Young children bring rich social, cultural, and political knowledge to school, cultivated in their homes and communities. This knowledge, ranging from household skills to multilingual practices, is often marginalized in schools that value different norms. Drawing from ethnographic studies in Illinois and New York kindergarten classrooms, this…

In a time in which teacher recruitment and retention play such a vital role in reducing the teacher shortage, principals need to be cognizant of their leadership style and the potential impact it can have on not only teachers, but on the school climate as well. Within this study, I explored the relationship between leadership style and school…

Entering kindergarten is one form of accelerating one's path through schooling. The unique needs of young learners require policies for early entrance to kindergarten to be flexible, and options for parents to be accessible and equitable across school districts and communities. In this article, the author discusses state policies for early…

A changing landscape in youth sports and educational institutions has resulted in a growing number of high school student-athletes being coached by adults who do not work in the schools they attend. This study provides a foundational understanding of the relationship between in-building coaches, hereafter referred to as educator-coaches, and their…

This study examined homophobic name-calling among 2,161 middle school students in the US and found that those who had experienced homophobic name-calling fared significantly worse than those who had never experienced it, regardless of whether they were called names by rivals, strangers, or friends. While this study also found evidence that the…

Unlike many types of educational crises, the COVID-19 pandemic was a crisis leaders could not have prepared for. But research is only starting to examine how leaders' responses and organisational context have played a role. This mixed-methods study accordingly examines how leaders have mitigated challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and…

This study investigated the knowledge, skills, and perceptions of school psychologists regarding prenatal opioid exposure in school-aged children. The study also aimed to explore school psychologists' awareness of the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on children's academic, social, and emotional development. Utilizing a quantitative approach,…

School districts historically approached conflict-resolution from a zero-sum perspective: suspend students seen as disruptive and potentially harm them, or avoid suspensions and harm their classmates. Restorative practices (RP) -- focused on reparation and shared ownership of disciplinary justice -- are designed to avoid this trade-off by…

This study explored the influence of school funding and climate on student achievement in Illinois public elementary schools, examining de-identified individual fourth-grade students and their achievement scores during the 2018-19 academic year. Data sources included the Illinois Achievement Readiness (IAR) assessments for reading and math,…

Student voice may seem like a new concept; however, it has a long history of being engrained in public schools in the United States. The trend towards incorporating and expanding student voice opportunities in high school is based on the tenets of democracy. Educators seek to provide an opportunity for students to practice democracy in their…

Youth returning to traditional school settings from non-traditional settings, such as alternative schools, face significant barriers to successful transition. After conducting several student focus groups with students at West40--a center in Illinois that supports students who are considered "at risk" for dropping out or have been…

This dissertation explores the mathematics identities of early elementary school students. Throughout school, many students come to believe that mathematics is not for them or is not a part of who they are or want to be. Previous research has revealed mechanisms that lead to negative relationships with mathematics for middle grade students and…

Family engagement has long been held as an important component of the educational experience for our students. This study is about how schools tend to aim towards the middle when looking to engage families in their child's school life, and future implications for how educators need to shift from the lens of the middle-class to reach our…

This is a qualitative action research study that examines teacher perceptions of behaviors that foster caring teacher-student relationships that motivate students to learn. The purpose of this research was to examine the range of teacher behaviors that either promoting caring teacher-student relationships or which behaviors are disrupting such…

Get Smart Fast about the benefits of supporting student and staff well-being! Prioritizing well-being in schools creates environments where everyone feels valued and supported, which leads to better educational outcomes and a healthier, more supportive community. This infographic provides strategies, examples, and resources to effectively support…