High school graduation represents a pivotal milestone with far-reaching implications for an individual's future in social, economic, professional, and personal spheres. Despite its significance, only approximately 85.5% of students in the United States successfully earn their diploma each year, with groups such as black, Hispanic, American…

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational quantitative study was to compare the graduation rates of first-time, full-time students with disabilities to those of first-time, full-time students in the general population at the participating university. The sample used for analysis was full-time, first-time students entering between 2015…

This mixed methods study examines the design process and capacity of four high school master schedules to provide language support while moving newcomer students successfully towards graduation and college prep coursework. All four schools house newcomer programs and reside in the same large urban school district. Through qualitative interviews,…

This quantitative correlational study aimed to investigate how the implementation of exclusionary disciplinary measures impacts the academic performance of African American students in urban school districts of Louisiana, and to explore gender differentials in the application of exclusionary discipline practices. Linear regression results indicate…

Although there is a growing body of research on retention of higher education students, there is a constant need for more because of ever-changing variables that affect attrition. With dynamic retention issues changing, new empirical research such as this study can be used to keep up with higher education attrition. The specific purpose of this…

Nationally collected data reveals that transfer students encounter added difficulty graduating on time from four-year institutions than non-transfer students. Since transfer students traditionally graduate at a lower rate, targeting and improving transfer students' graduation percentages is one way to augment an institution's overall graduation…

The purpose of this study was to assess whether student satisfaction with faculty and academic advisors varied based on the sex of the student and the students' academic college at a large public university in the Southeast. With the university aiming to improve its graduation rates, particularly male graduation rates, the Theory of Student…

This quantitative study examined the comparative factors of academic success between ECHS students (ECHS) and non-ECHS traditional college students, and utilized secondary data from National Student Clearinghouse and an East Texas community college. The enrollment of students in ECHS and non-ECHS traditional college students guided the study. The…

The challenge of increasing the number of minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees is a systemic problem. In the case of higher education, one of the main challenges also includes the retention of academically prepared minority students who are underrepresented in STEM degree programs. President Barack Obama…

Online technology in academia offers an opportunity to improve high school students' academic achievement and graduation status. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if or to what extent a statistically significant difference exists in the graduation status of full-time online versus traditional high school students…

The purpose of this study was to determine if discipline strategies, gender, and disabilities impact the successful cohort graduation of African American students with special needs. While much research has been conducted to investigate the achievement gap and discipline gap, there is a paucity of research on how discipline affects the graduation…

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…

There is a national push for college completion. For some students, graduation may be stymied by financial status, in addition to other factors. The current study was conducted through secondary analysis of matching archival datasets from select East Texas institutions on full-time, first-time-in-college students with no previous college…

Educators and policymakers have continued to search for the ideal medium for gauging learning and teacher accountability. After nearly 50 years since the inception of assessments to prove minimum competency, many attempts have been made to reform the process and the assessment tool. With the current focus in education being on career and college…

This study examines the impact of high school academic indicators and participation in the federally funded Upward Bound program on college graduation rates for first-generation, low-income students. Specifically the extent to which participation in the federally funded TRIO Upward Bound program and related factors--high school GPA, course rigor,…