This book helps educational leaders provide support for students who face significant barriers to college access, success, and retention. The authors offer research-based, practical guidance to allow readers to evaluate these issues within their local context, create and implement a plan of action, and sustain those efforts over time. Vignettes…

Community colleges nationwide rally to meet President Obama's challenge of adding five million graduates by 2020. However, many institutions continue to experience declining retention and attempt lackluster solutions to bolster student success. One often overlooked factor in need of investigation is the impact of food insecurity, an inadequate…

During the U.S. post-WWII recovery, appropriations for school lunch became codified in the 1946 National School Lunch Act, fueling program growth in the baby boom era to 18.9 million participating children by 1967, or about 42 percent of 45 million enrolled students. Then, in 1968, two reports funded by the Field Foundation of New York highlighted…

To examine the phenomenon of postsecondary student homelessness, data were collected in 2014-2015 and again in 2017-2018 to discover the prevalence, to gain greater understanding of the attendant challenges, and to identify resources that can assist homeless students in their educational endeavors. Results suggest which students are most at risk…

As schools and families deal with the rapidly changing local circumstances related to the coronavirus, afterschool programs are stepping up and tailoring their services to support students and address gaps: extending program hours, offering access to healthy meals and services, and providing care to the children of essential workers.…

In early August 2020, as educators prepared for an uncertain school year, there was a worrying theme from school district homeless liaisons: numbers of identified homeless students were down--in some cases, significantly down--despite evidence of increased need. In September and October of 2020, a survey was conducted of local educational agency…

It has been argued that sport is a way for youth to develop psycho-social skills that lead to holistic development. However, participation itself in sport does not lead to this growth; mechanisms for growth must be intentional, often conducted by coaches. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive study was to understand the integration of positive…

Across the country, governors and other state officials understand the vital role college plays in workforce preparation to increase the competitiveness of their state economies. However, neither students' and families' incomes nor Pell Grants and other student aid have kept up with the cost of college, making affordability a significant barrier…

The purpose of this study was to discover if food insecurity worsened in North American children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explored the prevalence of social food programs during remote learning periods when the pandemic halted in-person learning. Through progressive theoretical sampling, I investigated American and Canadian newspaper…

U.S. college students are a distinct population facing major challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, students were already experiencing substantial mental health concerns, putting both their health and academic success in jeopardy. College students now face increasing housing and food insecurity, financial hardships, a lack…

This study analyzed data on the early developmental status of 7352 children, aged from 36 to 59 months, using the "Early Childhood Developmental Index" (ECDI) to assess literacy-numeracy, physical, social-emotional, and learning domains. The study explored correlates of developmental status with a range of socio-demographic and…

This report is the latest in a series of studies by the Center for an Urban Future focused on building a more inclusive economy in New York. It is informed by interviews with over 50 experts in college persistence and basic needs access--including staff at community-based organizations (CBOs), faculty and administrators at the City University of…

Food insecurity--the condition of having inadequate food due to a lack of resources--affected roughly 1 in 10 Americans in 2019, and this number increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among college students nationwide, the prevalence of food insecurity is unknown; however, studies have shown that food insecurity is a problem for some college…

The Government of South Sudan, through the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) and its development partners, has made efforts over the past decade to rebuild South Sudan's primary education system. Challenges to the delivery of education have persisted, both within the education system and external to it. The Time to Teach study…

Community colleges have started to support students' basic needs in multiple ways. Campus-based hubs offering services like public benefits access, emergency aid, food pantries and case management have become increasingly popular. However, limited evidence exists on whether connecting with these hubs improves academic success. The Advocacy and…