The context surrounding today's college-going youth is different from when their parents pursued higher education in the late 1980s to early 2000s. I sought to understand how these parents, now as adults with children on the doorstep of their own college-going process, form knowledge about 21st century college-going and what sources these parents…

This phenomenological study examined students' experiences with the academic support services provided during their enrollment at an Early College High School (ECHS) in South Texas. The participants in this study earned an associate degree from a community college while enrolled in an ECHS. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with…

The increased number of college credits earned in dual enrollment programs initiated concern by educators, researchers, and policymakers regarding college readiness. However, data are scarce and inconsistent across governing states and community colleges to measure college readiness and dual enrollment's effectiveness. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this causal-comparative, ex post facto quantitative study was to determine "What are the differences in third-grade reading at the college and career readiness level in charter schools compared to traditional public schools?" The study took place in North Carolina charter and traditional public schools. The sample…

This dissertation presents an applied research study focused on improving ACT mathematics scores in a rural Mississippi independent school. The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of increased mathematics instructional time and curriculum mapping on improving the percentage of students meeting the College Readiness Benchmark scores on…

The problem addressed in this study was the level of preparedness of first-year community college students enrolled in remedial math and English courses instead of entering college-level courses. Hence, many high school graduates are not satisfactorily prepared to endure the rigors of college coursework and have to take remedial courses. The…

Despite the growing visibility of equity and access work in higher education, increasing the college degree attainment of Native Hawaiian students remains an urgent goal. The University of Hawai?i-West O?ahu, a regional public university, has the vision and location to realize this kuleana. Colonization and the illegal occupation of Hawai?i led to…

Rater-mediated activities in educational research occur when an expert judge or rater utilizes an instrument to judge persons or items and generates scale scores. Scale scores are from a subjective judgment and must undergo a quality control measure called rating quality. Rating quality in this study is broadly defined as the extent to which…

Throughout the United States, dual enrollment programs enable high school students to earn college credit by completing college classes while in high school. In 2015, the State of Ohio expanded grade-level eligibility to participate in the state's dual enrollment program, College Credit Plus, to seventh- and eighth-grade students. The purpose of…

Learning networks for school improvement are a powerful structure for educators to expand their knowledge and improve their practice, and when networks include members with diverse experiences and perspectives, the results can be particularly effective. But how can network facilitators ensure that members are learning from each other and…

College options for students with intellectual disabilities continue to grow. However, there is a gap among students and families about available college opportunities. This study provides evidence of a weeklong summer academy that bridges the gap between high school and college. Results showed the summer academy increased participants' awareness…

The purpose of this research was to explore the lived experiences of high school mathematics teachers with regards to postsecondary readiness, specifically how those experiences informed their perceptions of and experience with developing postsecondary readiness skills in their students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person and via…

As the transition point between middle school and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student's likelihood of graduating high school altogether. Interventions that can help educators better meet the needs of students during this critical juncture represent powerful levers for driving school…

As the transition point between middle and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student's likelihood of graduating high school altogether. The Ninth Grade Success Initiative is a dropout prevention program, piloted in five Washington State high schools in 2019-2020. We evaluated the effects on…

Since 2015/16, a standardized written final examination in mathematics or applied mathematics has been compulsory for nearly all pupils at the upper secondary level in Austria. While this standardized competence-oriented maturity examination is intended to increase pupils' subject-related study ability, empirical research in this regard is scarce.…