This case study of a single campus of a California public university looks at what involvement faculty want in the financial components of the shared governance of their institution. It explores their real involvement on a campus with a particularly strong shared governance culture and systems, where academic senate subcommittees allow faculty to…

This study explored the experiences of multiracial and multiethnic students at a Central Valley University in California, aiming to understand their engagement opportunities and support-seeking behaviors on campus. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, complemented by digital…

Using data from the Community College Survey of Men designed by the Community College Equity Assessment Lab--Minority Male Community College Collaborative at San Diego State University, this study examined factors influencing in- and out-of-classroom engagement of African American male students at community colleges in California. The results…

This study examined equity and access to career and technical education (CTE) programs. The research used a mixed-methods case study, which explored the factors influencing CTE pathway enrollment at a high school providing CTE education through California Partnership Academies (CPA). The study employed quantitative data sources such as secondary…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a predictive relationship between the number of years a student is enrolled in an elementary school with a campus-wide character education program (CWCEP) and their academic achievement, attendance, and behavior during their high school years. This study examined whether students enrolled in…

Socioeconomic status (SES), home language, and parent education level play a significant role in student academic achievement and the involvement of parents, including Latino parents, in schools. The purpose of this study was to understand Latino parent involvement at one southern California elementary school. The Latino critical race theory…

The purpose of the action research project was to provide part-time professors in the California community college system a framework for meaningful professional development that could lead to more preparedness and empowerment; and to give part-time professors an avenue to gain leadership opportunities, and greater control over their learning and…

Food insecurity, housing insecurity, and homelessness are pervasive issues within the United States. Research conducted to understand the extent to which college students specifically experience food and housing insecurity indicates a relationship between unmet basic needs and negative educational outcomes. Both higher education institutions and…

Mental health struggles in college students have been steadily increasing in recent years. In an effort to slow the trend, scholars have searched for methods and tools to help students manage their mental health. One such tool that has shown to be correlated with less stress, anxiety, and symptoms associated with depression is mental toughness.…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid implementation of online learning in California's 9-12 public schools, necessitating an examination of administrators' perceptions of this new educational landscape and its impact on student engagement. This qualitative dissertation explored how administrators perceived the effectiveness of online learning in…

The Local Control Funding Formula, executed in part through the Local Control and Accountability Plans, allows California school districts to allocate funds based on their needs as identified through goals and action items. This research project sheds light on the extent to which the funds have been utilized in the classroom and at the school…

California Community College campuses are struggling to enroll Latinx students. As identified through the literature, most Latinx students navigate the college enrollment process with little to no guidance and seek support in navigating it. Using Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth framework, I investigate how Rose Grace College's Familias…

The challenge to improve academic achievement for community college students has generated concern for decades, with renewed emphasis during the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020-2021, known as COVID-19 (Roueche, 1968; West & Fabre, 2021). National and local initiatives for student success have been launched with mixed results from a broad…

The guided pathways reform movement promises to redesign community colleges to improve student achievement by restructuring students' journeys through an institution. As colleges implement these reforms, they must engage an overworked faculty fatigued by change initiatives that have been implemented with varying degrees of faculty participation…

This exploratory case study examined how elementary teachers engage in culturally responsive pedagogy when discussing their text selection practices in an inquiry based professional development course. Through semi-structured interviews and group meetings with four teachers in a suburban, public school district in Northern California, information…