White privilege and teacher perceptions of teacher-child relationship quality.

In this study, we investigated differences in teachers' perceptions of the teacher-child relationship from kindergarten through second grade as a function of child race and gender from the perspective of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis. Given the extensive evidence of White privilege and anti-Black racism in the US education system, we expected that teachers, particularly White teachers, would perceive their relationships with White children more positively than with Black children. Controlling for family SES and child gender, results supported this hypothesis. Black boys had the highest risk of being perceived by teachers as having poor relationships with teachers in kindergarten (highest conflict and lowest closeness) and White girls had the lowest risk. In addition, teachers perceived relationships with Black boys as increasing in conflict across first and second grades at higher rates than with White and female children. These findings remained after examining teacher-child racial match as a moderator. Our results indicate that racism and sexism work together to explain the perceptions teachers have of children in the early elementary grades. Implications for training teachers and school psychologists on anti-racism and cultural competency are discussed.

Transactions between Problem Behaviors and Academic Performance in Early Childhood.

This study aimed to further the understanding of transactional relationships that exist between problem behaviors and academic performance in early childhood. Early academic and behavior difficulties increase the risk of school disengagement, academic failure, and dropout. Although children's academic and behavioral difficulties have been shown to be intercorrelated, little research has focused on how the relationship reciprocates and progresses in early childhood. This study investigated how problem behaviors (i.e., externalizing and internalizing) influence and are influenced by academic performance (i.e., poor reading and math) from kindergarten to third grade. Participants included 18,135 students (51.22% boys) derived from a nationally representative sample in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLS-K: 2011). Teacher ratings of children's internalizing (low self-esteem, anxiety, loneliness, or sadness) and externalizing (fighting, arguing, showing anger, impulsively acting, and disruptive behaviors) problem behaviors, as well as direct assessments of children's academic performance (reading and math), were collected yearly. Cross-lagged panel modeling (CLPM) was employed to examine reciprocal relationships between problem behaviors and academic performance over time from kindergarten to third grade. The results supported the transactional relationships in early childhood, with higher externalizing as well as internalizing problem behaviors predicting lower academic performance and lower academic performance predicting higher externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors. The implications for research, prevention, and early intervention regarding the progression of academic and behavioral problems are discussed.

Child developmental and special education service receipt: The intersection of health and poverty.

BACKGROUND: Children born of low birth weight (LBW) and/or premature may have developmental delays and difficulties. The vulnerability, without early intervention, would have detrimental lifelong effects. OBJECTIVES: This study examined 1) the relationship between LBW and prematurity and the occurrence and timing of children's receipt of developmental and special education services; and 2) whether poverty intersects with LBW and prematurity affecting service receipt. METHODS: This population-based study used cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Children's Health which consisted of approximately 52,000 participants aged 1-17 between 2017 and 2018 in the United States. We conducted logistic regression to analyze the predictive relationship of LBW/prematurity and the occurrence of receiving developmental and special education services. We then conducted ordered logistic regression to examine whether LBW and prematurity predicted the timing of receiving developmental and special education services. Further, we conducted moderating analyses to examine whether the predictive relationships above varied with poverty. The analyses listed above were weighted to reflect the population drawn. RESULTS: Children born with LBW and prematurity were more likely to receive developmental and special education services and they tended to receive services earlier than those born at normal weight and term. Educational disparities were evident among children in low-income families. Children of LBW in low-income families were less likely to receive earlier services than those in affluent families. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates developmental and special education needs of children born LBW and/or premature. With restrained assets, low-income families may need more assistance to promote optimal development for their children.

Measuring and Tracking Personal Opportunity Outcome Measures Over 3 Years to Guide Policy and Services That Promote Inclusive Community Living.

National policy and litigation have been a catalyst in many states for expanding personal outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and have served as an impetus for change in state IDD systems. Although several metrics are used to examine personal outcomes, the National Core Indicators (NCI) In-Person Survey (IPS) is one tool that provides an annual depiction of the lives of people who receive Medicaid Home and Community Based IDD waiver services (HCBS). This article examines whether a validated, three-factor (Privacy Rights, Everyday Choice, and Community Participation) measure of Personal Opportunity, derived from NCI items, functions as predicted across non-equivalent, NCI cohorts (N=2400) from Virginia in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to examine the invariance and generalizability of the Personal Opportunity constructs. Results indicated that Privacy Rights, Everyday Choice, and Community Participation measured the same concepts even when time and group varied. Significant improvements in Privacy Rights and Community Participation were observed when comparing latent factor means across years. Findings provide stakeholders with a tool for interpreting personal outcomes in the contexts of policy and practice intended to improve inclusion and quality of life for adults with IDD.