In this statewide multiyear investigation, the extent to which differences were present on the STAAR English I End-of-Course exam for Texas high school students as a function of their ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White) for the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 school years were examined. Archival data…

Earning a bachelor's degree or work certificate can close social equity gaps and increase social mobility and economic stability in American society. Barriers exist to upward mobility for underrepresented groups (first-generation, low socioeconomic, African American, and Hispanic). Underrepresented students are falling below their peers in…

Basic need insecurities (BNI) often impact the ability of community college students to persist and complete their goals. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated BNI for students, forcing administrators to address BNI. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the leadership strategies and competencies that contributed to how…

This study describes course withdrawal behaviors in the Texas public higher education institutions and examines the predictors of course withdrawal by using statewide administrative datasets. The findings showed that two-thirds of the college students in the sample withdrew from at least one course, highlighting course withdrawal as a prevalent…

Objective: To examine family planning and fertility experiences and views, as well as desired parenthood timing and career plans, of diverse undergraduate pre-health students. Participants: 266 pre-health undergraduate students attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution in South Texas. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, online survey with a…

Early college high schools (ECHSs), which combine high school with the first two years of college, have grown in popularity nationwide. Research suggests ECHS participation has positive impacts on college enrollment and completion, but little is known about how ECHS graduates experience university life. Using a framework of college belonging and…

This study examined the academic persistence of student fathers at a Texas community college through a single-site case study approach. Two key research questions guided the inquiry: (1) How did the community college describe its efforts to support academic persistence for student fathers? (2) What factors did student fathers perceive as…

This study explored the lived experiences of Black male mentees mentored by female staff in high school school-based mentoring (SBM) programs. Specifically, it identified how their relationship achieved the four components of relational-cultural theory to improve academic achievement and support graduation. According to TEA (2022b), Black students…

Guided by the theoretical assumption that college life is a culturally situated, symbolic process of interaction between students and various others, this qualitative study attempts to explore how minority students' home culture, which is different from the dominant college culture, helps them make sense of their college experiences. The…

Background: Inequality along racial and economic dimensions is well-documented and widespread in educational contexts. Achievement gaps are observed among children as early as primary school and are especially notable in standardized testing (Fryer & Levitt, 2004; Fryer & Levitt, 2013; Bond & Lang 2013). In response, some observers and…

Purpose: This study used a semistructured open interview approach to gather information from school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding their assessment practices for bilingual children with suspected language disorders. Method: Phone interviews were conducted with 25 school-based SLPs across the United States. The interviews…

Establishing early academic momentum via credit accumulation is strongly associated with community college student success. Using data from one of the nation's largest and most racially diverse community college systems, our quasi-experimental study examined how different first-semester credit loads influenced persistence. For part-time students…

Informed by interviews with administrators, faculty, and students at the University of North Texas (UNT) this case study explores how a public four-year institution and designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), sets a powerful example for leveraging data to improve student outcomes for all. This research shares insights from UNT's efforts to…

Background: Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are used to assess faculty performance, but prior research has identified sources of bias in the completion and interpretation of SETs. Objective: We investigated how SET ratings and comments about quizzes are interpreted by faculty and undergraduates. Method: Participants made judgments about…

Purpose: Examine tobacco use on college campuses by assessing: (1) types of tobacco products used, (2) where they are most commonly used, and (3) the sociodemographic characteristics of students most likely to use on campus. Method: Participants were a convenience sample of 3,575 18- to 25-year-old enrolled in 14 Texas colleges during Spring 2021…