Grit in student learning has emerged as a popular discussion topic related to the academic achievement and performance of students. The non-cognitive features of grit are similar to personality traits such as conscientiousness, perseverance, and self-efficacy. However, grit relies on extended passion and perseverance to achieve long-term goals.…

Nationwide, 15.2% of teachers employed in schools with students with low socioeconomic status left their schools annually, compared with 10.5% of their counterparts at high socioeconomic status schools (Burbach & Flores, 2012; Harding & Quinn, 2012). Teacher quality was considered a prerequisite for student learning, but urban schools had…

Many believe that talent is inherent--a person either has it or doesn't. But research shows that a student's environment is a critical determinant for developing talents. In "Talent Zones," Dr. Lee Hancock redefines talent so that parents, teachers, and coaches of kids can create environments rich in opportunities for all kids to boost…

For-profit, online, higher education institutions have lower student retention rates than institutions in other categories. Higher education leaders are concerned with low retention as it adversely impacts financial and student outcomes. Grounded in Morgan and Hunt's relationship marketing theory, the purpose of this qualitative, exploratory,…

Current student success measures have been shown to be necessary, but insufficient, often masking the successes of specific student populations by virtue of their 4-year institutional centricity, aggregate calculation, and reflection of hegemonic definitions of student success. For far too long, academics and policymakers have valued what they…

This study sought to address the problem of the low persistence of African American women in engineering careers. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of African American women engineers on the impact of their educational experiences on their persistence in engineering career fields. Social Cognitive Career Theory was used as…

High-quality teachers have been shown to be a foundational component in the success of students in k-12 education. High-quality teacher recruitment, selection, and retention become a cornerstone of a high quality school. The problem, of identifying, hiring, and retaining high quality teachers, is addressed in this dissertation. The school had to…

New Jersey Air and Army National Guard (NJAANG) undergraduate students endure multiple transitions throughout their academic career. In 2020, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous activations and manning demands for the NJAANG population, further stressing coping methods. Using the follow-up, explanatory sequential mixed methods…

The role of intrusive advising in the persistence of community college students has not been well-studied even though intrusive advising has been touted as a practice to improve retention in U.S. community colleges. Student retention is important for sustaining community colleges that serve as open admissions institutions because they are…

This dissertation examines how education and migration policies negatively shape access to and opportunities within post-secondary education for Latinx students in mixed-status families. To do so, I develop the concept of deficit policies, or policies that presume deficits in the targeted population and then produce those deficits. Engaging a…

This research sought to understand the experiences and perceptions of special education inclusion teachers (SEITs) from an urban county in Central Georgia. The qualitative narrative analysis proposed here aims to give school districts insight into why SEITs leave the field. This study followed a basic qualitative design. Participants were pulled…

This report discusses the disturbing shortage of nurses and growing impact on this shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, California's nursing workforce currently does not reflect the state's diversity. Although Latinx residents account for 39% of the state's population, just 10% of California's Registered Nurses are Latinx. While…

Dual-enrollment programs are a fixture in American secondary education and allow high school students the opportunity to receive college credits while attending high school. However, whether the location of a dual-enrollment course encourages college persistence is not fully understood. Student Integration Theory and Psychological Theory are…

Teachers' skills in the learning and teaching process both offline and online are crucial to creating an effective learning environment, and one such skill is classroom management. Aiming to investigate the factors that influence teacher skills in classroom management, this study involved 363 elementary school teachers in a quantitative survey.…

Background: Early childhood teachers play a key role in creating positive teacher-child relationships, which are shown to promote child outcomes. However, turnover rates of early childhood teachers are strikingly high, which may compromise the quality of teacher-child relationships. Lack of early childhood education program policies (i.e., wage,…