This study explores the indicators of university-community engagement and their implications to evaluation. Through an examination of 47 studies, we validate that university-community engagement can unfold in many ways and impact many stakeholders, and that, evaluation focusing only on university perspectives might leave out the community…

Background: While the Texas infant mortality rate (IMR) is below the Healthy People 2020 objective (5.7 per 1,000 live births), stark differences in IMR are seen across Texas communities. Health indicators for the state suggest important missed opportunities for improving maternal and infant outcomes. The Healthy Families initiative was a…

As a pedagogical approach, Service Learning (SL) has blossomed in the field of education, proving its effectiveness regarding academic results and in relation to social commitment. Our goal was to offer students the possibility of participating in professional scenarios measure the impact that SL benefits has on students' valuations and…

Engagement in undergraduate research experiences (UREs) has a positive impact on student skill development, scientific identity, and retention in STEM. Incorporating UREs into two-year programs would greatly benefit the diverse, nontraditional student populations enrolled at community colleges. This article describes the infusion of the…

What happens, if a university moves to a town that never had a higher education institution previously? What is the impact of this development both on the community and the institution? The aim of this paper is to answer this question. The authors use the concept of 'social innovation' for understanding the developments. An institute may initiate,…

Maintaining a learning community's status as a high-impact practice involves understanding the factors that contribute to their effectiveness in increasing retention, engagement, and overall academic success. By creating diverse small groups in which students are encouraged to support one another academically, both during and outside of class, the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ways racialization in K-12 mathematics classrooms has narrowed the understanding of mathematical learning for Black children. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on situated learning theory and funds of knowledge, the authors argue that the social learning context of mathematics classrooms…

Background/Context: Low-income, racially minoritized, and first-generation college students (at-promise students) attending predominantly White, middle class institutions often face inequitable access to enriching educational opportunities, discrimination, and marginalization, creating barriers to their success. Institutions are increasingly…

For more than a year, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) conducted research in New Mexico, including interviews, site visits, document review, and new analyses of data provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED). The purpose of the study was to provide New Mexico leaders a research perspective on the challenges facing education…

Special admissions processes for screening college applicants with criminal backgrounds are common in the U.S., both in universities and community colleges. However, there has been growing concern about their value for accomplishing their intended purposes, as well as their potentially harmful effects. While there is no evidence that colleges…

School social workers provide services and resources for children with disabilities and protect their rights. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics provides the school social workers' responsibilities to clients in the promotion of well-being. The present research involved identifying the school social workers' role in…

The study focused on language skills of students entering and exiting from introductory Samoan classes at American Samoa Community College. The problem was growing writing deficiencies in Samoan evidenced by students' performance on the Samoan Studies Institute Exam for Basic Samoan Classes and classroom work. Faculty needed a swift grammatical…

Within most models of multi-tiered systems of support, Tier 3 supports are the most intensive supports public schools can provide to their students. These supports may be delivered to address academic, behavioral, or mental health concerns. Because many schools do not have the mental health personnel to effectively deliver Tier 3 mental health…

The transfer between two-year and four-year colleges is a critical path to baccalaureate attainment. Yet, students face a number of barriers in transfer pathways, including a lack of coherent coordination and articulation between their community colleges and four-year institutions, resulting in excess units and increased time to degree. In this…

There is evidence in the literature that teaching critical thinking in college courses at both community colleges and four-year universities helps students gain critical thinking skills. However, students are not learning the critical thinking skills that employers expect in freshman-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…