Noncognitive constructs such as self-efficacy, social awareness, and academic engagement are widely acknowledged as critical components of human capital, but systematic data collection on such skills in school systems is complicated by conceptual ambiguities, measurement challenges and resource constraints. This study addresses this issue by…

Computer science (CS) programs offered at 2-year institutions are important, as they could significantly impact disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes (i.e., equity gaps) for Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, and low-income students. These groups have been historically marginalized in 4-year CS programs and often face…

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment in computing-related occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. Moreover, computing-related fields make up almost half of all STEM jobs in Illinois and employment in computing-related fields is more…

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded $107 million in four-year grants to 24 applicants for the Youth CareerConnect (YCC) program, a high school-based program that blended academic and career-focused learning to better prepare students for both college and careers in high-growth industries that often rely on foreign workers. The…

Black women's participation in postsecondary education appears to have improved drastically because they are outpacing many other minority cultural groups (i.e., Black men, Hispanic men and women, Asian men and women, etc.) in terms of college enrollment and completion rates. However, when compared to White men and women, it is obvious that there…