This dissertation is composed of three studies linking general education astronomy to student performance, course-taking, graduation, and identity. The first study examined demographic and academic predictors of astronomy performance among a cohort of N=1,909 community college students enrolled in astronomy courses in a large suburban community…

Objective/Research Question: Community college graduation rates are typically quite low, and developmental mathematics enrollment and coursetaking patterns may constrain academic outcomes. To identify ways in which community college graduation rates may be improved, decision trees were utilized to examine the STEM coursetaking patterns of N =…

The COVID-19 pandemic decreased college enrollment and disrupted academic progress, particularly among disadvantaged students and institutions. Just before the start of the pandemic in spring 2020, 31,511 undergraduate students attending colleges of The City University of New York responded to a survey detailing their circumstances. Lasso…

The majority of community college entrants aspire to earn a bachelor's degree; yet fewer than a third do. States use several strategies to support community college's transfer function, including a transferrable core curriculum, a block of pre-major coursework universally accepted at public postsecondary institutions. In this study, we used…

Two-year public colleges serve roughly one-third of undergraduate students in the United States, and, like other types of colleges across the country, they face shifting population demographics. Additionally, completion rates at two-year institutions have received political and scholarly attention within states and across the nation in recent…

The problem that was addressed through this study is that the credential completion rate for transfer-in students (TIS) is lower than for first-time, full-time students (FTFT) at Peninsula Community College (PCC, a pseudonym). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the completion input (gender, race/ethnicity, age) and…

The problem addressed through this study is the low graduation rate of military-connected students who received benefits from military funding programs (FMCSs) at a community college in the northeastern United States (CCNE). Increasing the graduation rate will prepare more FMCSs for gainful employment and their transition into civilian life. The…

This paper reports the results of a four-state collaboration--Illinois, New York, Texas, and Virginia--that uses Student Unit Record Database Systems that track students from high school into college. The goal is to determine whether it is possible to accurately predict whether individual students will not graduate using very early indicators…

Graduating from college is a life-transforming achievement for young people with foster care backgrounds. Not only do the majority of adolescents in foster care aspire to finish college, but holding a degree has been associated with an increased likelihood of being employed and having higher earnings. Still, existing research estimates that fewer…

With state resources for higher education under constant pressure, it is critical to understand how to maximize institutional performance while being economical with resource allocation. Future workforce demands will call for an increasing number of those entering the workforce to have some form of higher education instruction, beyond their…

Most recently, overall national baccalaureate degree completion rates were reported at 58.3% compared to 15.8% for transfer students who began their postsecondary enrollment at 2-year public institutions (Shapiro, Dundar, Huie, Wakhungu, Bhimdiwala, & Wilson, 2018). While several researchers have noted the numerous challenges and barriers…

First-generation students represent 36% of first-time, full-time enrolled students in public community colleges and are at increased risk of failing to complete a degree or credential. First-generation students also have higher drop-out rates than non-first-generation students. At both state and national levels, institutions of higher education…

California community colleges account for the overwhelming majority of Latinx student enrollment in public higher education institutions. However, student equity or parity in educational outcomes in California community colleges continue to be a problem, especially for Latino men. While the research concerning these men has increased in recent…

Students who delay immediate postsecondary enrollment may forego individual benefits, or represent misplaced resources for higher education institutions by not persisting once enrolled. Understanding the various pathways of diverse students is especially important in states that are experiencing a major demographic shift. Using a multi-agency…

Latinx student enrollment in college has dramatically increased in recent years, yet they are more likely than other racial groups to enroll at open access and public two-year institutions (Rodriguez, 2015). While public-two-year sector provides an encouraging postsecondary pathway for Latinx students, only 13% of all community college students…