Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences existed in the attainment of Texas Education Agency approved industry-based certifications of Texas high school graduates by their ethnicity/race, gender, and economic status. In the first study, the degree to which the attainment of Texas…

Care leavers, one of the most vulnerable groups in society, are underrepresented in higher education (HE). This study follows 16 entire birth cohorts of alumni of youth villages in Israel (born 1982-1997, N = 44,164) and is based on national administrative data. Using Propensity Score Matching we created a double sized comparison group from the…

Even though teen pregnancy rates are declining, teen pregnancy remains a complex and problematic phenomenon in our culture. The problem addressed by this study was that although the number of births to teen mothers is decreasing, less than 50% of teen mothers are completing high school. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was…

This autoethnographic study aims to answer the following questions: How can a school leader design a culturally sensitive, inclusive alternative education program? What type of systemic change does an alternative school leader believe to be most effective in supporting students in attaining a high school diploma and a solid postsecondary plan to…

Using data collected from more than 5.8 million high school and college graduates ages 18 to 65 years who participated in the American Community Survey between 2009 and 2021, the authors estimate the internal rates of return (IRRs) for individuals with college degrees in 10 broad majors compared with high school graduates. The analysis shows…

Career Technical Education (CTE)--a structured series of courses that provides high school students technical and vocational skills, paving the way to postsecondary education and careers--is key to aligning secondary education with both labor market needs and college opportunities. CTE provides high school students with the chance to engage in…

The 11th edition of "Knocking at the College Door" comes at a critical time for the country. Many sectors of the economy face workforce shortages, while higher education faces increasing skepticism about its value. The data and analyses within these pages will likely fuel further concerns for those across higher education as the nation…

This quantitative study aimed to determine whether participation in dual enrollment or advanced placement courses helped increase the college readiness self-efficacy of high school graduates. With the results of this study, the researcher believes that participation in dual enrollment and advanced placement courses is associated positively with…

Graduating from high school is an important step toward becoming a successful adult. It is evidence that one has met the standards set by the public school system. Standards-Based Reform has been pursued since the 1980s and culminated in the development of the Common Core State Standards that were implemented by most states between 2011 and 2015.…

This annual analysis provides a district-level view of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students' patterns of educational attainment. It presents a starting place for thinking about why these patterns exist and what can be done to improve these patterns. The report focuses on three key milestones--high school graduation, college enrollment, and…

Investigating the existence of items with differential item functioning (DIF) may provide more accurate comparisons of group differences in studies that aim to compare scores obtained in a test by groups with different characteristics. In the present study, a scale measuring critical thinking motivation that was adapted to the Turkish culture was…

For over two decades, there have been sustained efforts across the nation to increase high school graduation rates toward the goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate for the Class of 2020 and improving educational outcomes for all students. The work of many educators, policymakers, organizations, and young people across the country…

Enrollment of underrepresented African American (URAA) males in higher education has declined significantly over the last decades. Past studies have identified interrelated factors that impact degree attainment for underrepresented students. Researchers typically attribute those factors to African American males' success and degree attainment.…

Although the positive relationship between social determinants and college attainment is well established, less is known about how social class specifically relates to the linear and timely completion of postsecondary degrees. In this paper, we empirically examine on-time completion of bachelor's degrees using social class proxies for a national…

This brief examines the experiences of California high school seniors from the graduating class of 2023, offering insights into their preparation, plans, and concerns for college prior to enrollment. Drawing on results from a large-scale survey of seniors, the findings reveal important variation in students' secondary school experiences and their…