Journals.uncc.edu (North Carolina's Urban Research University)
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Reorient the Orient: A Case Study
No full textLionel Popkin delves into his body and art as methods to navigate the world and comment on its affordances in representation
IMKAAN (Photo Essay): Sumedha Bhattacharyya and Hediyeh Azma
No full textThis photo essay explores the visceral and performative injunction of a dance-ban on the skin of a dancer
Subversive Scholarship: Exploring Fugitive Pedagogy at a Historically Black College and University in Texas. Do We Do it?
No full textPre-service teacher curriculum represents the complex interplay between governance and teacher education. Current mandates for teacher certification include stricter certification and licensing provisions. Prioritizing cultural relevance and Black empowerment, HBCUs have a history of resisting oppressive societal attitudes and systems. Likewise, their teacher preparation courses offer Black preservice teachers the opportunity to practice their legacy of fugitive pedagogy openly and systematically. Nevertheless, they are required to confront their past accomplishments while adhering to state-sanctioned regulations on imparting educators with “official teacher knowledge” for certification. Using a conceptual framework that integrates official knowledge and fugitive pedagogy through the lens of governmentality, this chapter conducted a content analysis between the one course within a teacher preparation program at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Texas against standards of official knowledge provided by Texas Education Agency (TEA). The results suggest that HBCUs maintains their distinctive educational mission despite state control and regulation, albeit not fully. Accordingly, recommendations for further study and practice are provided
Examining the Moderating Effect of Teacher Experience on Academic Achievement in Urban Schools: A Critical Spatial Analysis of Access
No full textThis study investigates the moderating effect of teacher experience on academic achievement in urban schools, focusing on the comparison between Texas and Tennessee. Using critical race spatial analysis (CRSA), the research maps the geographic distribution of experienced teachers in urban areas and examines how this distribution relates to student demographics and academic outcomes. Findings reveal that students in historically marginalized communities often have less access to experienced teachers, contributing to persistent achievement gaps. The study provides insights into how the unequal distribution of experienced educators perpetuates educational inequities, particularly in communities of color. By examining Tennessee’s urban education context as a mirror for Texas, the paper highlights the broader implications for state policy and educational reform. These results underscore the need for systemic efforts to ensure equitable access to experienced teachers in urban schools, aiming to improve academic outcomes for all students
Nurturing Home Languages to Engage and Empower Multilingual Families
No full textA pressing matter for early childhood educators is the need for strategies to engage families of Emergent Bilingual/Multilingual (EB/EM) children in their classroom. Research shows that EB/EM children experience negative academic and social outcomes when their home languages are not supported in the classroom and positive outcomes when their home languages are supported. The family is the greatest source of home language support for EB/EM children and their educators. Establishing partnerships with families through linguistically appropriate family engagement efforts allow children to maintain their home languages while learning a new language, help educators teach each child effectively, and allow families to support their child’s education in the classroom, home, and community. The purpose of this article is to integrate the concepts of empowerment, funds of identity, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and translanguaging into practical strategies for educators to establish and nurture engaging partnerships with multilingual children and families.
Note: The terms Emergent Bilingual/Emergent Multilingual will be used to honor the home languages of children who speak a language(s) other than the dominant classroom languag
Transition to Kindergarten for Preschoolers with Multilingual Abilities: Do Parents and Professionals See Eye to Eye?
No full textMany traditional assessment approaches lack specific strategies for supporting preschoolers who are multilingual learners during their transition to kindergarten. Our mixed method study sought to understand parental and professional assessment collaboration during transition to kindergarten for preschoolers who are learning multiple languages. Specifically, we examined the congruency between teachers and families of children who speak Spanish at home who are enrolled in rural Head Start preschool and transitioning into kindergarten. Overall, parents and professionals had similar views on child development for adaptive, cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, literacy, and social emotional domains. However, there were meaningful discrepancies between parent and teacher ratings for math and social communication domains. Results of this reliability study have implications for creating positive and supportive transitions for preschoolers using an authentic and collaborative assessment approach with prioritizing individualized strategies for children, their families, and professionals during the move to kindergarten
Unsettling Whiteness: Democratizing Adult Education to Transform Academia
No full text This article explores ways that universities, through policies, practices, and structures embody white supremacy. As an extension of society, where anti-Blackness/Brownness prevails, universities replicate this racism. Despite rhetoric purporting democratic decision-making, academia centers whiteness. In this environment, Black and Brown bodies are forced to squeeze intospaces not conceived for them. When they don’t fit, they are labeled unfit (Ahmed, 2014).
The co-authors share through dialogic reconstruction layered accounts of a year-long professional development effort at a public, adult education institution in New York. This series focused on decentering whiteness in academia. Utilizing critical race theory/critical theory frameworks, the authors (the facilitator of these sessions and three faculty from the adult education institution) collectively interrogate the purposes, processes, and results of these sessions in relation to the of role diversity, equity, and inclusion in unsettling whiteness
Empowering Families for STEM Success: How Parental Involvement Shapes Early Childhood Education
No full textAs STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education becomes a cornerstone of modern curricula, early childhood educators play a critical role in laying its foundation. However, the classroom is only part of the equation. Research shows that families particularly parents with STEM-related knowledge, experiences, and values can profoundly influence children’s early interest and success in STEM fields. This article highlights recent findings on STEM-specific parental social capital, summarizes key insights, and offers practical strategies for educators to engage families in meaningful STEM experiences
Leveraging Children’s Multicultural Literature to Support Students’ Math Identity and Problem Solving
No full textThis article explores how multicultural children’s literature for elementary classrooms can be leveraged to develop students’ mathematical understanding and foster positive math identities, particularly for multilingual learners. By integrating diverse stories into mathematics instruction, teachers can create culturally relevant contexts that invite meaningful problem-solving in tandem with rich mathematical discourse. This article features a classroom vignette in which a third-grade teacher uses Too Many Tamales to engage students in an equal share task, demonstrating how students\u27 cultural experiences enhance their conceptual mathematical understanding. Several pedagogical strategies are highlighted as effective ways to support mathematical reasoning and understanding through authentic mathematical discourse. Drawing from classroom practice and supported by research, the authors advocate for the use of multicultural texts to provide meaningful opportunities for students to connect their lived experiences to mathematical ideas, empowering them to see themselves as capable mathematicians. 
