In recent decades, there has been an increase in the presence of the LGBTIQ+ community in several professional and social spheres in Peru; however, their involvement in the educational sector remains relatively scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the reality experienced by a group of LGBTIQ+ teachers in the…

Many women leave higher education and the workforce due to inadequate support after childbirth, as student affairs units often struggle to create family-friendly environments. The purpose of this narrative inquiry qualitative study was to understand why and how mothers who work in student affairs choose to stay after having children. This study…

There are high rates of disciplinary issues present in urban elementary schools in the United States, and school administrators need more effective strategies for improvement. Researchers have found that exclusionary discipline practices like suspensions and expulsions are often overused, have questionable efficacy, and disproportionately affect…

Across the country, states have expanded their voucher programs rapidly within the past few years. School choice advocates named 2023 the "year of universal choice" because of the frequency of states adopting these programs. Universal school choice programs make school vouchers available to all families, regardless of their income level…

This paper presents results from an experimental evaluation of an intervention designed to enhance virtual student support. During the 2019-2020 school year, randomly selected mentors in a school-based mentoring program received monthly reminders with tips for communicating with youth via text, email, and phone. Unexpectedly, the results showed…

Creative levers for change often emerge in times of institutional uncertainty. As higher education continues to confront institutional racism, honors programs can exercise their power to increase diversity and educational outcomes for excluded and marginalized students, as well as influence related university-level policy. This case study…

Collegiate music students are at a unique intersection which may put them at an increased risk for mental health challenges and illnesses: the intersection of creatives and emerging adults. Research suggests that mental health in the United States is continuing to decline. However, there is little research and discussion about how collegiate music…

An opportunity gap exists in the United States school system where students of color score lower on standardized tests and have fewer opportunities than their white counterparts. Culturally Relevant Education (CRE) theory attempts to close this gap, and is defined by Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995) as Pedagogy that rests on three criteria or…

There are eleven million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Approximately two million are young people under the age of twenty-four. Although they came to the United States as children and were essentially raised and educated here, they remain without a pathway to legal permanent citizenship. Relatively little is known about the…

This study aimed to examine the impact of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1973; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) on the access and equity of C-STEM learners of color under the following four tenets of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model: aspirational, familial, social, and navigational capital. A theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory…

This study was used to explore the college experiences of students of color in an education program at a public university in the Northeast. More than ever, there is a need for teachers of color due to the continuous increase of students of color in the country. This study followed an exploratory qualitative case study research design. Data were…

Enrollment in higher education has increased over recent years with more students entering college underprepared for the academic rigor. Through expanded access, more minoritized students who are Pell eligible are enrolling. To retain these and other students, higher education institutions are implementing high impact practices to provide…

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large and negative impact on student learning. This dissertation explores the effect of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable student subgroups: English Learners (ELs). In this work I examine existing disparities among subgroups of ELs, and the different ways the pandemic has impacted…

College-level study abroad participation has been shown to positively influence a range of student outcomes including GPA, graduation rates, cultural competence, cultural capital acquisition, as well as, students' leadership skills. However, the influence of study abroad at the high school programs have mostly gone unresearched. The study abroad…

This study uses a logistic regression model to analyze survey data (n = 341) and predict factors influencing online course success for underserved and academically at-risk undergraduate students at a small, broad access, four-year, public Midwestern university. Three blocks of predictor variables, demographic (first generation, low income,…