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Racially minoritized groups are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programs and careers, warranting the need to examine students' racialized experiences in K-12 settings that may influence their STEM persistence. In particular, the current study explored adolescent perceptions of school racial climate (SRC) as a potential contributor to pre-college racial disparities in STEM. We used latent class analysis to group adolescents based on their SRC perceptions and explored group differences in their interest in a STEM career and their belonging, psychological needs satisfaction, and engagement in STEM courses. Adolescent participants (N = 412, 50.2% female, 36.9% male, 12.9% other/not reported, M[subscript] age = 15.72 years, standard deviation = 1.24) attending five high schools in the Southeastern United States, were grouped into five classes based on their perceptions of SRC: Critical SRC (CritSRC), Average SRC, Average with Stereotyping, Positive SRC (PosSRC), and Positive with Stereotyping. Latent class membership differed by race, age, and learning environment. Results revealed that students with more positive perceptions of SRC reported greater belonging, engagement, and needs satisfaction in their STEM courses and more interest in a STEM career compared to students with CritSRC perceptions. Findings also indicated that White students were more likely than Black students to perceive a PosSRC. Recommendations for areas of future research and policy implications are discussed.

Women and ethnic minoritized individuals are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains in postsecondary education and in the workforce. The aim of the current study was to examine whether adolescents' perceptions of inclusivity, belonging, and discrimination in high school STEM classes are related to their STEM class engagement in and outside of school. In this study, ethnically diverse 9th-12th grade high school students from low-income public schools in the United States (N = 523, M[subscript age] = 15.72, SD = 1.24, 49.4% female) completed measures of classroom inclusivity, perceived teacher discrimination, belonging, STEM classroom engagement, and STEM activism orientation. Path analyses revealed direct effects of inclusion and perceived discrimination on STEM activism orientation. Further, findings demonstrated direct effects of inclusion on belonging and on belonging and both STEM classroom engagement and STEM activism orientation. Finally, findings revealed a significant indirect effect of inclusion on STEM classroom engagement through belonging.

As researchers and practitioners begin to take a bystander approach toward preventing bullying, which involves a power imbalance between two students, it is important to acknowledge that predictors of bystander intervention may look different in various groups of students. Though school connectedness has been suggested as a predictor, previous literature fails to examine how this relationship may look in students who are racially socialized to be aware of overall inequities in schools, such as African American students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of perceived exclusion/privilege in the school on the relationship between school connectedness and willingness to intervene in four acts of aggression (i.e., social exclusion, relational, cyber, and physical) among 183 African American sixth- and ninth-graders (51% female). Findings indicate that perceived exclusion/privilege in the school can decrease students' willingness to intervene in acts of aggression despite feeling connected to the school.

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) was introduced over 30 years ago and remains an educational framework used to guide instruction today. Although research has evidenced its utility and positive impact, little is known about available tools to guide practitioners in assessing and monitoring their implementation of CRT practices. This systematic review aimed to identify and describe available assessment tools that incorporate dimensions of CRT. Systematic search procedures produced 18 tools educators can access and use to assess the implementation of CRT in the classroom. All 18 instruments are self‐reported, and a few include alternate forms of evaluation, such as an observational section. All tools located encompass aspects of the CRT framework, including self‐efficacy, cultural competence, belonging, and relationship building. Results indicated that nearly half of the tools reviewed (44%) focus on educator self‐efficacy of CRT (i.e., I know I can do X), several (28%) focus on educators' action or implementation of CRT (i.e., I do X), and many (28%) focus on educators' cultural humility or competence (i.e., I understand how to support X). Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed. Practitioner Points: Teachers must have adequate assessment tools that assess their culturally responsive teaching (CRT).Current CRT assessment tools range in their operationalization of CRT, evidence for validity and reliability, and type of assessment (i.e., self‐report, observational, etc.).When picking a CRT assessment tool, teachers should consider the validity of the measure, their self‐efficacy, and the goal for how CRT practice strategies might be implemented in their school community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a growing body of research examining resilient development in adolescents with a history of maltreatment, it remains unclear whether youth resilient functioning changes over time and what factors predict such change. The current study aimed to identify the socio-ecological predictors of the change in resilient functioning over time among adolescents with a history of maltreatment. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with a sample of 771 adolescents drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-II). Over 18 months, 23.2% of the adolescents remained in the less resilience group, 45.4% stayed in the greater resilience group, 17.4% moved from the greater resilience group to the less resilience group, and 14.0% moved from the less resilience group to the greater resilience group. Younger age, better parent-child relationship quality, and neighborhood safety were associated with stable and continued resilient functioning over time. Conversely, child physical abuse, affiliation with deviant peers, and receipt of behavioral services were negatively associated with continued resilience. Our findings suggest that interventions that support adolescents in building positive relationships with their parents and peers may prevent a loss of resilience over time and ensure continued resilient functioning in child welfare-involved adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of the school environment in the development and achievement of youth has been well-documented. Racial inequities within the school environment may lead to differential schooling experiences and perceptions between racially minoritized youth and their White peers. Differences in school racial climate contribute to the achievement gap and impact psychosocial outcomes. Despite this understanding, school racial climate literature remains underemphasized due, in part, to the absence of a unifying model of school racial climate. The current article discusses the importance of school racial climate as conceptually distinct from school climate, provides an overview of existing literature across fields, and identifies factors for consideration in advancing school racial climate research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite the well-documented scholarship highlighting ethnic-racial identity (ERI) and critical consciousness (CC) as promotive of positive academic outcomes, little research has explored what role these cultural assets may play in shaping science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) engagement and perceptions of barriers to STEM for youth of color. This work explored relations between racially minoritized youths' patterns of ERI and CC in association with STEM engagement and perceptions of STEM career and educational barriers., Method: Latent class analysis and analysis of variance were used with a predominately Black and Latinx sample ( N = 265, M age = 15.83, SD = 1.35; 49% female)., Results: Four classes emerged. Members of the naïve affirmed advocates class had significantly higher STEM engagement than the disillusioned class. Youth in the affirmed and critical class reported the highest perceptions of STEM-related career barriers, followed by the affirmed advocates class., Conclusions: Findings highlight the critical link between ERI and CC as promotive factors for academic engagement for racially minoritized youth in STEM and promote awareness of STEM-related barriers that may be useful to prepare and navigate future STEM challenges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

While previous research has noted the large numbers of school personnel with exposure to potentially traumatic experiences and its relation to secondary traumatic stress, it is unclear how different patterns of adverse childhood experiences influence secondary traumatic stress. As such, the present study employed latent profile analysis to examine natural groups of adverse childhood experience (ACE) history in 218 school mental health professionals (65% female; 55% White, 17.9% Black; 39% early career, 34% midcareer, and 28% late career; M age = 32.91) and 348 teachers (80% female; 80.5% White, 6.3% Black; 16% early career, 14% midcareer, and 70% late career; M age = 41.03) to examine the magnitude of secondary traumatic stress. The present study also examined the moderating effect of trauma-informed practice efficacy on the relationship between ACE history latent profiles and secondary traumatic stress. Four latent profiles were revealed among school personnel: (a) low ACEs , (b) average ACEs (c) neglected , and (d) high ACEs . Additionally, trauma-informed practice efficacy did not moderate the relationship between ACEs history profiles and secondary traumatic stress. Implications include targeted approaches for helping school personnel decrease secondary traumatic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite growing attention to resilience following childhood maltreatment, it remains unclear how the development of resilience unfolds over time among child welfare-involved adolescents. Further, little is known about the immediate and enduring effects of two important attachments in children's lives, namely caregiver-child relationship and deviant peer affiliation, on resilience development over time. This study sought to examine the ways in which caregiver-child relationships and deviant peer affiliation shape developmental trajectories of resilience among child welfare-involved youth. Data were drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Latent growth curve modeling was conducted on a sample of 711 adolescents. The results revealed that adolescents' resilience increased across a 36-month period since initial contact with Child Protective Services. Better caregiver-child relationships were associated with a higher initial level of resilience among adolescents, whereas higher deviant peer affiliation was associated with a lower initial level of resilience. Significant lagged effects were also found; caregiver-child relationship quality and deviant peer affiliation at baseline were associated with resilience at 18 months after. The findings suggest that interventions that aim to promote positive caregiver-child relationships and prevent deviant peer relationships may help foster resilience among adolescents who have experienced child maltreatment.

Objective: The current study aimed to improve the content validity of the Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey (TRACES) and the Child and Adolescent PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (CAPC-5)., Method: Two community-based collaborative research methods were used-cognitive interviewing and focus groups. Three rounds of cognitive interviews included a racially and economically diverse sample of 12 trauma-exposed youth and 12 caregivers. Three focus groups involved 19 clinicians with diverse disciplines and years of practice. Modifications to the measures were made after each round of interviews and after completion of all focus groups., Results: Both methods provided beneficial information about issues with the measures. Feedback from youth, caregivers, and clinicians was distinct, though data across groups generally converged. Improvements were made to the measures in multiple areas, such as instructions and clarity., Conclusions: Incorporating feedback from multiple stakeholders increased the content validity of the TRACES and CAPC-5. Collaborative research methods provide a trauma-informed initial step in the development of assessment measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).