Search

Although research suggests that school psychologists are generally satisfied with their experiences in the field, scholars have yet to examine how exposure to racial microaggressions, or subtle race-based insults, may impact satisfaction. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relation between exposure to microaggressions and satisfaction among practicing school psychologists, students, and university faculty. We were particularly interested in the role of race. We collected survey data from 93 school psychologists, and found that exposure to microaggressions predicted reported satisfaction with jobs and placements, but that the relation was only relevant for People of Color (POC). We also found that the relation between microaggression exposure and satisfaction was moderated by the demographic of one's work setting, as POC in settings that were primarily Black and Brown reported less satisfaction when they experienced high levels of microaggressions. Future directions and implications for the field of school psychology are discussed.

Research on microaggression has primarily focused on the experiences of adults, as researchers have yet to extensively examine the experiences of school-age children. The few studies that exist suggest that microaggressions are problematic well before young people reach college or the working world. The current study adds to the microaggression literature through an examination of the experiences of adolescents holding minoritized racial and sexual orientation identities at a Midwestern public high school. Participants in the study completed a survey that assessed their experiences with microaggressions, the degree to which they found them offensive, and their experiences with peers and school personnel. Results of the study suggest that these microaggressive exchanges are relevant for high school students and that individual differences exist in the way that adolescents notice and label microaggressive verbalizations as offensive. Future research directions are discussed, as well as implications for those working directly with students in schools.

In 2013, the USA admitted 69,909 refugees, 26,933 of whom were children (UNHCR, 2013). First- and second-generation refugee children may experience trauma related to the experience of displacement in addition to the obstacles of learning the English language. Given that students who speak English as a second language continue to perform significantly lower than peers on academic assessments (Kena et al. 2014), educators are tasked with developing effective and efficient ways to engage families to close the achievement gap and address the unique needs of refugee families. This article discusses factors that affect refugee families and strategies for enhancing collaboration to increase young children's exposure to literacy activities. The strategies are demonstrated in a pilot study in which we sought to identify the effectiveness and acceptability of an early literacy program. Collaboration with local community organizations was instrumental in the implementation of the program. Results of the study indicated significant gains in receptive language. In addition, parents rated the program as acceptable.