Repeated School Suspensions: Who Receives Them, What Reasons Are Given, and How Students Fare

Although out-of-school school suspensions have been correlated with negative school outcomes, they are still a common formal response given to students whose behavior is deemed problematic. Being suspended multiple times within an academic year results in students losing even more instructional time. In this study, we used longitudinal data for students from elementary to high school to examine: (a) demographic characteristics of students who received repeated out-of-school suspensions across six consecutive years, (b) common infractions that resulted in those school suspensions, and (c) the relationship between repeated suspensions and students’ later academic and behavior outcomes. We found that a high number of male and Black students, as well as students with disabilities, received repeated suspensions with minor infractions reported as the most common reasons. Regression analyses revealed a significant and negative relationship between repeated suspensions in the early grades and the number of suspensions students received in secondary school.

Neurobiological changes during the peripartum period: implications for health and behavior

Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood is an important period marked by dramatic neurobiological and psychosocial changes that may have implications for the health of women and offspring. Although human and non-human animal research suggests that the brain undergoes alterations during the peripartum period, these changes are poorly understood. Here, we review existing research, particularly human neuroimaging and psychophysiological research, to examine changes in brain structure and function during the peripartum period and discuss potential implications for the health of women and offspring. First, we discuss the potential causes of these changes across pregnancy, including physiological and psychosocial factors. Next, we discuss the evidence for structural and functional changes in the brain during pregnancy and into the postpartum period, noting the need for research conducted prospectively across human pregnancy. Finally, we propose potential models of individual differences in peripartum neurobiological changes (i.e. hypo-response, typical response, hyper-response) and emphasize the need to consider trajectories of change in addition to pre-existing factors that may predict maternal adjustment to parenthood. We suggest that the consideration of individual differences in neurobiological trajectories across pregnancy may contribute to a better understanding of risk for negative health and behavior outcomes for women and offspring.

Are Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated With Deficits in Self-Control? A Test Among Two Independent Samples of Youth

A large body of research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative health and behavior outcomes, including delinquent and criminal behavior. To date, relatively little research considers whether experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is associated with lower self-control. We advance this area of research by first articulating potential mechanisms through which ACEs may impact self-control. We then investigate whether experiencing more ACEs is inversely associated with self-control in separate samples of youth from Michigan and Florida. For both samples, results indicate that experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is negatively associated with self-control. Exploratory analyses also indicate that ACEs reflecting interpersonal maltreatment are more strongly associated with deficits in self-control than ACEs pertaining to aspects of household dysfunction.

The Social and Emotional Dimensions of a Single Item Overall School Readiness Screener and its Relation to Academic Outcomes

The purpose of the study was to examine the relations among a single item school readiness screener, social/emotional ratings, and academic performance. A prior study found that single item kindergarten readiness ratings completed in the fall predicted end-of-year academic and behavior outcomes even after controlling for baseline scores. Here, we attempted to extend these findings by using a single overall readiness item, an expanded rating scale for the item, and a comparison with other social and emotional ratings provided by teachers. Fifty-five teachers in 18 elementary school sites completed the overall readiness item on 893 kindergarten students. Teachers also completed Likert-type social emotional items and assessments of emergent literacy skills on all students. Results suggested that teachers use basic social behavior expectations in their judgments of readiness rather than extreme disruptive behaviors. In addition, the single item identified students who were below benchmark and not prepared to start school with higher accuracy than a 14-item social rating scale. Discussion focuses on the promise and limitations of the single item measure and future directions for its study and use.