In the United States truancy prevention is lacking two key elements to success; research that explains the causes of truancy and empirical evidence for best practices of truancy prevention. Truancy has been a problem in academics since the early 1900's, when truancy became illegal. Since then, truancy rates have continued to see a steady increase,…

This qualitative study aimed to explore the influence of Hip-Hop on the perceptions about resilience and cultural capital among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) male students who attend a community-based organization. The study included 20 BIPOC male participants who consider Hip-Hop as being an active part of their lifestyle. All…

This dissertation consists of two chapters that examine the impact of educational and positive youth development programs on students' academic and behavioral outcomes. In the first chapter, I evaluate the effect of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, a school meal provision allowing schools meeting the eligibility requirements to…

This dissertation presents two essays on econometric methods for program evaluation and policy choice. In Chapter 1, I develop a statistically optimal way of using data to make policy decisions when the performance of counterfactual policies is only partially identified. Specifically, I consider a class of statistical decision problems in which…

The United States has invested millions of dollars in STEM program initiatives; however, African Americans in STEM career fields are underrepresented. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of African-American first-year college students from rural communities in a STEM program and…

Rates of migration continue to rise in the United States; between 1965 and 2015, new immigrants and their ancestors accounted for 55% of population growth. In Latin America, ongoing violence, extreme poverty, and political instability force many families to migrate north to the United States. Before, during, and after migration, immigrant children…

The purpose of this research study was to explore the benefits and challenges of cross-racial mentoring experienced by both first-generation BIPOC student mentees attending predominantly white institutions, and their white mentors, who participated in a non-profit college success program. First-generation BIPOC college students experience greater…

Even after significant education turnaround efforts supported by federal and state agencies, achievement gaps between white students and students of color and students not living in poverty and students living in poverty persist (McFarland et al., 2018). Student academic outcomes are often driven by factors unrelated to teaching in classrooms…

Within most models of multi-tiered systems of support, Tier 3 supports are the most intensive supports public schools can provide to their students. These supports may be delivered to address academic, behavioral, or mental health concerns. Because many schools do not have the mental health personnel to effectively deliver Tier 3 mental health…

This qualitative study utilized narrative case study research to investigate teachers', paraprofessionals', and administrators' perceptions of the effectiveness of community-based programs (CBP) on the transition to employment for students with an intellectual disability. This study also evaluated activities teachers, and paraprofessionals use in…

This study provides an overview of the literature of Florida's only Community Partnership Schools™ model, as a strategy to enhance family and community engagement in low performing high poverty elementary schools. More specifically, the focus of this study was to determine to what degree parents perceived the effectiveness of family and community…

The purpose of this study was to determine if an experimental Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) based alternative discipline policy paired with a community-school partnership, effects suspended students' subsequent suspension incidents. Data were collected from four Midwestern school districts participating in an experimental Alternative to Out…

Nicaragua has a high rate of food insecurity determined by factors such as, poverty, employment, education, social capital and climate change. Home gardening and nutrition education can decrease food insecurity and improve community health. There is a need to evaluate garden-based nutrition education to determine its effectiveness in improving…

The school-based elementary mentor program in this study paired community members with students in a one-hour, once weekly developmental program that focused on building relationships through conversation, crafts, games, and trips. This quantitative study with a purposeful sample (n = 30) examined the social, emotional, and academic impact of…

Community Partnership Schools™ are designed to serve as a positive resource center in their community, staffed with dedicated professionals committed to student success and community well-being (Coalition for Community Schools, n.d.; Ellis, 2016). Following the education model created at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the first…