The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the effectiveness of attending a full-day pre-kindergarten program on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) scores of students who attended the Full-day program and students who did not attend the full-day program. The population of students in this study was 260 from three different…

The purpose of this study was to examine the ongoing issue of teachers with chronic absenteeism particularly as it relates to vulnerable student populations. For the purposes of this research, chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 or more instructional days. The problem is the effect that chronic teacher absenteeism has on vulnerable…

As communities grapple with the harmful, inequitable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been particularly hard on low-income and marginalized youth, renewed attention has been directed toward how out-of-school time (OST) programs can help youth reconnect and re-engage. In this article, the results of a systematic literature review on the…

Studies about collegiate food insecurity show its prevalence as a national issue that disproportionately affects students from marginalized groups. This study further contextualizes this work, examining the ways that multiply-marginalized students navigate systems of privilege and opportunity at selective, normatively affluent universities to meet…

Stereotype threat effect (STE) is a psychosocial phenomenon that can cause performance decrements on standardized tests. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore standardized test construct through the lens of intelligence theories as a potential mediator for STE for low socioeconomic status (LSES) students in rural Arkansas schools.…

Trauma has been shown to cause poor academic performance, high drop-out rates, lack of confidence, lack of connection to peers, difficulty regulating emotions, and more (Bishop et al., 2019; Duncan, 2000; Gaywish & Murdoch, 2018; Hallett & Crutchfield, 2017; Hallett et al., 2018; Redford, 2015; Warnecke & Lewine, 2019). The student…

In this article, we explore how three campuses implemented professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to create institutional change in support of culture change (toward ecological validation) to support at-promise student success. The study explores the process of learning within the PLCs, examines facilitators of learning ecological…

Despite the emergence of test-optional policies, standardized admission tests continue shaping the college composition and financial aid prospects of hundreds of thousands of students. This is concerning for the following reasons: (a) standardized test results have historically favored test-takers from wealthier and majority backgrounds, (b) test…

Drawing from a 5-year mixed methods study of the Thompson Scholar Learning Community (TSLC), we discuss how holistic, proactive, strengthens-oriented, identity conscious, collaborative and reflective norms create a culture of ecological validation wherein at-promise students can experience college success. These norms were then operationalized…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused in-person school closures around the world that impacted student learning and academic achievement to an unknown degree for all types of students. A majority of research on out-of-school time (summer vacation, absences, weather-related events) and initial research related to the pandemic indicated a negative impact on…

The problem addressed in this study is the high dropout and poor graduation rates among at-risk students attending Title I high schools in Virginia. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to (a) assess current levels of school connectedness, achievement focus, student persistence, grades, and attendance of at-risk high school students in…

First-generation students identify from unique familial upbringings and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and are not afforded the same educational opportunities as their non-first generation counterparts as a result. The disparities first-generation students experience throughout education contributes to their educational access,…

Teachers with less than 5 years of teaching experience in low socioeconomic status schools are more likely to leave education than those who have taught in a higher socioeconomic school, often leaving schools in low socioeconomic areas struggling to fill vacancies and to keep a full teaching staff. Many students are high-risk if they attend a…

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading--oral language and executive function (EF)--are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we…

A disproportionate number of students from low socio-economic statuses (SES) are enrolled in special education as students with specific learning disabilities (SLD). Despite resources provided through special education, only a small percentage of students are exited before secondary school. This instrumental case study investigated the variables…