Christine Hancock (fd5388)

• Ph.D., Special Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
  • Specialization: Early Childhood Unified

• M.A., Early Childhood Studies, Boise State University, Boise, ID

• B.A., English, Phi Beta Kappa, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA

I am a faculty member in Early Childhood Education in the Teacher Education Division, and engage in research, teaching, and service related to inclusive early childhood and early childhood special education. 

Office Hours: By Appointment

My experiences in and out of the classroom have been framed by my belief in the importance of equity and the role of high-quality, inclusive education in promoting equitable outcomes for children and families from marginalized and multiply-marginalized backgrounds, particularly families of color and families experiencing poverty. These commitments stem from my six years as a preschool teacher in a variety of inclusive settings in Arizona and Idaho.

295 Education Bldg.

• Home Visiting 
• Family-Professional Partnerships and Power Dynamics
• Shared Decision-Making

My scholarship focuses on promoting equitable family partnerships in inclusive early childhood contexts, with particular emphasis on families from marginalized and multiply-marginalized backgrounds. I investigate how families and early educators communicate as they make decisions about young children’s learning and development, and how early educators reflect on decision-making. Drawing on sociocultural and discourse theory, I implement a mixed methods approach to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze detailed transcripts of decision-making interactions. I also partner with early educators in video analysis of their practice with families, fostering reflection that can contribute to more equitable decision-making with all families.

• 2023: College of Education Faculty Innovation Award, with A. L. Miller and P. Arya, for the research project CyCLE: Collaboratively Co-Designed Literacy Experiences
• 2020: American Educational Research Association Family, School, and Community Partnerships Special Interest Group Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2nd place

• Hancock, C. L. (2023). Families of Infants and Toddlers Designing Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators (FIT PD). PNC Foundation. Principal Investigator. $20,000.

• Hancock, C. L. (2023). CyCLE: Collaboratively Co-Designed Literacy Experiences. Bridge Funding. Office of the Vice President for Research & College of Education, Wayne State University. Co-Principal Investigators A. L. Miller & P. Arya. $8,000.

• Hancock, C. L. (2022). CyCLE: Collaboratively Co-Designed Literacy Engagement. Social Sciences Research Support Program, Wayne State University. Principal Investigator. Co-Principal Investigators A. L. Miller & P. Arya. $10,000.

• Hancock, C. L. (2021). Project RED: Reflecting on Equitable Decisions. Early On Center for Higher Education Faculty Grant, Clinton County Regional Educational Services Agency. Principal Investigator. $7,000.

• Hancock, C. L. (2020). Project DECIDE: Parent and Home Visitor Decision-Making to Enhance Development of Children Experiencing Poverty. University Research Grant Program, Wayne State University. Principal Investigator. $10,000. 

Recent Service to the Field

• Member, Editorial Board of Young Exceptional Children, 2019-present

• Member, Research Committee, Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, 2020-2024

• Selected Guest Reviewer
  • Journal of Early Intervention, 2022-present
    
  • Equity & Excellence in Education, 2022-present
  • Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 2020-present
  • Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2019-present
  • International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2017-present

Recent Service to the Community

• Member, Michigan Test for Teacher Certification Early Childhood General and Special Education (Birth–Kindergarten) Content Advisory Committee, 2021-2024

• Member, Review Team for the Michigan Department of Education Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of Early Childhood General and Special Education (Birth-Kindergarten), 2019

• Education Advocate, Families Together, Inc. Parent Training and Information Center, 2017-2019
  • Served as legal educational decision-maker for children with disabilities in the custody of the State of Kansas

Recent Refereed National or International Presentations

• Hancock, C. L. (2024, September). Who leads home visit decision-making, and how? A qualitative study. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, New Orleans, LA.
• Morgan, C. W., & Hancock, C. L. (2024, September). Imagining alternate possibilities for family-professional partnerships. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, New Orleans, LA. 
• Love, H. R., Morgan, C. W., Kilincci, E., & Hancock, C. L. (2024, February). Taking another look: Applying critical frameworks and methods to EI/ECSE research. Presentation at the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, San Diego, CA.
• Hancock, C. L. (2024, February). Transcribing talk to uncover complexities of family-professional partnerships. Presentation at the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, San Diego, CA. 
• Hancock, C. L. (2023, November). Engaging early interventionists in reflection on decision-making. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Minneapolis, MN. (Refereed)
• Hancock, C. L. (2023, November). Any questions? Rethinking communication for decision-making with families. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Minneapolis, MN. (Refereed)
• Hancock, C. L. (2022, September). Power, paperwork, and decision-making with families during home visits. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Chicago, IL.
• Hancock, C. L. (2022, September). Cultivating early interventionists’ reflection on decision-making with families. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Chicago, IL.
• Hancock, C. L. (2022, April). Ideologies of poverty and implications for partnerships with families during home visits. Presentation at the International Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
• Hancock, C. L., Morgan, C. W., & Holly Jr., J. (2021, September). DisCrit classroom ecology: Re-Envisioning practice in preschool settings. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Online conference.
• Hancock, C. L. (2021, September). In search of shared decision-making by families and home visitors. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Online conference.
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2021, January). Perceptions of poverty and implications for partnerships during home visits. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Online conference.
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2021, January). Agree to disagree: Listen for family resistance to foster shared decisions. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Online conference.
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2019, October). Decision-making by families and early educators during Early Head Start home visits. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Dallas, TX.
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2019, October). Beyond open-ended questions: Reflecting on discourse to promote shared decision-making. Presentation at the International Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Dallas, TX.

Refereed Journal Articles

• Hancock, C. L., & Morgan, C. W. (2024). Disrupting inequitable family-professional decision-making: Alternate possibilities through a humanist frame. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Advance online publication. 
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2024). How Early Head Start home visitors foster or impede shared decision-making with families. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 38(1), 80-103. 
• Hancock, C. L. (2023). Ideologies of poverty and implications for decision-making with families during home visits. Linguistics and Education, 78, 1-13.
• Hancock, C. L. (2023). Moving toward more meaningful family participation during home visit decision-making. Young Exceptional Children. 26(1), 42-54. 
• Love, H. R., & Hancock, C. L. (2022). Tensions as opportunities for transformation: Applying DisCrit Resistance to early childhood personnel preparation programs. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 23(4), 483-489. 
• Hancock, C. L., Morgan, C. W., & Holly Jr., J. (2021). Counteracting dysconscious racism and ableism through fieldwork: Applying DisCrit Classroom Ecology in early childhood personnel preparation. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 41(1), 45-56.
• Hancock, C. L., & Cheatham, G. A. (2021). Decision-making during early intervention home visits: From minimal to meaningful parent participation. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 35(1), 68-90.
• Hancock, C. L. (2020). Fostering shared decisions to promote literacy: Strategies for talking with families. Michigan Reading Journal, 52(3), 44-51.
• Hagiwara, M., Palmer, S. B., Hancock, C. L., & Shogren, K. A. (2019). Sibling roles in family-school partnerships for students with disabilities during transition planning. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 42, 194-200.
• Hancock, C. L., & Miller, A. L. (2018). Using cultural historical activity theory to uncover praxis for inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22, 937-953.
• Hancock. C. L., & Carter. D. R. (2016). Building classrooms that encourage positive behavior: The Preschool Behavior Support Self-Assessment. Young Children, 71(1), 66-73.
• Allred, K. W., & Hancock, C. L. (2015). Reconciling leadership and partnership: Tools to empower professionals and families. Young Children, 70(2), 46-65.
• Johnson, E. S., Hancock, C. L., Carter, D. R., & Pool, J. L. (2012). Self-regulated strategy development as a Tier 2 writing intervention. Intervention in School and Clinic, 48, 218-222.
• Allred, K. W., & Hancock, C. L. (2012). On death and disability: Reframing educators’ perceptions of parental response to disability. Disability Studies Quarterly, 32(4).

Refereed Book Chapters

• Hancock, C. L. (2022). Power and partnerships: Families, educators, and implications for school leaders. In C. O’Brien, W. R. Black, A. B. Danzig (Eds.), Who decides? Power, disability, and education administration (pp. 515-542). Information Age.
• Hancock, C. L., Beneke, M. R., & Cheatham, G. A. (2017). Discourse during IEP decision-making: Saying, doing, and being with families from diverse backgrounds. In C. M. Trivette and B. Keilty (Eds.), Knowing families, tailoring practice, building capacity: DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Series 3 (pp. 75-84). Washington, DC: Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood.