Intersectionality and academic achievement, guarding against the effects of trauma, and more
By Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven, Lisa Ellrodt, and Cindy Gray
As summer comes to a close and a new school year begins, we wanted to share some early childhood research that has gotten us thinking. Some of these studies and analyses come from researchers at the Center for Early Childhood Health and Development – where ParentCorps lives – and some don’t. Regardless, they all provide us with thoughtful lessons and can help us think about new ways to approach our work with children, educators, and families this year. We hope they’re instructive for you as well!
Esther J. Calzada, Lalaine Sevillano, Keng-Yen Huang, and R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez
When we only analyze outcome differences between ethnic groups (i.e. Latinx students compared to white students), we fail to capture the ways educational disparities play out within ethnic groups. Previous survey data tells us that, for example, Latino boys have higher dropout rates than Latina girls, as do Guatemalan students compared to Mexican students. When looking at differences in achievement scores, the gap between Latinx students who speak English fluently and those who are learning English is actually larger than the gap between Latinx students and white students as a whole.
In this study, the authors add to this existing body of research, with an eye toward how these disparities show up in early childhood. The analysis is deep – it includes findings on social emotional readiness, reading at grade level, achievement through third grade, and how other variables (like maternal education levels and family poverty status) impact these outcomes.
Perhaps most importantly, the authors don’t hold children and families responsible for the systematic inequities they uncover. “We echo the call of other scholars to shift the focus of studies on the ‘achievement gap’ away from the ‘failure’ of Latinx students and toward the failure of the education system to meet the needs and nurture the potential of Latinx students,” they write. “Systemic changes will require the commitment of educators and policy makers at all levels to dismantle the ways in which Latinx children are marginalized and oppressed in U.S. public schools.”
Carmen R. Valdez, Kalina M. Brabeck, R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, Cecilia Ayón, and Lisseth Rojas-Flores
While some trauma stems from painful personal experiences, there’s another kind too. In this analysis, researchers encourage public health practitioners – particularly those who work with the Latinx community – to remember that people carry trauma which is “deeply rooted in social and political processes.” Many experiences of trauma are “historical in root cause and intergenerational in transmission.” The task for public health workers is to identify which traumatic systematic event(s) – colonization, slavery, forced migration, dispossession, family separation, restrictive immigration policies – is shaping the experience of the individual with whom they’re working. In order to understand how practitioners can best intervene, we first have to know the socio-political realities of the person we’re aiming to support. As the authors write, “There is an understanding that ‘symptoms’ and ‘problems’ can be better understood as protective means of surviving. In a collaborative process, public health workers can call on community members’ previous experiences and strengths to illuminate opportunities, hope, and motivation when faced with adversity.”
Bonnie D. Kerker, Natalia M. Rojas, Spring Dawson-McClure, and Cristina Gonzalez
How does school readiness for early childhood look different as we recover from the pandemic? We know COVID-19 impacted the social-emotional environments children had at home, and that the stress and trauma from the pandemic hit families of color particularly hard. In this paper, researchers argue that post-pandemic recovery efforts should acknowledge and bolster informal care networks (including family, friends, and neighbors), be prepared to support children’s mental health, and provide for the emotional and practical needs of educators and families.
Bonnie D. Kerker, R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez, Natalia M. Rojas, Jennifer M. Norton, and Laurie M. Brotman
In this study, researchers continue to investigate the impact of immigration-related stressors on mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Spotlighting Sunset Park, Brooklyn – a community where the authors are deeply invested – this paper takes a closer look at the experiences of the neighborhood’s Chinese and Latinx immigrant families. The study examines the ways that policy changes combined with local programming can have a critical impact on a community's mental health and wellness.
Cassandra M.D. Hart and Constance A. Lindsay
When teachers share the same race as their students, we see impacts on students' achievement, attendance, and disciplinary outcomes – especially when it comes to Black teachers and students. Adding to existing research, this study tackles a more understudied question: Does racial affinity with a teacher make a student – especially a Black student – more or less likely to be referred to gifted classes? What impact does racial affinity have on special education referrals?
Alexandra D. W. Sullivan, Sarah M. Merrill, Chaini Konwar, Michael Coccia, Luisa Rivera, Julia L. MacIsaac, Alicia F. Lieberman, Michael S. Kobor, and Nicole R. Bush
In this paper, researchers look at how evidence-based interventions, specifically Child Parent Psychotherapy, encourage what’s called “responsive caregiving.” Previous research demonstrates that more responsive relationships between caregivers and children can be buffers against trauma and stress, and reduce children’s long term risks of physical and mental health problems. Read more here about how supporting caregivers helps improve parent-child relationships and, ultimately, leads to healthier lives for children – something near and dear to our hearts and our model here at ParentCorps.
Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven is the Communication Specialist at ParentCorps. Lisa Ellrodt is a ParentCorps Educator. Cindy Gray is a ParentCorps Senior Program Coordinator.
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