Methods to estimate the causal effects of interventions are increasingly used in clinical medicine, public policy and social science. Using observational data, researchers can obtain causal treatment effect estimates without the ethical risks and time constraints that typically burden randomized experiments. The three studies in this dissertation…

This article examines the expansion of public Montessori education and its implications for student participation and outcomes. The study focuses on the state of South Carolina, which has the largest number of public Montessori programs in the United States. Through a comprehensive analysis of demographic characteristics and standardized test…

While most teachers in America are women, women are underrepresented in administrative leadership roles, such as the superintendency. This underrepresentation is even worse for women of color. Given the importance of on-the-job mentorship for new and aspiring superintendence, the lack of female superintendents of color means those who do reach the…

Disproportionate rates of behavioral problem reporting and consequences for African American males have occurred for decades. With the consequences surrounding problem behaviors typically removing the student from the classroom, whether to the principal's office or for an in-school or out-of-school suspension, time spent in the classroom for…

The disparity amongst African American males in education has been a major concern for educators and policy makers nationwide for many years. Though various researchers have made implications to precisely correct the issue, African American males still perform significantly behind their peers. This dissertation examined how one of the most…

Physics is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics discipline in which women are severely underrepresented. Prior work has identified motivation-based explanations for low participation and retention rates of women in physics. Among various motivational factors, intelligence mindsets (i.e., having fixed or growth mindsets) have been…

Although it is well-established that female participation in study abroad programmes is higher than the male participation, less is known about how this gap has changed over time. Using student-level data from the nationally representative surveys of three European countries (France, Germany and Italy), this paper begins by examining changes in…

In this critical autoethnography, I reflect on my experience teaching in a KIPP charter school in an urban, racially diverse city in the southwestern U.S. Over the past few decades KIPP has gained both prestige and resentment as a major character in the charter school movement. Their focus on supporting students from underrepresented racial…

This study investigates racial disparities in school closures both within California and nationally. Findings highlight an alarming pattern: Schools enrolling higher proportions of Black students are at significantly increased risk of closure relative to those enrolling fewer Black students, a pattern that is more pronounced in California than…

According to two policy reports, students who attend high achieving schools (HAS) are recognized as an at-risk population due to the high levels of stress and constant pressure to achieve (Geisz & Nakashian, 2018; NASEM, 2019). HAS are ranked among the top four at-risk environments for children following poverty, trauma, and discrimination,…

Despite the need for a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, Women, Black, Latinx, and Native Americans have been historically excluded and continue to be underrepresented in STEM in the United States (National Center for Science & Engineering Statistics, 2023; National Science Board, 2021). While there…

In the context of continued equity gaps in student success within and beyond STEM, this paper explored the extent to which the representation of underrepresented racial minority (URM) and first-generation college students predict grades in postsecondary STEM courses. The analyses examined 87,027 grades received by 11,868 STEM-interested students…

This study illuminates the nuanced experiences of Asian international women students in Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Engineering doctoral programs in the United States, a domain historically shaped by male dominance, White supremacy, and Western ideologies. While existing literature on gender and racial-ethnic disparities in Science,…

One in four teachers have left the profession due to the global pandemic causing a national shortage of quality teachers in science and math subjects. The problem that this qualitative case study investigated was a shortage of quality science and math teachers for underrepresented high school students. The gap in the literature was identified to…

After a disruptive event, such as the pandemic, it is reasonable to re-assess the status of past educational disparities. Re-assessment is particularly important for female college students from a traditionally patriarchal society attempting to promote gender equity in education. During the pre-pandemic era, such students preferred non-STEM…