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Purpose: The purpose of this in-depth case study was to better understand how practices, policies, and structures contributed to a large health care organization's track record of hiring, training, and retaining persons with disabilities (PWDs). Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 63 key informants across four hospitals in the hospital system. Within each site, we recruited participants from multiple-levels of the organization to understand the complexity of employment practices. Content analysis was used to analyze participant response to open-ended questions. Results: Providing appropriate supports, including clearly defined job roles that are aligned with employee abilities, ongoing coaching and support, and purposeful efforts to integrate PWDs into the broader organization, are important elements of ongoing success. Invested leadership, alignment across organizational structures, and building partnerships with organizations with knowledge and skill in supporting PWDs are additional critical success factors. Conclusions: Findings indicate that it is imperative for organizations wishing to strengthen their hiring practices for PWDs to develop a culture that embraces a person-first approach. As evidenced here, in an environment where all employees feel supported, valued, and as if there is room for growth, there is opportunity for employees with disabilities to be viewed through a positive, developmental, and generous lens.

Rates of homelessness are worsening in the United States, with a third of individuals experiencing homelessness being families with children. These families face many challenges, including limited social supports, insufficient access to services, and mental health concerns. These challenges inform a nuanced worldview, leading parents experiencing homelessness to understand their child's school life in unique ways. The purpose of this study is to explore how parents experiencing homelessness understand their children's participation in Head Start and publicly funded 4 K programs. We utilized semi-structured interviews with parents of 4 K students and applied an iterative approach for analysis to identify emergent themes and concepts. Results suggest families enter homelessness through several avenues and struggle with many aspects of homelessness, including stigma directed at parents and children. Parents identified many strengths in their children's school programs, including education and support from faculty, as well as areas for growth, such as more comprehensive transportation and meal services. Overall, these results suggest families experiencing homelessness encounter many barriers to finding stable housing. Additionally, parents of children experiencing homelessness value their child's education and access to resources in schools while still fearing the potential for their child to experience stigmatization and discrimination in schools.

One in 30 American children experience homelessness, and yet educators are often unaware of the challenges these students face. Drawing on a qualitative study of 21 pre-service teachers (PSTs) interviewed at the completion of their early childhood/ESL teacher education program, the overall purpose of this study was to ascertain PSTs' reported attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and self-identified skills for working with young homeless children in schools with the goal of identifying opportunities for teacher education programs to better prepare PSTs for work with children experiencing homelessness. Findings suggest that PSTs enter teacher preparation with many misconceptions about children and families experiencing homelessness. Incorporating specific information about homelessness into coursework and supervision, nurturing PSTs' capacity for critical self-reflection, and creating opportunities for PSTs to develop positive teacher-student relationships with children experiencing homelessness were identified as essential in fostering PST self-efficacy, and, by extension, the resilience of homeless children. By illuminating the processes through which PSTs make sense of children's experiences of homelessness and its impacts on schooling, these findings have important implications for the education of young children and the design of professional development opportunities and structured learning for preservice teachers.

Though foundational to contemporary qualitative research of most types, phenomenology has, as a research method, not garnered much attention in recent years. In this paper, I define phenomenology and explain why it is a useful tool for educators and educational researchers. I focus particularly on the value of phenomenological poetry in centering discussions of policy, praxis, and the social contexts of education on the words and experiences of those living them, and representing their experiences in greater complexity. I conclude that emphasis on phenomenological considerations, how people understand and experience their lives, mitigates the risk of developing pedagogy, perspectives, and policies that are self-defeating and prone to unintended consequences.

The purpose of the article is to foreground the words of individuals experiencing homelessness and complicate our understandings of the values and visions individuals experiencing homelessness have for their lives. Through the use of poetry, the author seeks to represent the complexity and beauty that may be found in the lives of these mothers. Four poems "found" during a research project on the experiences of mothers parenting while homeless are presented.

Many studies have noted the strong and positive effect of educational leadership on student achievement, school culture, and other aspects of the educational environment. Current research also points unequivocally toward leadership as an important factor in the achievement of quality in most educational institutions. Leadership has been cited as second only to classroom instruction in its contribution to achievement. Despite the fact that the importance of leadership has been established in the field of education in general, research on leadership in early childhood settings has been lacking. Further, the research in this area is dominated by only a few researchers, with most of the studies being conducted as dissertations. The purpose of this article is to (a) highlight this critical absence in the field of educational administration; (b) critically examine the reasons underlying this missing discourse; (c) present the pertinent existing literature; and (d) articulate the potential implications of continued scholarship in this area. Previous findings suggest that continued efforts in the area of leadership in early childhood settings have implications for educational practice and theory.

The purpose of this investigation is to deepen understanding of the clandestine professional lives of men who care for young children, exploring the pressure to hide parts of themselves experienced by many. The author utilizes an autoethnographic approach to examine social and psychological experiences he has navigated during his work as a classroom teacher, counselor, and researcher in urban Head Start centers. He finds that there are structural, attitudinal, social, and conceptual barriers to men being engaged in young children's lives as educators and caregivers. In response, the author considers how dominant theories of caregiving in the field of early childhood education are informed by and inadvertently perpetuate traditional hegemonic notions of masculinity. He concludes by articulating the importance of critical praxis and disrupting hegemony, re-imagining opportunities for transformation and resilience.

Drawing on an autoethnographic approach, the purpose of this article is to support: 1) teacher educators in thinking about how to mentor sexual minority students as they consider the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in their school placements; and 2) sexual minority students in navigating the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in the context of practicum or student teaching. Early childhood teacher education faculty must be prepared to support sexual minority students in confronting decisions about disclosing their sexual orientation in the context of practicum and student teaching. Though sexual minority educators may choose to seek employment in schools or districts with explicit values about nondiscrimination, preservice teachers may not enjoy similar agency or protection, given that student placements are often dictated by geographic proximity to the university and partnerships with teacher preparation programs.

Acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ) adolescents in high schools is growing. Yet, the experience of this family suggests that creating and maintaining a safe environment for GLBTQ students requires constant vigilance, even in the best of environments. As school administrators face competing pressures from stakeholders, GLBTQ advocacy is often left to the students, unlike other types of diversity advocacy based on race, culture, or gender. This case describes how one family chose a "safe" school and struggles to keep it so. The case challenges education administration students to experience school through the eyes of a young man who is gay, and his family, and to determine what is adequate student support.

In this article, a tribute to James Aitken by his students and postdoctoral collaborator, several case studies are presented that demonstrate how situating the Septuagint within its Post-classical Greek context can add significantly to our understanding of the textual-linguistic character of the Septuagint translations. They include a new approach to understanding parataxis with καί in the Greek Pentateuch, morphology and word formation in relation to presumed neologisms in Greek Jeremiah, lexical choice related to verbs of "pouring" in kaige , verbal periphrasis with ποιέω in Greek Genesis, the expression of motion in Greek Exodus, and the literary expression of "to die" in Greek Genesis. While we do not deny the existence of interference in the translations, we argue that its extent has been overstated. Through examples that showcase semantic and syntactic sensitivity on the part of the translators, we demonstrate various approaches to positioning the Septuagint within the history of Greek. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case explores the impact of being closeted on a gay, male preschool educator and the ways in which homophobic culture is fostered in one early learning center. Although sometimes protective, being challenged to hide one's sexual orientation most always has negative consequences for the individual and society. Internalized homophobia silences and devalues individuals, and maintains a dominant homophobic culture. The complicated relationships between sexual orientation, race, class, and gender are also illuminated. This case encourages education administration students to consider the impact of homophobia on individual staff members and to imagine possibilities for advocacy and adequate staff support.

Research has shown for decades that early childhood education contributes to long term increases in student achievement for all children, but what is motivating the current movement toward universal Pre-k? This study used a content analysis of five major print media sources to explore how the media is framing the public pre-K movement.We looked for the issues or constituencies that are pushing the movement and how the movement is being framed in the media and sold to the public. We framed our findings within Edelman's theory of political spectacle, which attributes policy formation to the active and deliberate creation of dramatic spectacle by a power elite in order to sell policy to the public (Edelman, 1988). We found that a substantial number of examples of the use of rhetorical patterns and symbolic representations consistent with political spectacle in both political statements quoted in the media and media language. We conclude with a discussion of the disconnect between the political spectacle and current policy in universal pre-K.

Mirroring many of the same social and geographic inequities present in the K-12 educational system, the promise of early childhood education has been unfulfilled for many young children and their families. Social norms and funding structures, including the lack of universal, publicly funded high-quality preschool offerings, have served to perpetuate gender, class, economic, and racial inequity. The outcomes of these inequities are clearly manifested in the politics of universal preschool access and quality. In this policy analysis, the author discusses disparities in preschool access and quality, critiques social and political barriers to equitable distribution of preschool resources, and suggests several strategies for countering the current politics of class, race, gender, and geography in early childhood education. Findings from this analysis suggest that in order to provide high-quality early childhood education for all children, policy makers and advocates must address structural and attitudinal inequities.

In this portrait, Travis Wright documents young Goddess's capacity for strength in the face of trauma and neglect. Goddess, a sixteen-month-old child who has never laughed, is Wright's first client at his clinical internship during his graduate studies. Drawing on his work with Goddess, her mother, and her teachers, Wright explores the ways in which these many relationships help Goddess learn to laugh. Goddess's story provides a vivid depiction of the consequences of negative experiences in early childhood and the potential for programs to help children move beyond traumatic beginnings. The author describes how, through Goddess, he learns to see strength in behaviors he previously thought to be maladaptive. In reflecting on Goddess's agency in her transformation as well as on his own, Wright beautifully documents one child's journey from risk to resilience. (Contains 4 notes.)

In this portrait, Travis Wright, writing as a psychology counselor in training, brings the reader into one morning's events in his clinical work with Jorge, a three-year-old boy whose family is experiencing difficult times. Throughout the morning at Jorge's day-care center, Wright encounters scenarios that force him to ask questions about child development, gender identity, masculinity, and family dynamics. Wright observes that boys are often thrust into a gendered world dictated by adult norms before they can make sense of their own life events and losses. The portrait is a poignant narrative of Jorge's experiences in and out of his day-care center, as well as a moving self-reflection on Wright's own gender identity. (Contains 1 endnote.)

Purpose: The purpose of this in-depth case study was to better understand how practices, policies, and structures contributed to a large health care organization's track record of hiring, training, and retaining persons with disabilities (PWDs). Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 63 key informants across four hospitals in the hospital system. Within each site, we recruited participants from multiple-levels of the organization to understand the complexity of employment practices. Content analysis was used to analyze participant response to open-ended questions. Results: Providing appropriate supports, including clearly defined job roles that are aligned with employee abilities, ongoing coaching and support, and purposeful efforts to integrate PWDs into the broader organization, are important elements of ongoing success. Invested leadership, alignment across organizational structures, and building partnerships with organizations with knowledge and skill in supporting PWDs are additional critical success factors. Conclusions: Findings indicate that it is imperative for organizations wishing to strengthen their hiring practices for PWDs to develop a culture that embraces a person-first approach. As evidenced here, in an environment where all employees feel supported, valued, and as if there is room for growth, there is opportunity for employees with disabilities to be viewed through a positive, developmental, and generous lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a measurement of the time-resolved photoelectron kinetic energy spectrum of ethylene using 156 nm and 260 nm laser pulses. The 156 nm pulse first excites ethylene to the ¹B1u (ππ*) electronic state where 260 nm light photoionizes the system to probe the relaxation dynamics with sub-30 fs resolution. Recent ab initio calculations by Mori et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 116, 2808-2818 (2012)] have predicted an ultrafast population transfer from the initially excited state to a low-lying Rydberg state during the relaxation of photoexcited ethylene. The measured photoelectron kinetic energy spectrum reveals wave packet motion on the valence state and shows indications that the low-lying π3s Rydberg state is indeed transiently populated via internal conversion following excitation to the ππ* state, supporting the theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supply-side approach to providing services without taking into account employer practices has not been effective in achieving meaningful, competitive, and integrated employment outcomes for people with disabilities. This focus neglects the fact that disability and employment is a two-way process with businesses being accountable for such demand-side factors as establishing better hiring, retention, and advancement practices. To initiate the identification of effective employer practices, this article shares the results of two executive focus groups that were conducted in a large health care organization, across four individual hospitals, with a documented success rate of hiring and retaining people with disabilities (PWDs). The purpose of the focus groups was to explore executive perceptions of their organization's success at integrating PWDs throughout their work force. Results are explored through five identified themes: (a) organizational mission guided decision-making concerning the employment of PWDs, (b) executives living the mission through their daily inclusive behaviors led to employing PWDs, (c) organizational values were important to employing PWDs, (d) the organization benefited from employment of PWDs, and (e) employing PWDs benefited organization staff and the surrounding community. The results of these executive focus groups provide an initial glimpse into the culture and practices of a highly effective organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this case study investigation is to understand how staff from a large multisite organization with demonstrated excellence in supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs) construct their understanding of disability and hiring practices related to PWDs. Better understanding how individual employees internalize organizational practices regarding PWDs is essential to facilitate expanded employment opportunities, enhanced organizational functioning, and more supportive work environments for PWDs. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, in this investigation we have sought to better understand how employees internalize (or do not) the organizational commitment to hire PWDs, and how individual employee understandings of PWDs negotiate (mis)alignments between their perspectives and organizational practices and values. Overall, we found fundamental differences in the understandings, motivations, rationales, support strategies, and concerns of participants related to the employment of PWDs. Even though participants in this study were recruited because of their direct involvement in supporting PWDs in the workplace, they articulate different definitions of disability, perceptions of organizational commitments, and investments in employment practices related to PWDs. We found that virtually each participant in this study is mission-driven, articulating a rationale for hiring and supporting PWDs that is connected to their perception of the organizational investment in the same. However, participants negotiate two very different rationales in articulating their perspectives--with one extreme being charity-oriented and the other human resource oriented. While some participants seemed to embody the elements of one extreme consistently, many incorporated elements of both in discussing their understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though foundational to contemporary qualitative research of most types, phenomenology has, as a research method, not garnered much attention in recent years. In this paper, I define phenomenology and explain why it is a useful tool for educators and educational researchers. I focus particularly on the value of phenomenological poetry in centering discussions of policy, praxis, and the social contexts of education on the words and experiences of those living them, and representing their experiences in greater complexity. I conclude that emphasis on phenomenological considerations, how people understand and experience their lives, mitigates the risk of developing pedagogy, perspectives, and policies that are self-defeating and prone to unintended consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clinical intern describes his experiences in working with a 16-month-old toddler school pupil suffering from trauma and neglect. The consequences of negative experiences in early childhood and steps that can be taken to address them are described.

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The purpose of this investigation is to deepen understanding of the clandestine professional lives of men who care for young children, exploring the pressure to hide parts of themselves experienced by many. The author utilizes an autoethnographic approach to examine social and psychological experiences he has navigated during his work as a classroom teacher, counselor, and researcher in urban Head Start centers. He finds that there are structural, attitudinal, social, and conceptual barriers to men being engaged in young children's lives as educators and caregivers. In response, the author considers how dominant theories of caregiving in the field of early childhood education are informed by and inadvertently perpetuate traditional hegemonic notions of masculinity. He concludes by articulating the importance of critical praxis and disrupting hegemony, re-imagining opportunities for transformation and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travis Wright presents an important understanding of trauma that leads to a new perspective of "challenging" behaviors in the classroom. "Trauma is not an event in itself but is instead the reaction to extremely stressful life circumstances...When children operate in overwhelming states of stress, the stress response system may become the normal mode of functioning." Offering symptoms of trauma and practical tips for use in the classroom, Wright turns the understanding of trauma upside down. He guides the reader to an appreciation for the ways children adapt to their circumstances, until it is understood that children are "fighting to live" as opposed to "failing to thrive." While focusing on the traumatized child, Wright's approach offers the opportunity to rethink the behavior of all students. While it is particularly important with children who have experienced trauma, the foundation of the ivork with any child is a positive, respectful relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a technique in velocity map imaging (VMI) that allows spatial gating of the laser focal overlap region in time resolved pump-probe experiments. This significantly enhances signal-to-noise ratio by eliminating background signal arising outside the region of spatial overlap of pump and probe beams. This enhancement is achieved by tilting the laser beams with respect to the surface of the VMI electrodes which creates a gradient in flight time for particles born at different points along the beam. By suitably pulsing our microchannel plate detector, we can select particles born only where the laser beams overlap. This spatial gating in velocity map imaging can benefit nearly all photo-ion pump-probe VMI experiments especially when extreme-ultraviolet light or Xrays are involved which produce large background signals on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on an autoethnographic approach, the purpose of this article is to support: 1) teacher educators in thinking about how to mentor sexual minority students as they consider the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in their school placements; and 2) sexual minority students in navigating the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in the context of practicum or student teaching. Early childhood teacher education faculty must be prepared to support sexual minority students in confronting decisions about disclosing their sexual orientation in the context of practicum and student teaching. Though sexual minority educators may choose to seek employment in schools or districts with explicit values about nondiscrimination, preservice teachers may not enjoy similar agency or protection, given that student placements are often dictated by geographic proximity to the university and partnerships with teacher preparation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how to assist children in early childhood education who have had traumatic experiences. Topics discussed include the role of the stress response system in the way children respond to trauma, the impact of trauma on child development, and the impact trauma in childhood can have on learning.

An apparatus for sub-nanosecond time-resolved ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies with pulsed and constant wave X-ray light sources is presented. A differentially pumped hemispherical electron analyzer is equipped with a delay-line detector that simultaneously records the position and arrival time of every single electron at the exit aperture of the hemisphere with ~0.1 mm spatial resolution and ~150 ps temporal accuracy. The kinetic energies of the photoelec- trons are encoded in the hit positions along the dispersive axis of the two-dimensional detector. Pump-probe time-delays are provided by the electron arrival times relative to the pump pulse timing. An average time-resolution of (780 ± 20) ps (FWHM) is demonstrated for a hemisphere pass energy Ep = 150 eV and an electron kinetic energy range KE = 503-508 eV. The time-resolution of the setup is limited by the electron time-of-flight (TOF) spread related to the electron trajectory distribution within the analyzer hemisphere and within the electrostatic lens system that images the interaction volume onto the hemisphere entrance slit. The TOF spread for electrons with KE = 430 eV varies between ~9 ns at a pass energy of 50 eV and ~1 ns at pass energies between 200 eV and 400 eV. The correlation between the retarding ratio and the TOF spread is evaluated by means of both analytical descriptions of the electron trajectories within the analyzer hemisphere and computer simulations of the entire trajectories including the electrostatic lens system. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the by far dominant contribution to the TOF spread is acquired within the hemisphere. How- ever, both experiment and computer simulations show that the lens system indirectly affects the time resolution of the setup to a significant extent by inducing a strong dependence of the angular spread of electron trajectories entering the hemisphere on the retarding ratio. The scaling of the angular spread with the retarding ratio can be well approximated by applying Liouville's theorem of constant emittance to the electron trajectories inside the lens system. The performance of the setup is demon- strated by characterizing the laser fluence-dependent transient surface photovoltage response of a laser-excited Si(100) sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using in-depth interviews with 17 women raising young children in urban poverty, two separate standards were examined—“making it” and satisfaction. “Making it” referred to one's perceived ability to meet the basic physical needs of her children. In contrast, satisfaction referred to how closely one's current life circumstances align with her personal notions of success. Results indicated that self-expectations greatly influenced which standard individuals prioritized, such that those with higher expectations valued satisfaction while those with lower expectations prioritized “making it.” Self-expectations aligned largely with one's poverty status, and women with the fewest economic resources typically expected the least for their lives. Findings from this study suggest that efforts to support women raising young children in poverty must address both standards if they are to be relevant, effective, and sustainable. Similarly, if individuals are to succeed in such interventions, they must be supported in developing higher expectations for their lives, given the role that expectations play in catalyzing one's sense of a life beyond survival. Future research and implications for theory and practice are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ) adolescents in high schools is growing. Yet, the experience of this family suggests that creating and maintaining a safe environment for GLBTQ students requires constant vigilance, even in the best of environments. As school administrators face competing pressures from stakeholders, GLBTQ advocacy is often left to the students, unlike other types of diversity advocacy based on race, culture, or gender. This case describes how one family chose a “safe” school and struggles to keep it so. The case challenges education administration students to experience school through the eyes of a young man who is gay, and his family, and to determine what is adequate student support. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This case explores the impact of being closeted on a gay, male preschool educator and the ways in which homophobic culture is fostered in one early learning center. Although sometimes protective, being challenged to hide one’s sexual orientation most always has negative consequences for the individual and society. Internalized homophobia silences and devalues individuals, and maintains a dominant homophobic culture. The complicated relationships between sexual orientation, race, class, and gender are also illuminated. This case encourages education administration students to consider the impact of homophobia on individual staff members and to imagine possibilities for advocacy and adequate staff support. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mirroring many of the same social and geographic inequities present in the K-12 educational system, the promise of early childhood education has been unfulfilled for many young children and their families. Social norms and funding structures, including the lack of universal, publicly funded high-quality preschool offerings, have served to perpetuate gender, class, economic, and racial inequity. The outcomes of these inequities are clearly manifested in the politics of universal preschool access and quality. In this policy analysis, the author discusses disparities in preschool access and quality, critiques social and political barriers to equitable distribution of preschool resources, and suggests several strategies for countering the current politics of class, race, gender, and geography in early childhood education. Findings from this analysis suggest that in order to provide high-quality early childhood education for all children, policy makers and advocates must address structural and attitudinal inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown for decades that early childhood education contributes to long term increases in student achievement for all children, but what is motivating the current movement toward universal Pre-k? This study used a content analysis of five major print media sources to explore how the media is framing the public pre-K movement.We looked for the issues or constituencies that are pushing the movement and how the movement is being framed in the media and sold to the public. We framed our findings within Edelman’s theory of political spectacle, which attributes policy formation to the active and deliberate creation of dramatic spectacle by a power elite in order to sell policy to the public (Edelman, 1988). We found that a substantial number of examples of the use of rhetorical patterns and symbolic representations consistent with political spectacle in both political statements quoted in the media and media language. We conclude with a discussion of the disconnect between the political spectacle and current policy in universal pre-K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the literature to date on disability employment has focused on preparing and supporting individuals with disabilities seeking and retaining jobs (i.e., supply side). A growing body of demand-side research has revealed the importance of employer’s experiences, attitudes, and perspectives in promoting successful employment outcomes. Much remains to be learned about employers’ decision-making process around the hiring and initial onboarding of employees with disabilities. The current study consisted of interviews with 35 supervisors from businesses who had recently hired and were currently employing a person with a disability in a range of industries. Key themes across the hiring and onboarding phases highlighted the importance of employment specialists and the value of relationships and rapport to impact decisions made during these phases. Our findings resulted in several recommendations for future research, policy, and practice, the implications of which are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]