The purpose of this quantitative cluster analysis was to create a profile of students attending, graduating, and withdrawing from an alternative high school located in Georgia. Using a hierarchical cluster analysis method, clusters were formed based on the clustering variables of age overage, poverty, Multilingual Learner status, student…

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a residential, quasi-military program for youth ages 16 to 18 who are experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report covers the program years 2018-2019 and is the fourth in a series of annual reports that RAND Corporation researchers have issued over the course of a research project…

One in five college students, or 22 percent, are parents. They are highly motivated students and earn grades on par with or better than their childless peers. However, child care challenges often lead student parents to leave school or workforce training without completing; shift from full-time to part-time schooling or programming; and miss,…

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of literature regarding decisions school leaders make when developing strategic plans to improve student outcomes. This study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between school climate and graduation rates for public high schools in the state of Georgia when controlling…

This paper examines whether colleges and universities in the United States striving to diversify their student communities are creating an inclusive environment that will effectively support these students throughout their academic careers. Current research on the experiences of students who identify as minoritized members of college communities…

"12 for Life" is an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant funded by the Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. "12 for Life" provides a rigorous STEM curriculum, combined with on-the-job-training, work/life skills development, mentoring, and employment opportunities to high school students…

This quantitative comparative study aimed to evaluate how undergraduate students at four-year institutions assess diversity and inclusion on their campuses and how their thoughts affect retention. Differences were assessed between White and BIPOC (Black, Hispanic and Latin, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Native American and Alaskan Native)…

Nationally, one in four high school students drops out in high school. Georgia, in particular, is very concerning with a 67% high school completion rate (Hickman & Heinrich, 2011) and a 41% drop out rate recorded for girls (National Women's Law Center, 2007). While these statistics are disturbing, they do not do justice to the reality of the…

Higher education today faces a host of challenges, from quality to cost. But too little attention gets paid to a startling fact: four out of ten students -- that's more than ten percent of the entire population -- who start college drop out. The situation is particularly dire for black and Latino students, those from poor families, and those who…

Latinx students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE; ages 18-20), not enrolled in school, often do not fully employ mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) strategies to acquire English and may experience barriers to using MALL strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore what MALL strategies Latinx SLIFE (ages 18-20), not…

Predictive analytics in higher education is a hot-button topic among educators and administrators as institutions strive to better serve students by becoming more data-informed. In this paper, the authors describe how predictive analytics are used in higher education to identify students who need extra support, steer students in courses they will…

Over the past decade, SREB state policy-makers have focused on actions to reduce dropout rates and increase high school graduation rates. Some policy-makers have suggested that raising their state's compulsory attendance age (often called the dropout age) to require students to stay in school until age 17 or 18 is an important step. However,…

This brief examines strategies for leveraging State longitudinal data systems (SLDS) to promote college and career readiness (CCR) goals. The examples provided are based on current state efforts to use their state longitudinal data systems to achieve their CCR vision and goals. The following information outlines the basic purpose and elements of…

Transitions into and out of the middle grades can be challenging for many reasons. Students need to acclimate to new policies, practices, and buildings; teachers require accurate data about their new students' capacities; and families must navigate relationships with new personnel. All school transitions present different and, at times, puzzling…

This document is a report on the research which was designed to evaluate the affirmative action policy for ethnic minorities in Georgia. The mixed research methods were utilized in the study. Specifically, the following research methods were used: (1) Survey of 12th graders in non-Georgian schools; (2) Survey of the students in the One-Year…