Connecticut Council on Adoption Presents: Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg
“From Research to the Classroom: Understanding and Supporting the Adopted Child’s School Experience”
Special thanks to CT DCF and UCONN Health’s Adoption Assistance Program for their support!
Training summary:
Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg will present her extensive research on adoptive families and the schools and provide an overview of what we know about adopted children’s educational experiences, needs, and performance, and the unique elements of their background and functioning that shape their school experiences. She will also address issues of marginalization within the schools and the various elements of diversity that intersect with adoption that impact children’s and parents’ selection of and experiences within schools, including family structure and child race. Via the panel and workshop, she will help to identify best practices and solutions for adoptive parents and teachers to work together in addressing inclusion and the needs of adopted children.
Learning Objectives for Participants:
Will learn about the academic and educational experiences of adopted children and how these intersect with various identities and background characteristics.
Will examine the unique challenges that adoptive families encounter in the school setting.
Will identify best practices for supporting adopted students by educators (language, curricular, disciplinary) which can inform advocacy efforts by adoptive parents and others.
Program:
9:30AM - Registration
10:00AM - Welcome by CCA
10:10AM - Presentation by Dr. Goldberg
12:00PM - Luncheon
1:00PM - Panel Discussion
2:00PM - Group Workshop
3:00PM - Wrap-Up & Evaluation
*This program is pending approval by the CT NASW Chapter for 4.0 CEC’s.
Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg is a Professor in the Dept. of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, MA where she also serves as the Director of Women’s & Gender Studies, and is the current holder of the Jan and Larry Landry Endowed Chair (2020-2023). She graduated summa cum laude from Wesleyan University with a BA in psychology, and received an MA in psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UMass Amherst. She was a recent Rudd Adoption Research Program Visiting Professor where she surveyed over 200 K-12 teachers in the U.S. with Director Dr. Hal Grotevant on adopted children in the schools. Dr. Goldberg is an internationally recognized scholar, speaker, and consultant, who is regularly interviewed by media outlets including the New York Times, The Atlantic, Boston Globe, and New York Magazine. Her research examines diverse families, including LGBTQ-parent families and adoptive-parent families, as well as the experiences of marginalized groups such as trans youth. She is the author of over 140 peer-reviewed articles, over 25 book chapters, and four books: LGBTQ Family Building: A Guide for Prospective Parents (APA; 2022), Open Adoption & Diverse Families (Oxford; 2020), Gay Dads (NYU Press; 2012), Lesbian and Gay Parents and their Children (APA; 2010).
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.