A Conversation on Equitable and Inequitable Practices in Preschool Classrooms

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Despite decades of policies and programs aimed at reducing or eliminating racial disparities in schools, children of color face significant opportunity gaps. Teachers in PreK-Grade 3 often do not receive effective, ongoing professional development to address the needs of the children they serve. Children of color are more likely to experience suspension, be placed in lower ability groups, and be viewed more negatively by teachers than their White counterparts. Still, scholars continue to call for the disruption of the intergenerational legacies of racial inequalities in schools. This roundtable, moderated by Dalhia Lloyd, brings together scholars and practitioners with expertise studying and implementing culturally responsive interventions to discuss how to translate research on equitable practices to real-world classroom settings. Specifically, the roundtable discussion will center on three questions. 1) What does current research on equitable practices in PreK-Grade 3 classrooms tell us about how young children of color experience school? 2) What gaps exist in the intervention literature related to preparing early childhood educators to foster culturally responsive, anti-bias classrooms? 3) What insights can we gain from existing culturally responsive, anti-bias professional development programs for Pre-K-Grade 3, and how can these programs inform future professional development? Our goal is to generate a vibrant discussion between panelists and the audience that will have tangible implications for designing and implementing future professional development programs. The panelists include Sarah SoonLing Blackburn (Johns Hopkins University), Kimberly Blitch (University of Alabama), Molly Goldberg (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Shana Rochester (Boston University).

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Moderator

• Dalhia Lloyd, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Panelists

• Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, Learning for Justice (Southern Poverty Law Center)

• Kimberly Blitch, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

• Molly J Goldberg, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Shana Ernestine Rochester, University of Maryland - Baltimore County