There is currently a heavy emphasis on career-connected learning for high school students in New York City. ExpandED Schools' science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Options (ES Options) program predates the newest of these initiatives. Launched in 2019, ES Options combines a credit-bearing STEM apprenticeship in the spring with a…

New York City's Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative, launched in 2015, aimed to provide all students across the system with at least one CS experience at each grade band (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The initiative placed particular emphasis on broadening participation among girls, and Black and Latinx students, who are underrepresented in…

The Lone Star Stem (LSS) program was designed to increase high-quality STEM education opportunities and outcomes for high-need students in Texas. The focus of the program was on implementing rigorous coursework that helps students gain the skills, postsecondary credentials, and experience necessary to embark on well-paying careers in STEM fields.…

This dissertation consists of two chapters that examine the impact of educational and positive youth development programs on students' academic and behavioral outcomes. In the first chapter, I evaluate the effect of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, a school meal provision allowing schools meeting the eligibility requirements to…

Earning a high school diploma is a milestone that has been linked to many later life outcomes, from employment to incarceration to physical health, and impacts society as a whole through tax revenues and government spending. Yet, youth leaving school prior to obtaining a diploma remains a challenge nationwide, particularly in large cities. Given…

If students are not able to access internships or career-based programming, they are likely to not acquire skills necessary to be college and career ready. In short, an abundance of research supports the problem of limited preparation of all students for college and career readiness in high school, which also affects success in college and/or…

In the United States, students are assigned to public schools based on where they live. School districts have set boundaries and students living in the neighborhoods within those boundaries attend the district's schools. The district's boundaries are further delineated into attendance zones, in which particular homes and neighborhoods are assigned…

In 2017, the government launched Career Learning Pilots in order to test the design and provision of various training approaches for working adults with low to intermediate skills. As part of this initiative, the Department for Education provided approximately £11.3 million in funding to pilot projects that offered flexible and accessible ways of…

Postsecondary education is widely seen as a necessity in the modern economy, yet among low and middle-income families, college enrollment rates are dismayingly low -- and graduation rates are even lower. College Promise programs, which cover local students' college tuition and fees, are one strategy states and municipalities use to help. But…

This executive summary provides highlights from the full evaluation report (published separately). The report presents a baseline description of outcomes for the 2017-2018 school year, the first year of GEAR UP Austin implementation in AISD. Specifically, the report describes program implementation, student participation in GEAR UP Austin, and…

Positive education blends academic learning and student well-being. Although research and application in positive education is growing, most has involved psychologists and educators applying strategies in schools, with little research that involves student voices in the development and implementation of a school's positive education strategy.…

The National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving educational outcomes that traces its roots back to the early 1990s. NMSI's College Readiness Program (CRP) is a long-standing program with the goal of promoting STEM education in high schools to improve students' preparation for college. The three-year…

This evaluation report presents a baseline description of outcomes for the 2017-2018 school year, the first year of GEAR UP Austin implementation in AISD. Specifically, the report describes program implementation, student participation in GEAR UP Austin, and baseline student academic and college preparation outcomes. [For the executive summary,…

The globalization of economies and societies has created many positive influences on American universities. One relevant influence is increasing the number of international students. Conversely, these students encounter many social and academic challenges. Therefore, universities should adapt their programs to assist international students in…

Reacting to the Past (RTTP) is an innovative history pedagogy adopted by colleges and universities nationwide, in many cases as part of programming for first-year students. It is a methodology of teaching history that emphasizes active learning and student engagement. In many ways, RTTP is a form of a "flipped classroom," in which…