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Category: Affiliate Research

Research reveals ‘the good life’ better for some Nebraska families than others

Keeping up with the needs of Nebraska families is crucial for promoting health among current and future generations — and to ensure the state’s economic success.

Living in Nebraska is often referred to as “the good life” by many of the state’s nearly 2 million residents. But according to a recent review of family needs across the state, that “good life” is more accessible to some than others.

An examination of local, state and national databases by University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers underscores the need to strengthen support for families as a key step toward achieving the state’s economic goals. Their analysis found Nebraska families becoming more diverse and complex, due largely to changes in the demographic makeup of the state’s population in recent decades. Full Article

Research supports vulnerable youth in the journey from expulsion and juvenile detention to graduation

Project researchers include, front row from left: Loukia Sarroub, Alex Mason and Sarah Staples-Farmer. Back row from left: Randy Farmer, Natalie Koziol, Debbie Minter and Eric Buhs. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

The journey from detention to diploma is a challenging one for students transitioning from expulsion or the juvenile justice system to the classroom.

More than 25,000 youth reside in detention facilities on any given day in the United States. About two-thirds of those youth do not successfully re-engage with school upon their release, due to the lack of effective transition supports. Full Article

Study targets effects of substance misuse on hearing, balance

Michelle Hughes, professor of special education and communication disorders, is leading the University of Nebraska’s portion of a large-scale, multi-site project examining the implications of illicit drug use on both hearing and balance. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

A few years ago, Michelle Hughes, an audiologist and professor of special education and communication disorders, came across a journal article about an individual who experienced a drug overdose and ended up with sudden hearing loss.

Then she found more articles featuring similar stories. She was fascinated. Full Article

Research explores how classroom time affects children’s self-regulation skills

Jenna Finch, assistant professor of psychology, is exploring the effects of time in school on students’ executive function — mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking and self-control. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

In recent years, illnesses, quarantines and school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased emphasis on the importance of instructional time for children’s academic achievement following absences from the classroom.

There is also recent evidence that pandemic school closures disproportionately affected U.S. schools that had students with lower third-grade standardized test scores and higher shares of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Full Article

Brain-connected technology opening doors for children with severe speech, physical impairments

Kevin Pitt, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders, is leading a three-year project that uses brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to facilitate better communication for people with severe speech and physical impairments. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

Imagine being locked inside your own body, isolated and struggling to meaningfully connect and communicate with those around you.

Now imagine trying to cope with such isolation as a child.

For children with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI), the lack of reliable communication methods has devastating impacts on their quality of life, well-being, medical care and social interactions. Full Article

Project provides Huskers with hands-on teaching experience in diverse classrooms

Jillian Harpster, assistant professor of practice in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education, is leading a project to help pre-service middle school teachers broaden their practical experiences in diverse classrooms. Learn more in the CYFS Research Network.

Becoming a teacher is not easy. Along with the required formal education, the process requires plenty of patience, preparation, curiosity and enthusiasm.

One less-apparent ingredient of learning to be a teacher is the ability to navigate the ever-changing landscape of diversity in schools, including socio-economic, racial, linguistic, cultural and other demographic characteristics. Full Article

Grand Challenges Catalyst project aims to strengthen early childhood workforce — and positive results for children

Project team members include, front row from left: Natalie Koziol, Jenna Finch, Lisa Knoche, Jennifer Leeper Miller and Holly Hatton-Bowers. Back row, from left: Julia Torquati, Carrie Clark, Sue Sheridan, Changmin Yan, HyeonJin Yoon and Soo-Young Hong. Learn more about the project in the CYFS Research Network.

Nearly 28 million children in the U.S. experience childhood adversity — neglect, parental substance abuse, mental illness, racism and bias.

Such hardships cause significant stress to children at crucial stages in their development, putting them at risk for academic difficulties and health and behavioral issues — all of which have consequences into adulthood. Full Article

Nebraska WORDS targets post-pandemic reading success, educator growth

WORDS team members include, from left, Janet Bohaty, Mary Jo McElhose, Amanda Witte, Sarah Zuckerman, Natalie Koziol, HyeonJin Yoon, Nancy Coffey and Rachel Schachter. Learn more about this project in the CYFS Research Network.

A student’s ability to read is a critical predictor of academic and lifelong success. In Nebraska, the COVID-19 pandemic hit students with reading difficulties especially hard, particularly students attending rural schools.

A team of Nebraska researchers is working to boost reading outcomes for rural students in kindergarten through third grade by providing professional learning opportunities to teachers across the state, speeding up pandemic recovery for students with reading difficulties, as well as those at risk. Full Article