In this dissertation, I investigated the impact of the involvement of students with disabilities in the ASPIRE intervention program and examined the relationship between student involvement in the ASPIRE program and academic performance and growth. To do so, first, I outlined how I built my perspective for this study in the areas of transition,…

This report describes the evaluation of Lone Star AP CSP, a program developed by the National Mathematics + Science Initiative and funded by a 2019 Education Innovation and Research grant. The three-year program aimed to increase student access to and success in the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP) course in 37 Texas high…

This work presents an assessment of pre-service teachers' argumentative practice, after implementing a novel teaching-learning sequence on soil health including a citizen science programme, which was applied outdoors at the university garden. The sequence was implemented at five Spanish universities with 351 undergraduates studying Early Childhood…

Because large-scale studies repeatedly indicated low reading literacy for many students, a need for interventions fostering reading literacy, such as extracurricular tutoring, has often been emphasized. Several reading promoting programs, suitable for extracurricular tutoring, were developed and shown to be effective in recent years. Moreover,…

This dissertation explores how environmental engineering can utilize STEM education as a strategic tool, enhancing social sustainability and thereby empowering underserved Hispanic communities in West Texas. Responding to significant educational and resource disparities, this research introduces an innovative interdisciplinary framework that…

Background/Context: Professional development (PD) programs have been the primary tool school districts have used to improve teachers' knowledge and skills, though the evidence is mixed on the degree to which these investments translate into improved outcomes for teachers and their students. Further, most research has tracked researcher-designed…

Using a research design that meets the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards, researchers reported the results of analyses examining the impact of the Teacher Study Group (TSG) professional development (PD) program targeting eighth grade American History teachers working with a large number of current or…

The Lone Star Stem (LSS) program was designed to increase high-quality STEM education opportunities and outcomes for high-need students in Texas. The focus of the program was on implementing rigorous coursework that helps students gain the skills, postsecondary credentials, and experience necessary to embark on well-paying careers in STEM fields.…

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…

Earning a high school diploma is a milestone that has been linked to many later life outcomes, from employment to incarceration to physical health, and impacts society as a whole through tax revenues and government spending. Yet, youth leaving school prior to obtaining a diploma remains a challenge nationwide, particularly in large cities. Given…

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between the implementation of freshman academies and student achievement in math, English, and science in schools in Arkansas. The study presents a review of the literature that discusses the ninth-grade year and the use of freshman academies to improve student achievement. The study…

The present study utilized Stuffle beam's (2017) Context, Input, Process, and Product(CIPP) model of program evaluation, to evaluate the All Pro Dad program. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine whether All Pro Dad met the goal of the North Texas public-school district which was to increase involvement of fathers and father figures. The…

Although research provides ample evidence of teaching methods that facilitate students' learning of specific word meanings, the potential of instruction to impact students' general vocabulary knowledge has remained an unanswered question. This article reports on a three-year formative experiment that developed, implemented, and tested a long-term,…

MOOCs support the global need of learning resources with large impact through online access and no geographical boundaries. However, pedagogical design limitations in MOOCs are known to result in passive role of the learner, lack of learner connect and engagement, limited interactivity with course content and peers, all of which result in low…

This evaluation report presents a baseline description of outcomes for the 2017-2018 school year, the first year of GEAR UP Austin implementation in AISD. Specifically, the report describes program implementation, student participation in GEAR UP Austin, and baseline student academic and college preparation outcomes. [For the executive summary,…