Chronic absenteeism is a trending topic among educators, as federal and state accountability policies have emphasized the importance of students being in school. The problem addressed in this study is the high rates of chronic absenteeism in a particular urban Midwestern school district. The study explored administrators' perceptions of causes,…

The National Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides professional development and technical assistance to more than 27,000 schools nationwide (OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2021). Although much has been documented on the impact of Tier I PBIS implementation with…

Background: Much confusion exists about the underachievement of gifted students due to significant variations in how the phenomenon has been identified. From a review of the literature, five methods were found to be commonly used to identify gifted underachievement. Aims: The purpose of the study was to assess the equivalence of the commonly used…

Freshman grades relate to academic outcomes, yet limited research explores which students face the highest risk of course failure. With logit analysis using a five-year Arkansas dataset (n = 164,688), we find that economically disadvantaged ninth-grade students are more likely to fail a course than their more privileged peers. This disparity…

Predicting students' success is crucial in educational settings to improve academic performance and prevent dropouts. This study aimed to improve student performance prediction by combining advanced machine learning (ML) approaches. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and attention mechanisms were used for extracting relevant features from…

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the Early Grade Writing Assessment for Kindergarten (EGWA-K), which is grounded in foundational literacy skills, for its validity and diagnostic accuracy in identifying children at risk of developing early learning disabilities in writing (LDW). To the best of our knowledge, no such tool exists for…

We examine the impact of a randomized therapy intervention on Nepali adolescents at risk of school dropout. Our study is the largest of its kind (N = 1,707) and is novel in that participation does not require a preexisting diagnosis. Ninety percent of those offered therapy participated, with younger adolescents demonstrating higher compliance.…

In this paper we explore how Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) conceptualise vulnerability and risk, and how these conceptualisations inform their responses to students at risk of exclusion from school. The literature typically makes a distinction between within-child and systemic or structural factors. We draw on interview data from…

"Research Findings:" Executive Function (EF) and Early Math (EM) are foundational skills for children's school success. Interventions have shown to foster these skills, but their effectiveness in less developed countries remains unknown. This study examined the initial efficacy of an eight-week EF and an EM skills program for young…

Foster students are considered the most educationally vulnerable students. Of the over 400,000 foster youth, approximately 270,000 are school-aged. Foster youth are reported to have higher likelihood of adverse childhood experiences, development of psychopathology, higher drop out rates, increased medication prescriptions, chronic absenteeism,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the alternative education placement characteristics in the state of Arkansas and the demographics of the students placed in ALE. There are eleven characteristics of which two are required to be present in a student profile in order for a student to be placed in alternative education in Arkansas. This…

Sex trafficking of minors is a significant problem across North America, with sizeable numbers of youth being directly or indirectly manipulated into being exploited or trafficked. Identification of these youth remains difficult, in part because of a lack of knowledge about common characteristics and in part because of victims' reluctance engaging…

Considering the growing social and emotional pressures among young people in today's society, it is crucial to provide them with meaningful developmental programs. For many years, sport settings have been considered beneficial platforms for counteracting the adverse influences on socially vulnerable youths. Utilizing sport in youth development…

Great Expectations is a Virginia Community College System program for youth who were in foster care after the age of 13. Foster youth enter college with multiple disadvantages, including being less academically prepared compared to their peers and often lacking social support for their education. A program evaluation was conducted at a specific…

Even though individuals now have increased access to higher education, first-generation college students (FGCS) remain disadvantaged. Without prior college exposure, experience, or a college-going family tradition, FGCS face challenges navigating higher education institutions which can lead to decreased college retention and completion rates.…