As a result of systemic barriers, undocumented immigrants are more likely to enroll in community colleges and to enter these institutions with higher prior academic achievement than their peers. I explore the potential spillover benefits of this hyperselection on other students using data from a large community college system and two…

This study examined the effect of specialized orientation courses on community college student academic achievement and retention. The study utilized a quantitative design and compared the outcomes of specialized orientation courses to a more generalized orientation course. Due to the lack of previous research, there was little to suggest either a…

Does a school district that expands school choice provide better outcomes for students than a neighborhood-based assignment system? This paper studies the Zones of Choice (ZOC) program, a school choice initiative of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) that created small high school markets in some neighborhoods but left attendance-zone…

This study leverages a policy change in the missionary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that exogenously influenced the likelihood that a woman took gap time during college to understand how gap time influences women's subsequent choice of major and academic outcomes. If structured gap time shapes educational outcomes,…

School assignment policies are a key lever to increase access to high performing schools and to promote racial and socioeconomic integration. For over 50 years, the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) has bussed students of color from Boston, Massachusetts to relatively wealthier and predominantly White suburbs. Using a…

The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the cognitive, noncognitive, and sociodemographic barriers affecting the enrollment of General Educational Development (GED) holders in higher education in Alabama. The researcher sought to understand these barriers, focusing on poor academic performance, negative emotions,…

The expansion of Advanced Placement (AP) programs to include students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities and those from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds has made it crucial to assess how effective AP courses and exams are for these groups. As AP programs become more popular, more high school students--especially freshmen…

This paper estimates the causal effects of enrollment in one of five oversubscribed high-quality Los Angeles charter schools using a lottery design. Enrolling in a charter school increased eleventh-grade standardized test scores and enrollment and persistence in four-year colleges substantially, but had no effect on high school GPA. Charter…

Against the backdrop of global transformations in university admission systems, the quest for an enrolment paradigm that efficiently identifies and selects high-quality students has gained paramount significance. With the help of propensity score matching (PSM), this study controlled students' backgrounds and compared the performance of students…

This paper investigates patterns of racial/ethnic and gender gaps in post-secondary degree attainment trajectories by the levels of students' pre-college academic preparation. We follow four cohorts of Missouri public high school freshmen for five years beyond on-time graduation among White, Black, and Hispanic male and female students. A…

The month in which we are born affects our experience of and progress through the education system and is known as the relative age effect. This study reports on a project in which the author conducted mixed methods research into the impact of different birth months on enrolment patterns and participant experiences within further education in…

Whether intended by education policy (e.g., via school entrance examinations) or unintended (e.g., via social stratification), selection effects in education (who goes where, gets what, and how much) shape educational opportunities -- influencing the life chances of individuals and groups, and the structure of societies. However, within the…

Self-placement in math is becoming increasingly popular in community colleges in the U.S., where students will decide for themselves whether to enroll in non-credit developmental (or remedial) math courses. To fully understand the factors associated with students' math enrollment choices and the long-term effects of initial math enrollment…

Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine factors that influenced the enrollment decisions of high-achieving and low-performing students to be admitted, enrolled, and complete their degree at Langston University. The research study included a pilot study, semi-structured interviews, and a qualitative…

The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled at universities continues to increase; however, completion rates have not. In this study, we sought to understand what contributes to university completion rates by Indigenous Australian students. We employed a mixed-method approach, utilising the higher education success factor…