Dozens of UCR School of Education faculty, students, and researchers will participate at this year’s annual American Educational Research Association, or AERA meeting. AERA is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. This year’s event will be held in-person from April 13-16 in Chicago.

This year, Ted and Jo Dutton Presidential Professor for Education Policy and Politics Joseph Kahne has been named a 2023 AERA Fellow and will be inducted during a ceremony at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Chicago on April 14. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. Nominated by their peers, the 2023 Fellows were selected by the AERA Fellows Committee and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body. 
 
Associate Professor Rita Kohli will receive Division K’s 2023 Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award for her book  “Teachers of Color Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education,” in which Kohli documents many personal and emotional accounts of racism and professional isolation experienced by Black, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous, and multiracial teachers in public schools. Kohli will be recognized at the Division K Business meeting on Saturday, April 15th, 2023, 6:30pm CST at the Swissôtel Chicago, Event Centre. Below is a complete list of presentation, papers, and events at this year’s conference.

“AERA is an important opportunity for educators to come together and exchange ideas. Having so many of our scholars sharing their scholarship and transformative research on a national level is a testament to the important work happening at the UCR School of Education,” said Joi A. Spencer, dean of UCR School of Education. “We are so proud of Dr. Kahne and Dr. Kohli for their tremendous contributions to the field of education.”

Below is a schedule of UCR activities at AERA.

Thu, April 13, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Engendering New Examinations of Gender: Norms, Stereotypes, and Motivation 
Abstract: These four papers offer an examination of the role of gender in motivation and learning from four perspectives: gender norms about achievement in different fields; gender identity and sense of belonging in STEM; gender and self-management in math; and motivation in queer-spectrum students in a Women's and Gender Studies biology course. 
Paper: Interplay of Gender and Self-Management in Mathematics Performance When Students Are on the Move 
Authors:  
•    Hana Kang 
•    Cassandra M. Guarino, University of California - Riverside 
•    Lucrecia Santibanez, University of California - Los Angeles 
•    Robert K. Ream, University of California - Riverside 
•    Yiwang Li, University of California – Riverside 
  
Thu, April 13, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Inequities in Athletics and Education 
Abstract: This session will highlight current systemic inequities in athletics and education. Topics such as a race, gender, religion, and transfer status will be discussed. A range of theories, methods, and recommendations will be presented in the exploration of these inequitable issues in organized athletics at education institutions. 
Paper: Experiences of NCAA Transfer Athletes from JuCos: “There Should Be More of an Education Process" 
Authors:  
•    Guillermo Ortega, Idaho State University 
•    Nikola Grafnetterova, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi 
•    José Reyes Del Real Viramontes, University of California - Riverside 

Thu, April 13, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Patterns in Policy Implementation and Student Achievement 
Paper: Mathematics Achievement of Students with Disabilities Before and After the Implementation of the Common Core and SBAC Assessment 
Abstract: The academic achievement of students with disabilities (SWDs) have been a long-standing issue in the United States. However, we have a minimal understanding of the achievement of SWDs since the wide adoption of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) throughout the country. Using longitudinal data from 17 diverse districts in California, our research investigates how SWD's mathematics achievement in grades 3-8 and 11 has shifted in the transition to the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC) for the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Our preliminary results show that SWDs struggled with the CCSSM and the SBAC and lost an average 0.5 standard deviation in achievement. After adding controls, the gap between SWDs and non-SWDs narrowed slightly from 1 SD to 0.875 SD. 
Authors:  
•    Cassandra M. Guarino, University of California - Riverside 
•    Anna Emilia Bargagliotti, Loyola Marymount University 
•    Yiwang Li, University of California - Riverside 
•    Hana Kang 
•    Thomas M. Smith, Vanderbilt University 

Thu, April 13, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT 
Event: Critical Perspectives on News Media Production, Education, and (Counter)Engagement 
Paper: Centering Countergazes to Reconstruct Hyperinvisible (En)counters 
Abstract: BIPOC students encounter a barrage of visual and verbal assaults in the socio-cultural landscape and are constantly surveilled. Such hyperinvisible encounters are violent and can leave BIPOC embattled for psychological and physiological preservation. And, yet hyperinvisible (en)counters are not simply sites of BIPOC damage, but can be a catalyst for agency, critique and resistance. By foregrounding the experiential knowledge of HMong students, this paper aims to reconstruct understanding of hyperinvisible (en)counters (vs. encounters) in ways that highlight HMong agency without obscuring racialized spaces (of media, scholarship, and education institutions) in order to render visible and denaturalize white gazes. 
Author: 
•    Rican Vue, University of California - Riverside 

Thu, April 13, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Race, Gender, Sport, and Education 
Abstract: The papers in this session will explore the intersection of race, gender, sport, and education. Topics will range from youth to interscholastic to intercollegiate sport. Discussions will center on current issues and barriers and recommendations for equitable change. 
Paper: Exploring of the Existence of Black Student-Athlete Organizations on Predominantly White College Campuses 
Authors:  
•    Ezinne Ofoegbu, Santa Clara University 
•    Briana Savage, University of California - Riverside 

Thu, April 13, 2:50 to 4:20pm CDT (12:50 to 2:20pm PDT) 
Event: Interrogating and Reauthoring Savage Inequalities: Exploring Urban Educational Environment Truths Through Community Cultural Wealth 
Abstract: Based upon the forthcoming edited book Reauthoring Savage Inequalities: Narratives of Community Cultural Wealth in Urban Educational Environments (SUNY), this session provides a panel presentation of scholars who are committed to decidedly telling the truth about growing up, being educated, and thriving in urban education environments. Using Kozol’s Savage Inequalities as a starting point, the panel analyzes how Kozol’s work is too often situated as a foundational text for understanding urban education. Yet, the book is under-nuanced and devoid of the lived experiences of people being educated in these spaces. Further, it has not been subjected to “deep, sustained, and systematic interrogation” (Milner, 2022, n. p.). In essence, Savage Inequalities presents a narrative that is not situated “at the center of co-constructing with communities’ agendas of consequence” (Milner, n. p.). Utilizing Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model (CCWM) as an act of co-constructing and counter-narrativizing, this panel will serve as a space for analysis for participants who represent diverse perspectives, ways of knowing, and the creation of knowledge while also illuminating the nuances of unjust, dominating, and hegemonic depictions of teaching and learning in urban communities. Panelists expound on how unnamed structures, people, and practices transformed these communities into a wealth of aspirational, navigational, resistance, and social capital that provided, and still provide access to, and success in urban educational practices. 
Participants:  
•    Raquel Farmer-Hinton, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee 
•    Joi D. Lewis, Joi Unlimited 
•    Toby S. Jenkins-Henry, University of South Carolina 
•    Marvin Lynn, University of Colorado - Denver 
•    Mirelsie Velázquez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
•    Dallas Watson, Macalester College 
•    Tara J. Yosso, University of California - Riverside 
•    Dorinda Carter Andrews, Michigan State University 

Thu, April 13, 4:40 to 6:10pm CDT (2:40 to 4:10pm PDT) 
Event: Athletes are (=) Scholars: (Re)positioning Black Athletic Genius to Answer the Educational Crisis 
Abstract: Given the persistent presence of Black students on K-20 athletic teams, concurrent academic performance gaps along racial lines, and resurgence of Black athlete activism in the 21st century, this session addresses a timely and important issue related to the theme of “Interrogating Consequential Education Research in the Pursuit of Truth”. Topics such as academic neglect, athletic exploitation, cognitive and behavioral misdiagnoses, mental and physical abuse, and liberatory, pedagogical, and conceptual approaches will be discussed toward the intentional centering of Black academic brilliance through athletics and as an answer to the educational crisis. 
Paper: Career Transition Equity Scorecard and Division I College Athletes 
Authors: 
•    Eddie Comeaux, University of California - Riverside 

Fri, April 14, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (6:00 to 7:30am PDT) 
Event: Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers 
Abstract: Decades of research have indicated the positive impact of Indigenous teachers and teachers of Color on student learning and social and emotional development, particularly for Students of Color and Indigenous Students. Inspired by the Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers, this Division K Vice-Presidential session explore the problematics and addresses remedies for the underrepresentation of Indigenous teachers and teachers of Color underrepresentation in public schools across the US. 
Participants:  
•    Jessica Martell, NYC Public Schools 
•    Josephine Pham, University of California - Santa Cruz 
•    Rita Kohli, University of California - Riverside 
•    Felicia Moore Mensah, Teachers College, Columbia University 
•    Ayesha Rabadi-Raol, Sonoma State University 

Fri, April 14, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (6:00 to 7:30am PDT) 
Event: Higher Education: Creating New Paths for Data Use 
Paper: A Machine Learning Framework to Predict College Readiness Using Early Dropout 
Abstract: Although states, school districts, and research institutions have historically put in a huge amount of time and resources to develop standards for college readiness and create intervention programs to help students navigate college, college readiness remains a big problem. This study argues for the benefits of using early college dropout to indicate the lack of college readiness and designs a machine learning framework around predicting students at risk of dropping out of college. This study explores features useful for the prediction task, applying and tuning the popular learning algorithms, and evaluating their performance using meaningful metrics. This study discusses the implications of the findings and informs the design of an early warning system and its intended applications. 
Author:
•    Yiwang Li, University of California – Riverside

Fri, April 14, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (6:00 to 7:30am PDT) 
Event: A Synthesis of Mathematics and Statistics Assessments: 2000–2020 
Abstract: Findings drawn from quantitative studies are greatly influenced by the validity evidence associated with measure(s) used. To date, there is little synthesis of quantitative assessments available for scholarly use in mathematics and statistics education. A purpose of this symposium is to share findings from multiple synthesis teams that have analyzed the quantitative assessments used in mathematics and statistics education literature between 2000-2020. Goals for this symposium are two-fold: (1) Participants will learn about the synthesis process as well as the findings from those syntheses. (2) Participants will have opportunities to engage with synthesis teams about viable instruments that might fit their research and evaluation needs. 
Papers: Findings From the Instruments for Elementary Students Synthesis Group 
Authors:  
•    Jeffrey C. Shih, University of Nevada - Las Vegas 
•    Marsha M. Ing, University of California - Riverside 
•    Cindy Jong, University of Kentucky 
•    Karl W. Kosko, Kent State University 

Fri, April 14, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Critical Perspectives: Leveraging the Influence of Languages in Multilingual Contexts 
Paper: Parental Involvement as Social Capital: Exploring Intersectional Effects on the Reading Achievement of English Language Learners 
Abstract: English language learners (ELLs) score significantly lower in reading achievement than their non-ELL counterparts (The Nation’s Report Card, 2022). With a lens of social capital theory, this study uses data from the second-grade wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten (N=18,174) to explore whether parental involvement is associated with reading performance gains at differing rates by ELL status. Additionally, an intersectional analysis reveals whether gender, race, and SES introduce additional disadvantages. Findings indicate that parents of ELLs are less involved in their child’s education suggesting that schools need outreach efforts to reduce ELL parent barriers as well as to inform ELL parents of the benefits of their involvement. Very few intersectional differences were found. 
Authors:  
•    Valerie Zarco, University of California - Riverside 
•    Gregory J. Palardy, University of California – Riverside 

Fri, April 14, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Programmatic Approaches to Teacher Induction and Support 
Paper: Induction Coach Match Characteristics Relationship With Novice Teacher Perceived and Actual Retention 
Abstract: Beginning teachers often leave the profession prematurely. This quantitative study examines one of California’s largest teacher induction programs to identify the relationship between novice teachers’ retention intentions and characteristics of their coaching match. We control for novice teacher, induction coach, and campus demographics alongside self-reported proxies of quality coach interactions. Results indicate the importance of having an induction coach with the same teaching philosophy, and to a lesser extent who teaches the same grade, are associated with increased novice teacher perceptions of retention as well as their actual retention. Findings suggest that induction programs should prioritize philosophical similarities (possibly above traditional structural similarities) to better support increased novice teacher retention. 
Authors:  
•    Andrew Kwok, Texas A&M University - College Station 
•    Joseph Waddington, University of Kentucky 
•    Deborah Huston, University of California - Riverside 
•    Douglas E. Mitchell, University of California - Riverside 
•    Rita Hemsley, University of California - Riverside 
•    Tonya Almeida 

Fri, April 14, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Insights From Large-Scale Curriculum Reforms: Opportunities and Challenges in Current Policy to Support Student Learning and Development 
Paper: Assessing the State of Media Literacy Policy in U.S. K–12 Schools 
Authors:  
•    Daniela Kruel DiGiacomo, University of Kentucky 
•    Erica Hodgin, University of California - Riverside 
•    Joseph E. Kahne, University of California – Riverside 
•    Samia Alkam, University of California - Riverside 
•    Caitlin Taylor, University of Kentucky 
 
Fri, April 14, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Early Literacy Across Contexts 
Paper: Rigor and Equity for English Learners in Transitional Kindergarten 
Abstract: There is a critical need for research on rigorous early literacy interventions designed to address opportunity gaps for English learners (ELs) from low-income families. In this study, four public elementary schools, each with a transitional kindergarten classroom (a grade in California between preschool and kindergarten) and high percentages of ELs, were randomly assigned to implement a universal, year-long early literacy and language intervention, the RULE of 3, or instruction-as-usual. Results indicated that students in the RULE of 3 classrooms acquired language and literacy skills at a much higher level than students in the control classrooms (η2 = .66). Our findings suggest ELs in transitional kindergarten can benefit from early, rigorous language and literacy instruction. 
Author:
•    Linda Ventriglia-Navarrette, University of California – Riverside 

Fri, April 14, 2:50 to 4:20pm CDT (12:50 to 2:20pm PDT) 
Event: Institutional Agents Impact on Latino Men's Transitions Into and Through Higher Education 
Abstract: The papers in this session aim to expand the construct of institutional agents to examine the impact they have on Latino men’s transition into and through higher education. Despite gains in college enrollment and completion, gaps between Latino men and their white and women counterparts persist. The papers in this session examine how institutional agents support aspirations and foster opportunities for Latino men through various higher education contexts. The authors will engage in discussion of how to interrogate educational practices by identifying how institutional agents can become more supportive of Latino men as they move through higher education. 
Paper: Transfer Receptive Culture Supportive or Discouraging? Latino Men Transfer Students at Midwest University During COVID-19 
Authors:
•    José Reyes Del Real Viramontes, University of California - Riverside 

Fri, April 14, 2:50 to 4:20pm CDT (12:50 to 2:20pm PDT) 
Event: Interrogating Mixture Models in Pursuit of True Population Heterogeneity 
Abstract: In the past two decades there have been considerable advances in latent variable modeling techniques over the last two decades, including advances in longitudinal and mixture models with the focus on seeking true population heterogeneity. The five papers in this symposium cover a range of modeling extensions, applications, and simulation work with the common theme of better understanding true population heterogeneity through mixture modeling. 
Paper: A Demonstration of the Utility of Latent Profile Analysis for Critical Quantitative Frameworks 
Authors:  
•    Netasha Pizano, University of California - Santa Barbara 
•    Karen L. Nylund-Gibson, University of California, Santa Barbara 
•    Marsha M. Ing, University of California - Riverside 

Fri, April 14, 2:50 to 4:20pm CDT (12:50 to 2:20pm PDT) 
Event: Minding the Gap in Accountability Policy Implementation 
Paper: Have Common Core State Standards and Aligned Assessments Narrowed the Poverty Gap in Mathematics Achievement? 
Abstract: Reducing disparities among historically disadvantaged groups has long been part of the federal policy agenda. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are meant to provide a tool for all teachers to enhance the rigor of their instruction and reduce disparities in the achievement of marginalized groups. Using longitudinal data from 23 diverse districts in California, our research investigates how poverty-related achievement disparities in mathematics in grades 3-8 and 11 have shifted in the transition to the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC) for the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Although we found an initial widening of the poverty gap with the implementation of SBAC, the most recently available data suggest that the gap may be narrowing, albeit slowly. 
Authors:  
•    Thomas M. Smith, Vanderbilt University 
•    Cassandra M. Guarino, University of California - Riverside 
•    Yiwang Li, University of California - Riverside 
•    Hana Kang 
•    Anna Emilia Bargagliotti, Loyola Marymount University 

Sat, April 15, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (6:00 to 7:30am PDT) 
Event: Tools to Support Decision Making: Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Machine Learning, and More? 
Paper: Automating Book-to-Curriculum Mapping Using Representation Learning 
Abstract: Reading is one of the most critical aspects of student learning. Historically, educators have selected curriculum-aligned literature manually, a process that is not only draining on already constrained time and resources but also overwhelming, given the nuances of curriculum standards and the large volume of new books published each year. In this paper, we present a methodology towards making this process of book-to-curriculum mapping more scalable and resourceful by leveraging the information contained in the back cover book descriptions. We provide a proof-of-concept analysis using the Common Core State Standards Mathematics and data from the California Department of Education's recommended book list. We demonstrate that book descriptions alone can be a sufficient source for effectively mapping entire books to curriculum standards. 
Authors:  
•    Yiwang Li, University of California – Riverside 
•    Yulie Park, University of California – Berkeley 
•    Xingyao Xiao, University of California – Berkeley 

Sat, April 15, 8:00 to 9:30am CDT (6:00 to 7:30am PDT)  
Event: Critiques for Transformation: Reimagining Colleges and Communities for Social Justice 
Abstract: Bringing together papers from an upcoming edited volume, authors will collectively dream about the role of critical scholarship in liberatory futures and the potential role of scholars, students, administrators, and policymakers in the face of attacks on anti-racist thinking and learning. These chapters--which (re)imagine practice from the micro (classroom) to the macro (legislation) in higher education--are united by their use of critical theories to expand the scope of possibility in the postsecondary endeavor. Authors will think together, across domains of practice, about the utility of critical theories as analytic tools that prompt us to “ask different, and perhaps better questions” (Patel, 2021, p. 7), and the urgency of resisting anti-equity proponents’ work to obscure them. 
Paper: The More Things Change, the More They Remain the Same: Exclusion at the Highest Level of University Control 
Authors:   
•    Raquel M. Rall, University of California - Riverside 
•    Felecia E. Commodore, Old Dominion University 
•    Demetri L. Morgan, Loyola University Chicago 

Sat, April 15, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Division D Invited Session for 2022 Mini-Grant Awardees 
Paper: Collecting Researcher Positionality Data: An Innovative Interview Method for Culturally Sensitive Research 
Author:
•    Michael W. Moses, University of California - Riverside 

Sat, April 15, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: In Pursuit of Justice: Teachers of Color as Change Agents 
Paper: Teachers of Color Enacting Authentic Care to Sustain Students' Humanities During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
Abstract: This qualitative analysis centers the voices of six teachers of Color in the California Bay Area who expressed and maintained authentic care (Valenzuela, 1999) for the holistic well-being of their students of Color amidst mass disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that authentic care empowered the teachers to adopt humanizing instructional and pedagogical practices that prioritized the holistic well-being of their students during the period of online learning. Enacting authentic care further caused the teachers to reject and challenge dominant, neoliberal discourses of “learning loss” widely espoused during the pandemic. Their narratives reveal ways in which schools may become more humanizing and authentically caring spaces for students of Color during times of crisis and beyond. 
Authors:
•    Corinna D. Ott, University of California - Riverside 

Sat, April 15, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Methodological Innovations and Advanced Applications Using National and International Databases 
Paper: Do Engagement, Motivation, and Self-Regulation Predict Freshman Academic Performance Above and Beyond High School Academic Preparedness? 
Abstract: This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to examine the predictive validity of four types of high school measures of college readiness (school engagement, self-regulation, motivation, and academic preparedness) on freshmen academic performance. The results show that while the three non-academic measures strongly predict freshmen academic performance, their effects are largely mediated by high school academic preparedness. However, the effect of Academic Preparedness also had a weaker association with freshmen performance among underserved groups (Black and Latino students) than others. An implication of these findings is admissions policy that focus solely on academic preparedness is less appropriate for selecting the best students from underserved populations. 
Author:
•    Gregory J. Palardy, University of California - Riverside 

Sat, April 15, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Charting the Landscape of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers 
Abstract: Benefits of teachers of color and indigenous teachers (TOCIT) go far beyond representation and student academic success. For example, TOCIT reduces rates of disproportionate discipline (Shirrell et al., 2021; contributes to socio-emotional learning (Scherer, 2022); and shows great insight into racialized experiences of students of color (Kohli, 2009). There is a need to understand how TOCIT are recruited, retained, educated, and supported. Extending from the 2022 Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers (Gist & Bristol, 2022), this symposium presentation highlights and expands critical scholarship on TOCIT across six key areas: (1) Recruitment & Retention; (2) Program Design, Pedagogy & Leadership; (3) Human Resource Development & Induction; (4) Mentorship & Professional Development; (5) Intersectionality; and (6) Educational Impact. 
Paper: Countering Teacher of Color Attrition Through Critical Professional Development and Critical Mentoring 
Authors:  
•    Belinda Bustos Flores, The University of Texas - San Antonio 
•    Socorro Herrera, Kansas State University 
•    Rita Kohli, University of California - Riverside 
•    Peggy Brookins, NBPTS 
•    Lorena Claeys, The University of Texas - San Antonio 
•    Re'Nyqua Farrington, University of California – Riverside 
 
Sat, April 15, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work 
Paper: Development of Causal Decomposition Analysis to Investigate Accumulating Racial Disparities in Student Achievement 
Abstract: This study aims to develop an analytical method to identify mediators that explain disparity changes over time. Significant racial disparities in math achievement exist, but little attention has been given to the widening gap during high school. To reduce racial disparities and prevent this gap, investigators must identify factors that contribute to the racial disparities at a single point (before high school) and over time (during high school). One statistical framework enabling researchers to identify these mediators is causal decomposition analysis. However, this method is limited to addressing a mediator or an outcome measured at a one-time point and cannot provide a comprehensive understanding of mediating mechanisms. The specific project goals are to 1) develop a flexible estimation method leveraging repeated measures of mediators or outcomes and a sensitivity analysis assessing the robustness of findings to a possible violation of identification assumptions, 2) demonstrate the significance and applicability of the developed method using empirical data examining contributing factors to the widening disparity in math scores during high school, and 3) provide software (R package) to implement the estimation method and sensitivity analysis.   
Authors:  
•    Soojin Park, University of California – Riverside 

Sat, April 15, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Intersecting With Race: Considerations in Working With Diverse Populations 
Paper: Documenting the Lived Experiences of Latina/o Community College Transfer Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
Abstract: In Illinois, almost half of Latinx students in the community college are enrolled in transfer programs. However, it is less clear how many Latinx students transfer to a four-year institution. These numbers illustrate an urgent need for higher education scholars, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to examine whether and how higher education institutions support Latinx community college students during COVID-19. This qualitative study used the transfer receptive culture and LatCrit to explore the diverse experiences of Latina/o community college transfer students who transferred to Midwest University (MU) during COVID-19. Preliminary findings show Latina/o students experiencing barriers and challenges in six areas: outreach, orientation, advising, housing, financial aid, and academic/social support they experienced during their transition to MU. 
Author:
•    José Reyes Del Real Viramontes, University of California – Riverside 

Sun, April 16, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) 
Event: Today's Collegiate Student-Athlete Experiences: Understanding the Psychosocial, Motivational, and Contextual Factors Involved 
Abstract: Collegiate student-athletes are required to maintain eligibility status, academic and athletic performance while managing various other stressors. Our symposium takes a deep dive into the experiences of collegiate student-athletes that involve the impact of psychological, motivational, and contextual factors. The contributions in this symposium involve an array of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, and examine student-athletes from varying backgrounds, institution types, and geographical locations. Psychosocial and motivation issues involving identity spill-over effects, coping with setbacks, navigating decisions to transfer institutions, and understanding the place of sport on campus are covered. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive understanding of current collegiate student-athletes experiences in North America and offer recommendations for sport programs, coaches, and educators with goals to support student-athletes. 
Discussant:
•    Eddie Comeaux, University of California – Riverside 

Sun, April 16, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Writing for Equity: A Symposium for Beginning Scholars 
Abstract: Designed for doctoral students and new faculty who focus on equity and diversity, this mentoring-style symposium shares productive writing techniques for young scholars. This session will a) provide concrete techniques to boost writing productivity and publishing potential and b) offer insights into navigating obstacles when writing about equity. 
We will engage in a storytelling-style presentation of how we make time to write, structure that time, and set goals. We will share techniques (and mistakes) that have impacted our writing. A question and answer session will follow, with a focus on: 
•blowback on writing about equity 
•translating academic research for teacher audiences 
•writing to fuse the personal and professional 
•finding supportive places to publish 
•maintaining an authentic voice 
Participants:  
•    Joi A. Spencer, University of California - Riverside 
•    Tyrone C. Howard, University of California - Los Angeles 
•    Kerri A. Ullucci, Roger Williams University 

Sun, April 16, 11:40am to 1:10pm CDT (9:40 to 11:10am PDT) 
Event: Disrupting Organizational Structures to Create Transformative Change 
Paper: The White Way to Hire Presidents: Racism in the Search and Appointment Process 
In Event: Disrupting Organizational Structures to Create Transformative Change  
Abstract:  The purpose of this paper is to explore how presidential search and appointment processes (re)produce institutionalized racism. We interviewed 36 Asian, Black, Latinx, and white presidents from public higher education systems in one state. Our preliminary analysis points to the overarching finding that the college presidency continues to be white, demographically and normatively. We found that candidates of color often need to conform to the archetype of white presidential leadership to be deemed qualified and to be hired. Our findings have implications for policy and practice regarding creating equitable presidential search and appointment processes that value racially diverse identities and experiences. 
Authors:  
•    Román Liera, Montclair State University 
•    Cheryl D. Ching, University of Massachusetts - Boston 
•    Raquel M. Rall, University of California - Riverside 
•    Megan M. Chase, University of Southern California 
•    Estela M. Bensimon, University of Southern California 

Sun, April 16, 4:40 to 6:10pm CDT (2:40 to 4:10pm PDT) 
Event: Critical race theory, truth telling and “consequential education research” 
Abstract: The wave of anti-CRT legislation in over 35 states in the U.S. has raised concerns for public educators, school systems and public colleges and universities over curriculum and the viability of Academic Freedom as an ideal supported and protected by educational administrators. Moreover, the attack on everything associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the attempts to attribute all to CRT, indeed reinforce the notion that critical scholarship on equity has indeed been consequential. This session will feature presentations by leading scholars in CRT and Education on what “truths” CRT has helped to reveal about education and racial equity. Panelists will discuss what we “know” now because of our engagement with CRT, that we didn’t know before as it relates to teacher education, education policy, educational leadership, higher education, curriculum, educational research, and community engagement. 
Speaker:  
•    Celia Rousseau Anderson, University of Memphis 
•    Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy, Arizona State University 
•    Thandeka K. Chapman, University of California - San Diego 
•    Jessica T. Decuir-Gunby, University of Southern California 
•    Jamel K. Donnor, William & Mary 
•    Gerardo R. López, Michigan State University 
•    David O. Stovall, University of Illinois At Chicago 
•    Tara J. Yosso, University of California – Riverside 

Sun, April 16, 4:40 to 6:10pm CDT (2:40 to 4:10pm PDT) 
Event: Critical Analyses: Sociopolitical and Sociocultural Contexts 
Paper: Adolescent Critical Race Digital Literacies in the United States During the 2020 Election 
Abstract: This study assesses adolescents’ analyses of digital media about Black voter suppression during U.S. elections. The study is part of the larger National Survey of Critical Digital Literacy, conducted during the 2020 election with a nationally representative sample. Through a thematic analysis, we found that 30% of a subsample demonstrated an ability to critically analyze the possibility of voter suppression in 2020 in relation to social and historical contexts shaped by racism, while 18% engaged in race-evasive thinking. A chi-squared analysis showed a significant relationship between task performance and race-ethnicity, with Black and Latinx adolescents better able to provide higher levels of critical race analysis than white adolescents. No participants echoed the Trump campaign’s attempts to overturn the election. 
Author:  
•    Matthew Hamilton, University of Southern California 
•    Brendesha M. Tynes, University of Southern California 
•    Stephen M Gibson, North Carolina State University 
•    Joseph E. Kahne, University of California - Riverside 
•    Karinna Nazario 

Thu, May 4, 11:30am to 1:00pm CDT (9:30 to 11:00am PDT) 
Event: STEM Instruction and Interventions Across Contexts 
Paper: Processes that Underlie Mathematical Precociousness in Young Emergent Bilingual Children 
Abstract: Processes that underlie precocious, average, and children with low math computation were examined in emergent bilingual children. A battery of domain-specific (estimation, magnitude judgment, word problems), vocabulary/reading, phonological storage [STM, naming speed], and executive processing (inhibition, working memory), in both Spanish and English, were administered to elementary school children whose first language is Spanish. Multi-level logistic modeling showed that the log-odds of identifying precocious children were significantly related to performance on English measures of magnitude judgment, word problem solving, naming speed, and Spanish measures of WM The results support the notion that domain-specific and domain-general processes are important predictors of children’s mathematical precociousness and were found to operate independently of individual differences in reading, vocabulary, phonological processing, and inhibition. 
Authors:  
•    Lee Swanson, University of New Mexico 
•    Jennifer Kong, University of New Mexico 
•    Catherine Lussier, University of California – Riverside 

Thu, May 4, 4:15 to 5:45pm CDT (2:15 to 3:45pm PDT) 
Event: Reclaiming Positionality as Methodological Praxis for Truth-Telling in Education Research 
Abstract: This symposium of papers interrogates positionality as a methodological concept that is relatively known yet widely misunderstood. Positionality is often treated as a rollcall of identity constructs (e.g., race, gender) describing the social identities of researchers and researched. Although this approach is a starting point, what is missing is an understanding of positionality as methodological praxis equipped to disrupt power hierarchies reinscribed by the research process. Featuring five papers, this symposium reclaims positionality as methodological praxis for truth-telling and humanizing in education research. The session will conclude with synthesized remarks from the session’s discussant and time for dialogue and question and answers amongst panelists and attendees. 
Paper: A Black Feminist Approach to Positionality as Dynamic Relationships in Education Research 
Authors:  
•    Michael W. Moses, University of California - Riverside 
•    Francesca Arielle Williamson, Indiana University School of Medicine 
 
Fri, May 5, 9:45 to 11:15am CDT (7:45 to 9:15am PDT) 
Event: New Perspectives on International Students in U.S. Postsecondary Education 
Paper: Examining Chinese International Students’ Experience of Racialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Through an Analysis of the Asian Critical Race Theory 
Abstract: Chinese international students have become increasingly vulnerable to racial microaggressions and other negative experiences, due to the shifting socio-political environment of the United States (U.S.) and the COVID-19 pandemic. By using Asian Critical Race Theory, this paper focuses on understanding how racialization as “Asian” and the transnational influence of political tensions between U.S./ China relations, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted Chinese international students’ experience of racialization. 
Author:
•    Yi Zhou, University of California - Riverside 
 

For more information on this year's conference visit the AERA website here.