Academic language includes three skills: (1) use of inferential language (communicating about ideas across contexts); (2) use of narrative language (clearly describing a series of events); and (3) understanding a range of academic vocabulary and grammatical structures. These skills help students better comprehend academic texts both across…

Traditional definitions of school readiness have focused primarily on the skills, knowledge and abilities children need for educational success. However, these definitions have evolved in recent years to encompass a multidimensional view, adding physical and mental health, social and emotional skills, executive functioning and self-regulation, and…

This report offers an initial overview of the available information regarding the circumstances, nature and outcomes of the education of schoolchildren during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns of March-April 2020. Its purpose is primarily descriptive: it presents information from high quality quantitative studies on the experience of learning…

While some of the advice offered in this "Equity Tool" pertains to education environments students encounter after high school (i.e., after P-12), the transition to higher education is often fraught, especially for students of Color (SOCs) and high schools sometimes get blamed for not sufficiently helping students get ready when a better…

Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put Latino families, and other racial and ethnic minority groups, at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Latino community threatens to undermine the educational progress of more than 13 million Latino students and five million English…

Strong collaborative partnerships between families, schools, and communities are essential to promote successful postgraduation outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) and are a key feature of a new Transition Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (TPIE) framework. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the…

Public libraries are ideal contexts for supporting child development and family involvement (Families and Work Institute, 2015; IMLS, 2013). Families with children often attend public libraries to participate in educational programming and experiences, yet university-based developmental scientists who study how people develop and adapt across the…

The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to asset mapping as a systematic approach to facilitating increased family and community involvement in comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAP). It includes a brief summary of the literature related to the importance of family and community in children's physical activity…

Building an early childhood system within the District is similar to efforts taken to complete an intricate puzzle. Imagine having to assemble a 5,000-piece puzzle without access to the box depicting its final image. The puzzle must be constructed without an organized leader by a group of people who speak different languages. Moreover, a…

Innovation often means finding new ways to make better use of resources that already exist in our communities. A new initiative to connect schools and libraries was just the right catalyst to enhance family engagement. The New York Public Library (NYPL), which has 88 neighborhood branches across The Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, was one…

The last decade has seen an exponential increase in the use of illicit and prescription opioids during pregnancy. Opioid dependency during pregnancy increases the risks of obstetric complications for mothers and potential dangers for newborns during infancy and later in life. The mother-child dyad faces specific hurdles when it comes to getting…

By implementing strategies described here, educators can be prepared to create an adoption-friendly environment for students and their families.

Many children in the nation's schools will have no knowledge of adults who work or have worked in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers, which therefore contributes to them having very little science capital. Differences in science capital can have a significant impact on children's aspirations as regards STEM careers, as well…

Erikson Institute's Fussy Baby Network® (FBN) is a national model prevention program known for its approach to family engagement called the FAN (Gilkerson & Gray, 2014; Gilkerson et al., 2012). The FAN is both a conceptual framework and a practical tool to facilitate attunement in helping relationships and promote reflective practice. This…

The purpose of this paper is to share a model of a principal preparation program that is socially responsible. The program is collaborative with two departments at the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development: Educational Administration and Human Resource Development and Educational Psychology (Bilingual Education). The…