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 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…

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,…

The purpose of this study was to assess the increase of Latino parents' confidence in advocating and supporting their child's schooling. The intervention was implemented in six public independent school districts in the Southwest United States. The data was examined through matched pre- and post-surveys (n = 45). Findings are consistent in…

There is nationwide concern about the number of high-school students who graduate unprepared to take college-level courses and students' lack of awareness of their college readiness. According to the Center for Community College Student Engagement (2016), 86 percent of community college students thought they were prepared academically for college,…