Child Trends and Start Early have partnered to better understand what early childhood systems builders need to build and support more equitable systems. The briefs in this series, called Conversation Starters, define a new framework for early childhood systems that center families' experiences and raise key considerations and next steps for…

The SEL Innovations series aims to help the field imagine new, more expansive and equitable approaches to SEL and wellness to ensure that all children, adolescents, and adults feel safe, supported, and seen so that they can thrive. This report focuses on the conditions and guiding actions to foster authentic school-family partnerships. Research…

This Dissertation in Practice explored the impact of an individualized meeting with family members of low-income students on the family member sense of connection to the university and knowledge of campus resources. Parents and family members play an important role in higher education as influencers, stakeholders, fundraisers, bill payers, and…

This study explores the experiences of families of young children with disabilities through the early childhood special education process in order to discuss supports that families found most helpful and identify areas in which additional support is required. The goal of this study is to inform practitioners within the early childhood special…

The transition to adulthood marks a major developmental milestone, and careful planning is required between students, families, and teachers in order to successfully set and achieve postschool goals. For students who are English learners and diagnosed with a disability, additional challenges may arise as they navigate barriers associated with…

As linguistic diversity increases in the U.S., it is essential for pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs to expand their capacity to serve families whose home languages are not English. Family engagement is a key component of early childhood education; however, it is unclear whether family engagement practices uniformly benefit students from diverse…

Studies have indicated that the level of autonomy of people with intellectual disability is influenced by personal and environmental factors. The aims of this cross-sectional and correlational study were to determine a correlation between the level of autonomy in adults with intellectual disability, on the one hand, and specific personal and…

Technology offers a new set of challenges for Montessori educators, as there are concerns of how freedom within limits can best be applied to technology use and how boundaries can be set for safety while not extinguishing children's natural curiosity. For students to have a comprehensive and meaningful understanding of technology and its benefits…

Preparing educators to engage families and communities is one of the most promising ways to improve student learning and build equitable schools. In this commentary, authors from the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement explore the landscape of educator preparation for family and community engagement and describe a…

Latina mothers frequently impart guidance and lessons on their children as they traverse educational spaces. Drawing from their own lived experiences and epistemologies, Latina mothers often provide advice and support necessary for their children to persist academically and authentically. To extend the existing literature, our narrative study…

Family engagement with schools has been shown to be a predictor of student success (Powell et at., 2010) and federal statute supports school/ family relationships through the Family Engagement in Education Act. For students with disabilities (SWD), family engagement may be even more critical. Unfortunately, data has suggested that family…

Online instructional delivery has always been viewed as beneficial due to its flexibility in settings and times, but the COVID-19 pandemic produced an essential need for the ability to engage in learning without direct contact with others. For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability (ASD and ID) who have extensive…

Over the past decade, a newer class of interventions has emerged specifically designed for young children with or at high likelihood of autism, which are called Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). NDBIs are particularly well-suited as a discipline agnostic, primary intervention for young children with autism and other…

Subjective well-being is a form of self-evaluation of life by referring to cognitive and affective aspects. This systematic review analyzes 13 international journals on factors influencing older adults' subjective well-being. The review planning uses the SPIDER formulation: Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research Type.…

We propose a justice-based partnership between employees and family members as a means to create services and support systems for people with intellectual disability, enhancing quality of life indicators. More specifically, we examine the links from mutual intergroup justice to three outcomes reported by family members: satisfaction with the…