conferred were in Computer and Information Sciences (IPEDS, 2018). STEM…

States have invested heavily in improving early childhood education in hopes of improving student reading and math skills before they enter kindergarten. However, there is limited national data from later than 2010 on children's skills in these areas at kindergarten entry, so it is difficult for educators and policy makers to ascertain whether…

This study measures the impact of 95 Percent Group's Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed for kindergartners for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of a study conducted in the same medium-sized school district in California during 2021-2022. Students Below or Well Below Benchmark in Fall 2022 were…

California's K-12 student population is one of the most linguistically diverse in the nation, with nearly 40% of students who speak a language other than English. Despite federal and landmark K-12 policies supporting inclusion for multilingual learners (MLs), as revealed by the literature, MLs are often viewed through a white normative…

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is America's most common childhood disorder. Although an ADHD diagnosis can bring positives, recent research uncovers potential negatives associated with diagnosis. This study examines understudied racial-ethnic heterogeneity in the relationships between an early elementary school ADHD…