A Monte Carlo algorithm is designed to predict the average time to graduate by enrolling virtual students in a degree plan. The algorithm can be used to improve graduation rates by identifying bottlenecks in a degree plan (e.g., low pass rate courses and prerequisites). Random numbers are used to determine whether students pass or fail classes by…

Public universities are intent on increasing degree completion for many reasons. A stronger policy focus on completion and interest in removing students' financial hurdles has led to a rapid proliferation of completion grant programs. This paper reports on a mixed-method implementation study of completion grant programs at seven broad- and…

M-DCPS had 21,638 graduates in the 2020-2021 academic year. Most students, 92%, achieved a standard diploma (24 credits). Some students chose an alternative curriculum where 854 (4%) achieved an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma and 447 (2%) achieved an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. An additional 384 (2%)…

This study aimed to investigate and improve the persistence of first-generation college students at a mid-size, private school in the Northeast. Many institutions treat their students equally, thinking that adopting this stance will be equitable. Unfortunately, a blanket approach to student services can sometimes render inequities among groups…

This dissertational work provides an analysis between school leader emotional intelligence and academic achievement using selected indicators of student achievement in Alabama high schools. Emotional intelligence levels were measured by administering "The Shutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test to" willing high school principal…

The African American dropout rate and retention rate for college is higher than their Caucasian counterpart which may be because of many issues such as financial, social, medical, and physiological. The problem addressed in this study was: African Americans are not completing their undergraduate degree at the same pace as their Caucasian…

We investigate how the presence of a college affects local educational attainment using historical natural experiments in which "runner-up" locations were strongly considered to become college sites but ultimately not chosen for as-good-as-random reasons. While runner-up counties have since had opportunity to establish their own…

Over the past decade, 113,000 adults with some college but no degree (SCND) have reconnected with higher education at Tennessee community colleges. Most of these students reconnected at community colleges after attending elsewhere, and many had made substantial progress toward a credential before stopping out. However, after reconnecting, fewer…

Prior research shows that English learners (ELs) lag behind their peers in academic achievement and education attainment. The persisting gap is partly attributed to ELs' limited exposure to academic content. This article investigates the efficacy of a summer credit recovery program aimed at expanding high school newcomer ELs' access to academic…

Historically, the most common type of transfer student was described as traditional; they enrolled in a community college, earned an associate's degree, and transitioned to a four-year institution for degree completion. The highest degree of departure from one institution to the next occurs within the second year of enrollment (Hossler, et al.…

Postsecondary co-enrollment, or simultaneous enrollment at multiple institutions, is becoming increasingly common among U.S. college students. This descriptive analysis documented the characteristics and co-enrollment patterns of Latinx/a/o students in the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (12/17). Findings of the study revealed…

In the United States, transferring from a two-year program to a four-year program has become an increasingly important route toward a bachelor's degree. However, the pathway has an extremely high attrition rate. Utilizing two recent institutional reforms in the University System of Georgia, I show that allowing community colleges to offer…

College students' graduation projects reflect their teamwork abilities. The current research develops a practical framework and causal model of knowledge-sharing behavior, cohesion, and team performance for design college students in Taiwan. Using survey data collected from 115 students who completed their graduation projects in a design college,…

This research study analyzed the experiences of Black engineering students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) for the purpose of discovering the configurations of conditions that explain these students' decisions to stay or leave their engineering majors at this PWI. This study includes a descriptive analysis of quantitative data related…

Arizona State University's (ASU) Bridging Success program, launched in 2015, is a campus-based support program for students with a background in foster care, also known as Foster Care Alumni (FCA). The program is housed within ASU's School of Social Work, which is part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. The program…