Research shows that teachers’ and educators’ responses to gender diversity issues in schools either improves or limits the experiences of students. The school counsellor has an important role to play in this process by working closely with other stakeholders to advocate for transgender, intersex and genderqueer (TIG) students. Following a review of recent developments in the USA, recommendations are made and resources identified to assist school counsellors in validating TIG students, and improving school systems in pursuit of their academic, social and emotional success

Counselors are legally and ethically called to provide affirmative services to trans and gender-expansive youth. Counselors, whether working in schools, agencies or private practices, must affirm all clients. This presentation will provide counselors with legal and ethical information and resources for honing skills for supporting gender-expansive youth.

As advocates and leaders, school counselors play a vital role in school communities working for and with transgender, intersex and genderqueer (TIG) students. Learn how the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success can bolster your curriculum planning efforts and promote safe and healthy outcomes for TIG students and with school stakeholders. Discover the mindsets and beliefs about TIG student success, and engage your school community in creating an inclusive and welcoming culture. After attending this session, you should be able to: 1) Discuss the risk and protective factors among TIG students. 2) Explain the rationale for curriculum material use with TIG students. 3) Integrate the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors to TIG youth in school counseling core curriculum and across various school settings. 4) Examine your school counseling program and share inclusive curriculum resources.

Even though America has seen an increase in the level of acceptance for people who identify as LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming, certain aspects within society continue to hinder their rights, especially within public education. Specifically, there are insufficiencies regarding content of and attitudes toward including LGBTQ issues in teaching and leadership training programs. Add to that, the deficits in most Family Life Education (FLE) programs in elementary schools as they lack adequate coverage of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning about gender and sexuality. Taken together, it remains questionable whether the needs of LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming children can truly be met. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the policy discourse concerning teaching and learning gender and sexuality issues during early childhood at an elementary school in Virginia. Another purpose was to understand how educators perceive developmentally appropriate timing and content for these topics as well. A combination of critical policy analysis and critical advocacy research was utilized to compare and analyze the written policy discourse as presented within Virginia’s FLE policy to educators’ (teachers, counselors, principals) interpretation and enactment of these written discourses in their classrooms and schools. Findings revealed specific ways the written, spoken, and enacted discourses diverged and coalesced and how these similarities and differences inform future policy and practice. A critical analysis of the written discourses (and silences) suggest Virginia’s FLE curriculum and instruction maintains heteronormative undertones, while the spoken and enacted discourses indicates concern for expanding elementary students’ understanding and acceptance of LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming children and non-normative family structures. Implications of findings include suggestions for future research and changes in policy and practice that aim to create more inclusive classrooms and schools.

Current research indicates that caregivers’ responses and behaviors to young children’s emotion expressions communicate messages that teach young children how to understand, label, recognize and modify emotions in socially desirable ways. This process is referred to as emotion socialization. This topic is timely and relevant due to the large numbers of preschoolers suspended and expelled each year. Several reports indicate that 50,000 preschoolers are suspended each year and that Black boys are the largest recipients of such actions. Black boys comprise just 19% of preschool enrollment, but 45% of male suspensions. In addition, data show that preschool teachers expect challenging behavior to occur when Black boys are present, even when there is no challenging behavior. Cultural and contextual factors such as child’s race/ethnicity, gender, social status, are also influencing differences in preschool caregiver’s emotion socialization behaviors. The goal of this study was to examine whether a professional development (PD) model increases preschool teachers’ use of emotionally supportive responses to the negative emotion expressions of Black boys with low levels of emotional competence. The research design was a multiple-baseline across participants design. There were two Black female teacher participants and the model was implemented in a private not-for profit center and a non-profit center that targeted families and children at risk for developmental delays. Findings from the study showed a functional relation between the PD model and teachers’ use of emotionally supportive instructional practices. Implications for the future include examining the impact of setting on implementation of the PD model using a multiple baseline across settings design and examining the role of teachers’ thoughts and beliefs about negative emotion expressions on teachers’ use of emotionally supportive responses.

Computer Science is an increasingly important topic in K-12 education. Ever since the "computing crisis" of the early 2000s, where enrollment in CS dropped by over half in a five year span, increasing research has gone into improving and broadening enrollment in CS courses. Research shows the importance of introducing CS at a young age and the need for more exposure for younger children and young adults alike in order to work towards equity in the field. While there are many reasons for disinterest in CS courses, studies found one reason young adults do not want to study CS is a perception of it being tedious and lacking opportunities for creativity. Making more creative assignments is one way to try and engage more students who may not feel like stereotypical computer scientists. This thesis focuses in on the effects of creative choice in CS curriculum on students' self-efficacy, engagement/preferences, and performance. It aims to capture the effects of creative choice on a range of K-12 students of varying demographics in order to make CS more accessible for everyone. The first half of the thesis experimentally validates the effects of creative choice in existing 5th grade CS classes. We created two variants of worksheets for the students - creative worksheets and rigid worksheets. After distributing these worksheets, surveys, and quizzes, we found students still feel a sense of ownership with limited versions of creative choice and benefit from a blend of creative and rigid instructions. In addition, student performance was not affected by our different treatments. The second half of the thesis adapted and launched the fifth grade curriculum to a new demographic, teaching the course to Juvenile Hall students. Student surveys and reports from their teacher showed this class had a positive impact and was well received by students and staff. We found students would prefer a longer class next iteration, as this one only extended five weeks. Future work will be needed to experimentally evaluate the specific impact of creative choice in this new demographic.

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Often play therapists are faced with challenges when working with caregivers of transgender and gender expansive children. We are legally and ethically called to provide affirmative services and support. This presentation assists in developing skills for supporting all clients in play therapy

The literature review shows that gender inequality in computer use exists today. The inequality begins at birth with society giving boys and girl's roles that they have to play. One possible solution to gender inequality in computer use is to put a gender equity program in place at public schools. Such a program would have to be woven into teaching practices and school activities to strengthen girls' confidence and their ability to achieve in computers.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study is to explore the barriers and opportunities women in K-12 leadership face, particularly with how they navigate conflicts in their work-life balance and in what ways they have been afforded opportunities. Work-life balance will be generally defined as the reconciliation of the conflicting demands and obligations between a women’s professional requirements and her personal life. Opportunities will be defined as events that lead to a woman’s career advancements and accomplishments. The study was designed to identify perceived barriers and opportunities during both the ascension to and experience of holding a public K-12 educational leadership position in order to explore successful strategies and factors future female leaders might use to address career ascendency and leadership development challenges. For this study, a narrative research design was used to explore, examine, and understand the female K-12 public educational leaders’ personal reflections of events and experiences, and the meaning that was extracted from those experiences. Using a categorical content analysis, themes were inductively identified within the narrative. Although the public education workforce has historically been dominated by women, evidence remains that there is a disproportionate number of women in senior leadership positions. As suggested by the review of literature, it is necessary to investigate the journey of women’s leadership development to identify how to best develop future female leaders in public K-12 education.