The Accelerating CTE project began as an extension of Jobs for the Future's (JFF's) Accelerating Opportunity (AO), a seven-year initiative to improve outcomes for adult education students in college. Building on the lessons learned and strong evidence realized in AO, the ECMC Foundation in 2016 invested in a three-year initiative where JFF…

In the United States, one in nine young people is neither in school nor working. That's 4.5 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. This population, known as Opportunity Youth (OY), is disconnected in a way that can lead to lower lifetime earnings and a higher likelihood of social isolation. With generous support from the Clipper Ship…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of student leader employees in relation to retention through the lens of development via engagement at a small, non-profit private university in Southern California. Methodology: This study used a phenomenological approach to understand the…

The increasing importance of a college degree has led policymakers and educators to focus on strengthening the path to college beyond college entry. In this research brief the authors review four factors key to educational attainment: (1) aspirations and beliefs, (2) academic preparation, (3) knowledge and information, and (4) fortitude and…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and reasons why adult undergraduate nursing students, attending an online university in the United States, persisted beyond their first year. Persistence was described as a student's conscious choice to remain in their program in order to reach their educational goals…

The purpose of this study was to assess what attracted women to information technology (IT) careers, what kinds of experiences they encountered upon entry, what factors influenced their persistence, and for those persisting, what advice they would offer to other women pursuing IT careers. This study followed a qualitative methodology that employed…

United States principals are exiting the profession in epidemic numbers (School Leader Network, 2014). Approximately 25,000 or 25% of principals leave the profession each year and an astonishing 50% of new principals exit the profession by their third year in leadership (School Leaders Network, 2014). Turnover is costing school districts an…

The underrepresentation of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, in particular, minority females such as Latinas persists. Multiple studies have addressed such lack of presence by recriminating their race and gender. Fewer researches have focused on Latinas' assets and their leadership adopted throughout the…

Children's school readiness as they enter kindergarten is an important predictor of their academic success and ultimately their long-term health and economic outcomes. Research shows that participation in high-quality early childhood education helps preschoolers gain the foundational language and literacy skills as well as the social-emotional…

There is a paucity of research on American Indian students in U.S. higher education, particularly those who commute and are citizens of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Unfortunately, no studies have examined the engagement of undergraduate Lumbee commuter students. Kuh (2009b) defined student engagement as "the time and effort students…

This qualitative life history illuminates the experiences of four low-income single mother students in their undergraduate degree pursuit. The lenses of radical feminism, Schlossberg's Transition Theory, Intersectionality, and the concept of Stigma were used to understand the experiences. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and…

It is widely understood in the higher education community that students from the lowest socioeconomic (SES) status achieve lower college graduation rates than those from other SES, even when controlling for other variables. Certain programs and services have been shown to positively affect student persistence, even when compared by student SES and…

National attention is focused on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in public schools. In order to ensure that students have access to high quality STEM education it is essential that teacher candidates are well prepared and confident to deliver challenging content and train students in necessary skills…

This experimental study examined the effects of pre-tests and feedback on learning outcomes in a five-week massive open online course (MOOC). The participants (N = 399) were adults from around the world who self-enrolled in the American Museum of Natural History's (AMNH) climate change MOOC (called "Our Earth's Future") offered on the…

In contrast to the increase in college enrollment rates of youth with learning disabilities (LD), graduation rates have remained stagnant and low. Using propensity methods, this study examined the effect of disability-specific and universally-available support receipt on the college perseverance and completion of students with learning…