Reconceptualizing Assistance for Young Children of Color With Disabilities in an Inclusion Classroom

In this article, we draw on DisCrit to critically analyze how a group of early childhood educators approached assistance with young children of color with disabilities in a Head Start inclusion classroom. Using examples from data collected over one school year, we demonstrate how child-centered assistance advances justice for young children of color with disabilities who are often subjected to a surveillance culture in schools. We critique assistance that aligns with the medical model of disability and aims to change young children of color with disabilities to conform to ableist, racist expectations of schooling. We offer examples of assistance practices that contrastingly aim to support young children of color with disabilities to pursue their own interests and purposes. Through these counterstories, we reconceptualize assistance as a practice that can support young children of color with disabilities to be more fully themselves.https://educate.bankstreet.edu/gse/1008/thumbnail.jp

In vivo analysis of human LHX3 enhancer regulation

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)The LHX3 transcription factor is essential for pituitary gland and nervous system development in mammals. In humans, mutations in the LHX3 gene underlie combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) disease featuring deficits in anterior pituitary hormones and defects in the nervous system. The mechanisms that control temporal and spatial expression of the LHX3 gene are poorly understood. The proximal promoters of the human LHX3 gene are insufficient to guide expression in vivo and downstream elements including a conserved 7.9 kilobase (kb) enhancer region appear to play a role in tissue-specific expression in the pituitary and nervous system. In this study, I characterized the activity of this downstream enhancer region in regulating gene expression at the cellular level during development. Human LHX3 enhancer-driven Cre reporter transgenic mice were generated to facilitate studies of enhancer actions. The downstream LHX3 enhancer primarily guides gene transcription in αGSU-expressing cells secreting the TSHβ, LHβ or FSHβ hormones and expressing the GATA2 and SF1 transcription factors. In the developing nervous system, the enhancer serves as a targeting module for expression specifically in V2a interneurons. These results demonstrate that the downstream LHX3 enhancer is important in specific endocrine and neural cell types but also indicate that additional regulatory elements are likely involved in LHX3 gene expression in other cell types. Further, these studies demonstrate significant gonadotrope cell heterogeneity during pituitary development, providing insights into the cellular physiology of this key reproductive regulatory cell. The human LHX3 enhancer-driven Cre reporter transgenic mice provide a valuable tool for further developmental studies of cell determination and differentiation in the pituitary and nervous system. Furthermore understanding the regulation of human LHX3 gene will help develop tools to better diagnose and treat pituitary CPHD disease

What Drives a Paler Shade of “Red” in Mississippi State?

Over the years, as a result of depopulation, the population in Mississippi State has fallen by almost half. Moreover, traditionally Mississippi has been considered one of the “deep” southern states (Key, 1949). They are very conservative in terms of political position, and they have largely supported “Red” or the Republican Party, for the last several decades. However, the conservatism of the south is now challenged by the Democratic Party, and trends have been changing gradually in the south, including Mississippi State in recent history. In this paper, I investigate what drives the paler shade of “Red” in the southern states. In particular, I examine some characteristics of political position in Mississippi, one of the most strongly conservative states in the United States, identifying certain relationships between political preferences and demographic, economic and social factors. Keywords: Southern Politics, Political change, Demographic factors in politic

Emerging Asia: Decoupling or Recoupling

In this paper, we investigate the degree of real economic interdependence between emerging Asia and major industrial countries to shed light on the heated debate over the “decoupling” of emerging Asia. We first document the evolution of macroeconomic interdependence for emerging Asian economies through changing trade and financial linkages at both the regional and global levels. Then, by employing a panel vector autoregression (VAR) model, we estimate the degree of real economic interdependence before and after the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis. Empirical findings show that real economic interdependence increased significantly in the post-crisis period, suggesting “recoupling”, rather than decoupling, in recent years. Output shocks from major industrial countries have a significant positive effect on emerging Asian economies. More interestingly, the reverse is also true. Output shocks from emerging Asia (and the People’s Republic of China [PRC]) have a significant positive effect on output in major industrial countries. The result suggests that macroeconomic interdependence between emerging Asia and industrial countries has become “bi-directional,” defying the traditional notion of the “North–South relationship” as one of “uni-directional" dependence.Regional integration; decoupling; macroeconomic interdependence; trade and financial market linkages; VAR

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: The Bank Street Developmental Interaction Approach in Liliana\u27s Kindergarten Classroom

This case study of Liliana presents a portrait of a Bank Street alumna in her classroom. Liliana strives for her classroom to be a space where the core principles she learned during her Bank Street education guide the experience of children. The study of her work begins by exploring how a commitment to educating the cognitive, physical, and social–emotional domains of the whole child involves developing systems that promote play as the learning tool to achieve academic and social outcomes. After exploring how Liliana creates conditions for children to engage and learn through play, the case study focuses on how the habits and processes of close observation of children help Liliana develop theories of understanding about each individual learner. The practice and process of looking closely at children, a staple of the Bank Street approach, informs Liliana’s instruction. The case study concludes with a nuanced portrait of a day in Liliana’s classroom that is infused with her commentary and reflections about children, curriculum, and the central and enduring role of her Bank Street preparation in her practice.https://educate.bankstreet.edu/books/1015/thumbnail.jp

Does Governmental Condition Really Matter in Charter School Adoption?

Charter schools are generally considered to be implemented in order to achieve the educational needs and desires that parents have for their children, according to the school choice model. However, adoption of charter schools can also depend on various government conditions, such as the availability of resources. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine whether charter schools are more commonly adopted under favorable government conditions. Using a panel data set from 45 counties in California between 2001 and 2012, our analysis demonstrates that charter schools are more commonly adopted when the government has many financial slacks. Keywords: charter schools, policy diffusion, policy adoptio

Potential mechanisms and modulators of food intake during pregnancy

Dietary choice during pregnancy is crucial not only for fetal development, but also for long-term health outcomes of both mother and child. During pregnancy, dramatic changes in endocrine, cognitive, and reward systems have been shown to take place. Interestingly, in different contexts, many of these mechanisms play a key role in guiding food intake. Here, we review how food intake may be impacted as a function of pregnancy-induced changes across species. We first summarize changes in endocrine and metabolic signaling in the course of pregnancy. Then, we show how these may be related to cognitive function and reward processing in humans. Finally, we link these to potential drivers of change in eating behavior throughout the course of pregnancy