Dr. Norton is the Samuel Deutsch Professor Emerita in the School of Social Service Administration (now the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice) at the University of Chicago.
Contributions to the Field
Dr. Norton has published on early linguistic interaction and school achievement, diversity, early socialization, and temporal development in children, and black family life patterns. Her 20-year longitudinal research, “Children at Risk: The Infant and Child Development Project,” investigates patterns of parent/child interaction related to the developmental outcomes, especially school achievement, of high-risk inner-city African American children and their families. She is a graduate of Temple University and received her Master of Social Service degree and doctorate from Bryn Mawr College.
Affiliations
- ZERO TO THREE
- Board of Directors: 1983 – 2006
- Executive Committee
- The Training and Technical Assistance Standing Program Committee
- ‘00 Workgroup
- Leadership Development Initiative Workgroup
- Local Community Initiatives Task Force
- Development Standing Program Committee
- Cultural Competence Task Force
Recent Honor/Awards/Recognition/Publications
- 2015, Bernice Weissbourd Award for Family Support
- 2012, Norman Maclean Faculty Award
- 2007, NASW Mentor Award
- In press, “Research with high risk African American infants and children: Insights from a longitudinal study.”
- 2007, “Zero to Three’s task force on culture and development: Learning to walk the talk.”
- 2006, “Beyond baby talk: Speaking with babies”
- 2006, “Research methods and issues for the study of African American children and school achievement.”
Dr. Norton was honored by ZERO TO THREE in 2021 with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the field of early childhood.
