The Weekly Recap
News and Updates From Across BU Wheelock SPACE This Week
Welcome to this week’s recap! This week we share faculty engagement highlights, news mentions, recently published research, and information about upcoming events.
Faculty Engagement
Boston Debate League: Michael Medina (Asst. Professor, BU Wheelock) appeared on the first episode of the Boston Debate League’s new podcast, More Than Debate, and discussed the upcoming study on the Debate-Inspired Classrooms program. Listen here to learn how debate-driven activities across subject areas can create more dynamic, inclusive classrooms.
Senior Fellow: Stephanie Curenton (Professor, BU Wheelock) has been appointed a Senior Fellow with the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. She’ll be collaborating with the Center on various projects, bringing diverse expertise to improve outcomes for children facing adversity.
Leadership in Gymnastics: Edson Filho (Assoc. Professor, BU Wheelock), joined a webinar hosted by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Education Commission. He shared insights on core leadership theories, explored the critical role of effective leadership in sports, and addressed the unique challenges and opportunities faced by gymnastics coaches. View the webinar here.
In the News
Examining inequities in education with Dr. Bettina Love and Anthony Abraham Jack, Disrupted Podcast, (interview with Assoc. Professor Anthony Abraham Jack), November 1, 2024
Research That Matters
English Learners in Massachusetts: The centrality of English as one legacy of Lau: An interest convergence theory analysis of Massachusetts policy for English Learners (article co-authored by Assoc. Professor Christina Dobbs)
The authors uses the framework of interest convergence, a concept from critical race theory (CRT) developed by Derrick Bell, to examine the legacy of the 1974 Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols. Interest convergence suggests that progress toward racial justice mainly occurs when it aligns with the interests of the dominant, often white, group. In Lau v. Nichols, the Court ruled that failing to provide language support for students with limited English proficiency violated the Civil Rights Act, affirming English learners’ right to participate fully in public school programs. This decision opened the door for instructional programs for English learners in Massachusetts, which reinforce English as the primary goal of schooling. The study finds that interest convergence has shaped the structure of English learner programs in Massachusetts, as a move both toward and away from English-only instructional policy.
Family Civic Engagement and IDEA: Examining Family Testimonials for the Reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (article co-authored by Assoc. Professor Zach Rossetti)
In the last reauthorization of the federal special education law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), families of individuals with disabilities contributed less than 4% of public comments, despite being key decision-making partners. To understand their perspectives, researchers analyzed testimonials from 65 families who participated in a civic engagement program. Their analysis found that families suggested strengthening IDEA provisions, increasing federal funding of special education, addressing personnel issues in special education, improving accountability, and boosting family knowledge and empowerment. Further analysis showed that families of children with autism were especially likely to request more emphasis on knowledge and empowerment. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
Upcoming Events
November 18 - Bolstering Family Participation in IDEA Reauthorization Through Civic Engagement Trainings. Join the SPACE Office on November 18th from 3:00-4:00 pm EST for the Research that Matters: Insight from Community-Engaged Scholarship webinar and hear Zach Rossetti (Assoc. Professor, BU Wheelock), Meghan Burke (Professor, Vanderbilt Peabody College), and Sarah Demissie (Self-Advocacy Researcher), discuss their recent research on enhancing civic engagement in culturally and linguistically diverse families and students with disabilities through legislative advocacy in special education. This event will be moderated by Jessica Wong (Director, BU Federal Relations). Register here.