Just a few months ago, the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) welcomed its fifth cohort of scholars in the Marvin H. McKinney Scholars Program in Research, Practice, and Policy, which was established to offer hands-on research experience in child development to undergraduate students from North Carolina's historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The scholars spent nine weeks at FPG learning about the Institute’s role in improving outcomes for young children and families through research, evaluation, implementation, technical assistance, and policy engagement. Working with and shadowing mentors doing project-based work, the scholars had an opportunity to further their understanding of the importance of research, practice, and policy, as well as the interconnections and pathways between each of these areas of work.

At the end of the program, each scholar’s work culminated in a final presentation. In this four-part series, you will hear directly from the scholars about what they learned and what they will be taking with them from this experience.

Today, you’ll hear from Amaya Jeffers, a senior at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Jeffers plans to pursue a career in elementary education. She also wants to conduct research and advocate for education policy with the goal of one day creating an effective curriculum that is evidence-informed and responsive to the different learning needs of students.

When asked about why she pursued the opportunity to be a McKinney Scholar, Jeffers shared, “I know that the way learning is delivered and received can have a lasting effect on a child's future success in school. Working within the FPG Child Development Institute will provide me with the opportunity to engage in research-based practices that will truly benefit students.”
 

The McKinney Scholar experience as shared by Amaya Jeffers during her final presentation

I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to intern at FPG this summer. It has been an incredibly meaningful experience. I’ve had the privilege of meeting and learning from inspiring researchers whose work not only aligns with my passion for education but also supports my mission of advancing educational equity.

This summer, I set out to explore the question: How are the different organizations at FPG positively impacting culturally responsive education? As a future educator, I thought it would be beneficial to observe how research, policy, and implementation efforts intersect to advance equitable outcomes for children and families.

During my rotation with the Equity Research Action Coalition, I observed how they uplift Black and Brown communities through liberation-centered frameworks and African-centered education models that emphasize cultural identity, ancestral knowledge, and community empowerment in both curriculum design and school structure. Additionally, I learned how the coalition integrates early childhood programs such as Parents as Teachers to strengthen family engagement and support child development, particularly within historically excluded communities.

While working with the Coalition, I became curious about the differences in learning outcomes and principles between African-centered and traditional schools, after analyzing the Coalition's unidentified interview data from their time as African-centered education (ACE) leaders. I aimed to interview principals from traditional schools and compare their responses. After struggling to connect with standard school leaders, I reanalyzed and reflected on my research question.

I realized that I entered this phase of my research with an unconscious bias. I assumed I would resonate more with the perspectives of African-centered school leaders, given their intentional focus on the success of Black students. However, I overlooked the powerful and transformative work being done by many Black educators in traditional school settings.

This realization led me to refine my research question to explore how Black educators across both African-centered and traditional public school settings use culturally affirming pedagogy and community-rooted practices to support Black student success, while also navigating shared challenges and commitments.

I completed three interviews with Black educational leaders, asking questions such as:

• From your perspective, what core principles should guide how we teach young learners today?
• What strategies have you used to create an inclusive and affirming school environment for all students?
• What do you believe are the most essential skills needed to succeed in your specific career path?

These conversations provided valuable insights into effective, equity-centered practices in both leadership and classroom settings. I reviewed the responses of my interviews and identified some similarities and differences between the responses of traditional school leaders and ACE school leaders. Both sides emphasized the importance of educating the whole child, highlighted the need for Black students to recognize pride in their identity, and the importance of having more Black educators. 

Two key differences emerged from my interviews with educational leaders. First, African-centered leaders highlighted the challenge of developing mission-aligned curricula, explaining, “And it's not people's fault we don't have a general ACE curriculum. We can’t just go get a language arts book off the shelf.” In contrast, traditional school leaders did not express concern about curriculum development. 

Second, traditional leaders expressed difficulties implementing culturally focused initiatives, stating, “It’s hard, and we don’t know what else is going to happen.” While African-centered schools also face barriers, including limited federal funding, they remain committed to creating inclusive, culturally grounded curricula for Black students—despite ongoing pushback.

Although African-centered and traditional schools differ in structure and focus, they often deal with similar challenges. While African-centered schools work to build culturally grounded curricula from the ground up, traditional schools struggle to implement DEI practices within existing systems. Nevertheless, both remain deeply committed to affirming and supporting Black students.

My second rotation was with the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN).  The first organization within NIRN I was able to work with was the Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health program. I gained knowledge about how cross-sector collaboration for systemic equity, as well as the importance of health equity impact assessments (HEIA), and how they identify unintended impact on marginalized communities. Finally, I saw how various implementation tools can be used to guide equitable decisions in health and education systems.

While reading a publication written by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, one quote stood out to me. “More than one in four children in the U.S. are chronically absent from school, defined as missing 10% or more of school days. These children not only experience less academic success, but also are more likely to have long-term health challenges, impaired social development, and less success financially.”  This quote highlights how chronic absenteeism is more than an academic issue. It’s a reflection of deeper systemic inequities that affect students’ health, development, and future success.

Using tools like HEIA can help educators and policymakers identify how school policies and practices may inadvertently contribute to absenteeism. For example, a HEIA can be used to recognize how race, socioeconomic status, disability, and language barriers influence access to quality education; help ensure curriculum, discipline practices, and resource allocation are equitable; guide decision-makers in centering family and community voice in policy design and implementation; and assess how new programs or initiatives may unintentionally reinforce existing disparities in outcomes.

The second organization I worked with during my rotation with NIRN was SISEP, which is the State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-Based Practice . At SISEP I learned how the center supports education systems in implementing and scaling evidence-based practices through a structured, stage-based framework. I gained insight into how SISEP advances equity by helping systems build the capacity to meet the needs of diverse learners. I also completed a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, which allowed me to test and reflect on improvement strategies within a continuous quality improvement process.

One of SISEP’s key tools is the Hexagon Tool, which educators can use even on a small scale. For example, a second-grade teacher concerned about low reading scores might use it to evaluate a new intervention by assessing six areas: student need, alignment with the curriculum, available resources, supporting evidence, readiness for replication, and capacity to implement. This helps ensure the chosen program is both effective and feasible for their classroom.

During my last rotation, I saw how FPG’s Educare site functions as a central hub for data, supporting informed decision-making across programs. I observed how local and national evaluation partners collaborate to ensure data collection is consistent and mission-aligned. Through this experience, I also gained insight into how rigorous data analysis drives continuous improvement and accountability in early childhood education. Additionally, I strengthened my skills in this area by participating in quantitative coding and statistics workshops.

One of the key projects I worked on during my time with Educare was creating a one-pager to simplify the evaluation process for local evaluation partners completing various measures. This tool breaks down complex information about surveys, interviews, and measures into a clear, easy-to-understand format. In an educational setting, a one-pager like this can be used to help teachers and administrators quickly understand what data is being collected, why it matters, and how it supports program goals. Additionally, tools like this can help improve consistency, communication, and accountability in early childhood education.

For my next steps, I’ll be finishing up my undergraduate degree, preparing for graduation and applying to grad school. I plan to stay connected with FPG mentors and professionals for continued guidance. And I’m excited to apply insights from this summer to future teaching, research, and advocacy work and, as a Black aspiring educator, I recognize the importance of creating inclusive learning environments that affirm every child’s identity and potential. 

Building on my experiences this summer, I created another research question I would like to explore: "In what ways can cultivating culturally responsive and equitable education practices in early childhood settings help bridge achievement gaps and promote lifelong success for all students?" This question reflects my commitment to understanding how early interventions rooted in equity can create lasting impact across a child’s educational journey.