The purpose of this study will be to determine if there is a relationship between Hispanic student achievement and the percentage of Hispanic teachers per district in the state of Texas. Specifically, this study will investigate the relationship between the percentage of Hispanic students per district who pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and…

Geographic analysis has been adopted by businesses, especially the retail sector, since the early 1990s (Thrall, 2002). Institutional research can receive the same benefits businesses have by adopting geographic analysis and technology. The commonalities between businesses and higher education institutions include the existence of trade areas, the…

Teachers know that Differentiated Instruction (DI) helps all students to learn. Yet DI challenges teachers, and nowhere more than in mathematics. In this new book, written specifically for secondary mathematics teachers, the authors cut through the difficulties with two powerful and universal strategies that teachers can use across all math…

States are looking to leverage their longitudinal data systems, particularly the teacher/student data link, to inform the policies and practices that support educator success. It is essential that states bring critical stakeholders together in partnership to determine what teacher data the state should be collecting and matching to student data…

This article reports on a study that examined the choice and use of academic reading strategies of adult learners who were identified as proficient and less proficient readers. The major objective was to explore the potential influence of their adult characteristics on their use of their academic reading strategies. Data were gathered using…

This article introduces the "Schools and Continuing Professional Development State of the Nation" study (SoNS). Discussion of English policy together with an account of the study's aims and research design provide a context for the other articles included in this special issue. A key assumption behind the research, and the prevailing CPD…

Objective: Identify college freshmen perceptions of the effectiveness of a nutrition module taught by graduate nutrition students. Participants: Thirty-four college freshmen, 18 and older. Methods: Three graduate nutrition students conducted 5 focus groups during spring semester, 2004. Audio recordings were transcribed and data analysis was based…

This study focuses on the differences in college student dropout behavior among racial/ethnic groups. We employ event history methods and data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) and National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) surveys to investigate how financial aid may differentially influence dropout risks among these student…

High school dropout, enrollment, and graduation rates are important indicators of students' college and career readiness, which in turn significantly impact both individual income levels and the overall knowledge-driven economy. Despite the long-term benefits of a high school education, much of the current literature on raising school…

The purpose of this study was to explore how three struggling, sixth grade readers experienced an after-school program designed to increase their affective and cognitive reading performance. Research in the areas of vocabulary acquisition, reading strategy development, discussion of text, time spent reading, engagement, and reader self-perception…

This study explored the perceptions and perspectives of African American male students with regard to their experiences in a youth development initiative sponsored by a community-based organization. This examination aimed to ascertain the aspects of the program that, first, prompted the students to be a part of the initiative, but also those…

After decades of focusing on expansion and access, California's institutions of higher education are now being handed a more difficult charge: to dramatically increase the number of college graduates with diminishing state funding. There is a growing consensus that the United States needs to ratchet up its production of college graduates to turn…

The number of doctorates being awarded around the world has almost doubled over the last ten years, propelling it from a small elite enterprise into a large and ever growing international market. Within the context of increasing numbers of doctoral students this book examines the new doctorate environment and the challenges it is starting to face.…

For the past five years, ConnCAN (Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) has analyzed the state's graduation rates; this Issue Brief provides a more detailed examination of the latest data. In addition to relatively flat graduation rates across the board in Connecticut, the data reveal dramatic, persistent gaps by race. These numbers point to…

Arts integration is becoming an important focus within general curriculum instruction to connect student learning needs and content. However, few studies have addressed arts-integrated approaches that enhance the educational process in the general education setting. The aim of this qualitative case study was to examine arts-based approaches in…