Research Topic

Race Equity

For children and families to thrive, we must confront and correct historic and current policies that create inequitable opportunities. Embedded structural racism is the major barrier to achieving better outcomes for children and families. CCFP researchers study how past and current policies and programs contribute to inequal opportunities for children and families of color and seek to identify programs, policies, and interventions that provide opportunities for all children and families, particularly those who have been impacted by structural racism.

Latest Research

Journal Articles

Focus Groups as Counterspaces for Black Girls and Black Women: A Critical Approach to Research Methods

When researchers intentionally account for the complexities of gendered racism, focus groups can become spaces for healing, community building, information exchange, psychological safety, and support for Black girls and Black women. In this paper we advance strategies for employing focus groups as counterspaces, an anti-racist and anti-oppressive research method that educational psychologists can utilize to challenge current methodological approaches related to Black girls and Black women.

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Journal Articles

Using Critical Race Mixed Methodology to Explore African American College Students’ Experiences with Racial Microaggressions

This article advances the use of mixed methods in higher education research to better understand the racialized experiences of African American college students and demonstrate how Critical Race Mixed Methodology can be used to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings.

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Book Chapter

Qualitative and Mixed Methods

As the landscape and experiences of adolescents change, researchers should inquire beyond traditional methods and methodologies. In this article, we provide context on how researchers can challenge current approaches to explore understandings of adolescents by engaging in critical qualitative and mixed methods research.

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Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services

This project expands reach, builds capacity, and scales up evidence-based programs offering positive youth development and sexuality education to address health disparities in the most vulnerable areas across rural Eastern North Carolina.

learn more about Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services
learn more about Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and Services

How State Social Policies and Practices Impact Hispanic Low-Income Children and Youth

Project Description Safety net policies are intended to provide some level of basic income support and economic security to eligible families, in turn improving developmental outcomes and life course trajectories for children. Yet, despite high rates of poverty, Latinx families are less likely than other groups to utilize these benefits. Project Goals The team will…

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learn more about How State Social Policies and Practices Impact Hispanic Low-Income Children and Youth

Examining Medicaid and the Nutrition Program for Women and Children to Understand How to Design Social Policy to Achieve Health Equity

This research will provide an in-depth view of variation in state-level policy rules and program administration across WIC and Medicaid in three states and illuminate the consequences for policy beneficiaries’ ability to access benefits, engage with programs, and function as democratic citizens.

learn more about Examining Medicaid and the Nutrition Program for Women and Children to Understand How to Design Social Policy to Achieve Health Equity
learn more about Examining Medicaid and the Nutrition Program for Women and Children to Understand How to Design Social Policy to Achieve Health Equity

Developing and Evaluating Progressive Prosecution in Durham, NC

The purpose of this project is to support the development and evaluation of new evidence-based plea bargaining policies and practices in the Durham District Attorney’s Office.

learn more about Developing and Evaluating Progressive Prosecution in Durham, NC
learn more about Developing and Evaluating Progressive Prosecution in Durham, NC
April 29, 2024
Book Chapter

Informal Stem Counterspaces for Black Girls and Critical Race Feminism: A Meta-Ethnographic Review

The objective of this chapter is to (1) explain how informal STEM counterspaces for Black girls in K-12 can lead to STEM career opportunities,(2) to share lessons from the field from existing programs in urban and non-urban spaces where Black girls’ voices are centered,(3) to consider areas for expansion,(4) to provide resource and tools and to assist with further understanding and exploration of how to engage in assisting Black girls in STEM counterspaces through research and practice.

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April 12, 2024
Journal Articles

African American Language in Children’s Literature

The purpose of this study was to determine the most prevalent African American Language (AAL) phonological and grammatical features in slavery- and Civil Rights-themed children’s literature.

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February 8, 2024
Research Brief

Teachers’ First Classroom Experiences and Persistent Racial Gaps in Schooling

New research findings show that teachers’ experiences during their first year in the profession impact how they assess students, particularly Black students, later in their careers.

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