About
33
Publications
15,282
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141
Citations
Introduction
My research focus is on how poverty affects young brains and cognitive development, executive function & self-regulation as predictors of school achievement, and instructional strategies to mitigate the effects of chronic toxic stress and reduce achievement gaps. Specifically, I am interested in studying how EF/SR mediate poverty, exploring best practices for instruction and assessment that integrate EF/SR, and understanding the effects of play on children’s cross-domain outcomes.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - July 2019
Position
- Graduate Teaching Associate
Description
- LAE 4314 - Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School EDG 4410 - Teaching Strategies and Classroom Management Clinical Coordinator, Elementary Education Interns
August 2016 - July 2019
Position
- PhD Student
Description
- Working with professors and colleagues on a variety of projects focused on elementary education, poverty, urban education, equity, etc.
July 2007 - May 2009
Position
- PhD Student
Description
- Qualitative Study Educator Perceptions of the Cultural and Leadership Characteristics Necessary to Transition from a Traditional School Culture to a Professional Learning Community Culture
Education
August 2016 - August 2019
July 2007 - May 2009
January 1994 - December 1994
Publications
Publications (33)
Background
Physical activity (PA) improves outcomes, but disadvantaged children typically experience more sedentary behavior (SB). This study explored movement, executive function (EF) health, and academic achievement (AA) for economically disadvantaged kindergarteners.
Methods
Children in 2 classrooms (n = 16; n = 7) wore wrist‐based acceleromete...
Children living in poverty frequently enter kindergarten lacking critical cognitive, academic, and social-emotional skills, and this gap predictably widens through 12th grade. Several researchers have developed intervention programs intended to close the academic gap by building foundational curricular skills. These interventions may not be the mos...
The role of play in early elementary education (K-2) generates dichotomous opinions, and more research is required to support efficacious pedagogical decision-making. This pilot study explored the effects of pedagogical approaches on Title I kindergarten students’ executive function (EF) to test the hypothesis that children, especially those from l...
The amount of intentional, instructional, purposeful play has decreased in primary grades, and didactic, test-driven instruction has increased. Emerging neuroscientific evidence is beginning to highlight the significant effects the toxic stress from poverty has on developing brains. Almost half of American children can be considered to come from lo...
Teaching in kindergarten has shifted in recent decades, with the US lagging behind other countries that embrace play as a core pedagogical approach. While global efforts, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national curricula in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand promote play, opinions on its role in early eleme...
Understanding teacher candidates’ (TCs’) developmental needs and framing teacher preparation with those in mind can provide education programs with actionable ways to further TC development that generate positive outcomes for them and their students. This novel case study explored four initial certification TCs’ teacher performance and stages of de...
While we continue to see a growing push for the restoration and codification of recess in elementary schools, policy does not necessarily equal practice. Georgia recently passed legislation requiring at least 20 minutes of recess per day for students in PK-5. The purpose of this research study was to survey elementary school educators to reveal the...
Misinformation about the brain, known as neuromyths, is prevalent among educational practitioners and often inadvertently (mis)informs instructional strategies. In the current study, a mixed methods design was used to test how resources and instruction on neuromyths implemented within an assessment course impacted elementary education pre-service t...
Symposium Abstract In this symposium, we present five distinct yet complimentary studies that use a constructivist perspective to promote and evaluate student learning. With each study focusing on a different age group, ranging from early childhood students to doctoral candidates, the researchers foster an environment where students can reflect, qu...
Actively engaging students in the reading process is challenging when young readers are unable to connect to texts. It is important to provide inclusive and diverse texts in the English Language Arts curriculum. To promote a positive reading experience, it is also essential for students of all genders and racial/ethnic backgrounds to read texts wit...
Background
Physical activity (PA) improves outcomes, but disadvantaged children typically experience more sedentary behavior (SB). This study explored movement, executive function (EF) health, and academic achievement (AA) for economically disadvantaged kindergarteners.
Methods
Children in 2 classrooms (n = 16; n = 7) wore wrist‐based acceleromete...
The US student body is rapidly diversifying, but remains unmatched by the teachers who serve in their classrooms. There is a growing understanding that teachers, particularly White teachers, must explicitly and thoughtfully engage in anti-bias and anti-racist practices in their classrooms. Our nation, and correspondingly our schools, have witnessed...
Children can experience trauma in multiple ways and spaces which can have profound effects on their development and impact student engagement, approaches to learning, and student outcomes. In this chapter, the authors break down various types of trauma, adversity, and stress that can contribute to delays in children's development. Schools can impac...
For decades, social studies teachers have been encouraged to implement culturally relevant pedagogies to foster engaged learning among students. This approach to social studies teaching is vital for student learning, engagement, and achievement, particularly given the major socioeconomic and political issues facing the nation and the world in the w...
Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs provide skills needed for successful kindergarten strides, especially for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While Florida’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program currently serves most four-year-olds, some educators have questioned the program’s quality. The purpose of this study was to investig...
The research literature well establishes that adverse conditions, such as poverty, can
affect children’s cognitive development and academic achievement. Educators are
challenged to translate these understandings into instructional practices grounded in
research that best meet the needs of students, especially students living in poverty
who are at g...
The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in Abstract section, in-text reference citation and reference section.
This phenomenological case study defined and described College of Education (COE) students' perceptions of educational disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that disruption shaped their understandings of education. Participants defined educational disruptions as the phenomenon when a plan is created by an individual or school and interrup...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine undergraduate elementary education teacher candidates’ abilities to successfully integrate social justice teaching into their interdisciplinary ELA and social studies thematic units. The projects were analyzed to determine the extent to which, if any, social justice education has been addressed.
Desi...
Social inequities have a long history in the United States and beyond, impacting our social, historical, and cultural growth, and our ability to create a welcoming community. 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of 20 Africans delivered to Jamestown, Virginia, the first in this part of the “New World.” It represented the start of the holocaust against...
Recent shifts in elementary instruction over the past few decades have resulted in less play-based engagement in schools. Simultaneously, children are being referred for counseling or mental health services at startling rate. As members of elementary school leadership teams, counselors are often in a unique position to advocate for the best interes...
Neuroeducation, or educational neuroscience, is an emerging field combining various scientific disciplines as it relates to learning to study the relationships between the biological processes of the brain and students' cognitive development. Researchers and educators are increasingly working together to bridge these fields to increase positive lea...
Systemic racism, and the white privilege that it supports and maintains, remains firmly entrenched in U.S. culture. The current educational climate may be experiencing an increase in racial animus, and students are not immune to the challenges they face as a result. For teachers who truly believe that all children can learn and are entitled to the...
