A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is defined as the highest achievable degree and represents the completion of a specialized mentored project. Concerningly, graduate programs are structured in ways that can lead to inequities that exclude graduate students based on race, class, gender, ability, and additional intersecting social locations. Drawing from…

Background: Increasing the number of engineering graduates continues to be a national priority and influences the need to understand persistence of all student pathways. Few studies have focused on engineering transfer student pathways and their success post-transfer, suggesting a need for a more comprehensive analysis of existing research to…

Retention rates of honors students in experiential learning programs have dropped in recent years as students left these programs at an unprecedented rate -- much to the dismay of administrators (Deka, 2020). Decreased year-to-year retention numbers affect the anticipated growth rates and sustainability of these programs. As current honors…

In the autumn of 2014, the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) launched the "Admissions, Retention, and Completion Survey" (ARC) in an attempt to collect for the first time honors program benchmarking data on important admissions, persistence, and completion metrics, data that are already widely used throughout higher education…

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has for years acknowledged and addressed the equity and achievement gaps that exist in the state's education pipeline. In 2013, the Commission passed a resolution to close Indiana's educational achievement gaps by 2025. In 2021, gaps are closing, but not quickly enough. Data must be the driving force…

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored how transition challenges affect Chinese international undergraduate students' persistence in U.S. higher education institutions and identified the types of support schools should provide to improve students' persistence. This study conducted semistructured, open-ended interviews via telephone with…

With the passage of HB 5 in 2013, the Foundation High School Program became the graduation program for all Texas public high school students beginning with the entering Grade 9 students in 2014-15. The new graduation requirements introduced greater flexibility for students in earning a high school diploma. Updates to curriculum and graduation…

The final report on the evaluation of House Bill (HB) 5 provides (1) an update on changes made to the current policy for graduation, including coursework, testing, and accountability during the 84th and 85th Texas Legislative Sessions; (2) an update on the implementation of HB 5 by school districts since 2014-15; and (3) a preliminary look at the…

In June 2013, the 83rd Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 5, which established a new high school program--the Foundation High School Program. The new high school graduation program was required for all entering Grade 9 students in all Texas public school districts in 2014-15. The Foundation High School Program was designed to give students…

One of the most enduring and contentious debates in education circles concerns the best way to hold schools and districts accountable for improving outcomes for students and closing achievement gaps. Lawmakers, teachers, district administrators, parents, and other stakeholders--all with strong and differing opinions--have wrestled for decades with…

The annual Student Outcomes Survey collects information on the outcomes of two groups of students--those that have completed a qualification (graduates) and those that have completed only part of a course and then left the vocational education and training (VET) system (module completers). At the time of selecting the survey sample, insufficient…

This paper posits the position that if higher education and secondary schools wish to increase students' college readiness, specifically in mathematics and critical thinking skills, continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics is one avenue worth exploring as opposed to increasing mathematics graduation requirements only in terms of Carnegie…

Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools--and high school students--have changed dramatically. Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in…

Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools--and high school students--have changed dramatically. Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in…

Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools--and high school students--have changed dramatically. Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in…