This research brief highlights throughput rates for students enrolled in Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) by disability type. Findings show that throughput rates increased for every disability type from 2015-16 to 2019-20 in both English and mathematics. Evidence supports that AB 705 has resulted in improved outcomes for students…

The perceptions of educators supporting students with disabilities in community colleges was the focus of this narrative inquiry study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of educators who teach students with disabilities in community colleges regarding barriers to their achievement and supports and resources…

Postsecondary students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) encompass a rapidly growing population that does not achieve comparable academic outcomes to their peers without disabilities. These students may experience a vast range of impairments, including those that affect cognitive, physical, emotional, behavioral, psychosocial, and self-awareness…

The purpose of this study was to seek to understand and describe the lived experiences of college students identified as having autism transitioning to adult status and the meaning they made of becoming independent. The essence of the shared expressed experience was sought for a new understanding of what it is like for students with autism as they…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand how 11 adult learners with ADHD described the academic, social, and institutional factors that influence their persistence at one community college in Arizona. The research questions asked study participants to describe their academic, social, and institutional experiences in…

The purpose of this Executive Position Paper was to research how to design an online, synchronous, asynchronous, or face-to-face training program for higher education instructors to serve the needs of a diverse student population of emergent learners, specifically in the community college sector. The subsequent research resulted in a faculty…

The number of students with learning disabilities in post-secondary institutions has grown substantially, and those with dyslexia compile the largest subgroup. This study explores the utility conceptualization of dyslexia by analyzing the subjective experiences of 30 students from two 2-year institutions. Interviews confirmed that these students…

The focus of this study is on understanding different indicators of academic performance in high school, college enrollment, and college persistence of English Learners--including variation in attainment among active and former English Learners--to support their path to high school graduation and access to college. To understand the academic…

Recent data from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) show that active English Learners were less likely to graduate from high school (77% did so in 2023) than their peers (85%) and less likely to enroll in college (56% of 2022 English Learners high school graduates enrolled in college compared to 66 percent of their non-English Learners high school…

The TRiO Program is not an acronym; it refers to a number (initially three, now eight) of U.S federal programs, which increase access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students. TRiO programs are designed to assist first-generation college students, persons with disabilities, and low-income persons. This qualitative research study…

When students make significant progress toward a transfer goal, what impacts their likelihood for making it to university? Which student groups are more likely to achieve transfer success and which ones may need strategic support to make it across the finish line? The RP Group is exploring these questions as part of the Through the Gate transfer…

This technical report begins with an overview of the data and sample used in this component of research. This overview is followed by descriptive statistics of the independent and dependent variables used in the analysis. It provides a quick description of the statistical model before offering a detailed explanation of the study's results. [For…

Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) has offered dual-credit programs, by law (Section 28.009, Texas Education Code, (TEC)), through which high-school students can obtain college credits or industry-recognized credentials, or certificates, or an associate degree while pursuing a high school…

In accordance with Section 28.009 of the Texas Education Code (TEC), the Houston Independent School District (HISD) offers dual-credit courses through which students can earn at least 12 semester hours of college credit while in high school. Dual-credit courses are available to all HISD high school students regardless of grade level. There is no…

The California Community Colleges served more than 2.2 million students in 2011-12 and just shy of 2.1 million students in 2012-13. It is the largest system of higher education in the nation. All colleges and districts use state funding allocated for Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) to assist in providing support services and…