Mentoring is widely recognized as an effective approach to addressing educational needs in U.S. schools, emphasizing the importance of strong, long-term mentor-mentee relationships (Karaferye, 2018; Wood & Mayo-Wilson, 2012). These relationships can provide crucial support for youth facing social, emotional, and financial challenges (Kuperminc…

This dissertation measures and describes the factors that impact doctoral student persistence. Using a mixed methods cases study design, I analyzed institutional student record data, survey data on caregiving responsibilities, and data from semi-structured interviews with PhD students at a STEM-focused, public research university in the American…

The problem addressed in this study was the high dropout rate and the resulting low graduation rate in alternative virtual school settings. This quantitative correlational case study examined the influence of three instructional modalities on students' credit accrual and graduation rates in one alternative education virtual high school. The three…

There is a high dropout rate of English language learners (ELLs) compared to non-ELLs at the school under study. Guided by Bass and Burns's transformational leadership conceptual framework, this qualitative study aimed to examine the perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the influences contributing to the high dropout rate of ELLs.…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to discuss and analyze college and career readiness for exceptional students in South Carolina. The overall goal was to determine if there was a significant difference in the outcomes of the exceptional student in the state over a three year timespan using two data points (2016-2017 and 2018-2019) and…

Black students are disproportionately represented in special education, especially in categories that are subjectively determined by educators. Also, Black students with disabilities experience disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline in schools and have disproportionately higher dropout rates and lower graduation rates. Research has…

Many U.S. schools in poor communities are implementing restorative practices, which comes from the restorative justice model that has been implemented in many juvenile systems. Many schools are implementing restorative practice interventions to improve their drop out rates, graduation rates, and improve their relationships between students and…

This study analyzed school funding and its relationship with selected student and teacher factors of high schools in the Southeastern Region of South Carolina. The student factors included the dropout rate, class size, academic achievement, and graduation rate. Also, examined teacher factors consisted of teacher retention, teachers with advanced…

This study aimed to identify factors of success and attrition within military students in doctoral programs. It also sought to examine performance in clinical doctoral-level programs to determine significant differences in outcome measures between military and nonmilitary. This study utilized archival data from five clinical psychology doctoral…

Educators and the general public are often discouraged by grim reports by the media regarding our nation's standing with regard to education and the policies that attempt to improve that standing. This study examined (a) the percentage of students identified as needing special education, (b) graduation rates, and (c) dropout rates from a sample of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between five school productivity measures at 248 Tennessee high schools and educators' perceptions of these institutions' climate for student discipline. Grounded in archived accountability information stored on the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) website, these five productivity…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students enrolled in Secondary (9-12) alternative educational schools, i.e.--district schools vs. charter schools, demonstrate significant differences in achievement as measured by the 2019 A-F Letter Grade Accountability System, as well as to determine whether district and charter schools differ…

Special education students' graduation rate in high school is 61%, compared to regular high school students at 80%, as noted in a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify and describe strategies that reduce the dropout rate of overaged special education students. The…

Chronic absenteeism affects the majority of schools in the United States. An assessment of centers of learning illustrates that a majority of students miss a month of learning in an academic year through excused or unexcused absences. The majority of schools exhibit 95% average daily attendance rates, as the learners tend to not miss school, on…

School districts in the state of Missouri are required to provide an education to all students, including those on suspension, and many other states have similar requirements. The number of alternative programs has grown over the last 50 years, and most districts provide some type of alternative program for at-risk students. With few state…