College instructors are critical to increasing completion rates and creating more equitable educational opportunities that position all learners for upward mobility. Yet, few have received formal, comprehensive training in inclusive teaching practices that positively affect student learning, improve retention and completion rates, and close equity…

In a survey of 1,016 afterschool program providers conducted between October 24 and November 30, 2022, 94% report that they are open, with majorities providing their students with academic supports, opportunities to connect with their peers, and time to build foundational skills. Although the above are positive signs pointing to a post-COVID…

Veterinary medicine provides a rewarding career but is met with a high degree of mental, emotional, and physical fatigue and, as a result, professional burnout. A structured mentoring system in veterinary schools is integral to promoting well-being as well as professional and personal growth for resilience and lifelong learning. While professional…

Despite millions of dollars spent annually on professional development (PD) for teachers, most training proves ineffective in changing teacher practice or improving student outcomes on a large scale. The ineffectiveness comes from a lack of content specificity, poor training design and delivery, misalignment of local needs compared to external…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the degree to which character strengths can predict grade point average (GPA), in comparison with and over and above the established predictors of grit, self-control, and conscientiousness. The current study was based on the work of Boerma and Neill (2020), who examined the relationship between…

In 2022, after increasing pressures from the COVID pandemic and a shifting political climate, the nation's largest teachers' union warned that over half of teachers were considering exiting the teaching profession. More recent national and local work suggests that such evidence in the media is often not supported by administrative data and that…

The future of the workforce requires post-secondary education and the ability to effectively use technology. Technology has become an integral part of education, business, and daily life. Yet, there remains a digital divide for many individuals. Increasingly, community colleges are using technology in the classroom and as part of the processes…

Generation Z will be the traditional-aged college student for the next 12 years (Chatzoglou et al., 2020). It is imperative that colleges and universities understand who these students are, what they are expecting from college, and what influences their expectations of the collegiate experience. Understanding Generation Z and their wants and needs…

During the coronavirus pandemic, the world shifted. Violence nationwide surged and teachers were forced to shift their classrooms to a remote style of education. These changes caused academic and social-emotional learning deficits as well as increases in violent behaviors exhibited by students when learning returned back to an in-person style.…

In 2014, the national average for students identified as gifted was 6.8%, but in Pennsylvania, the average number of students identified as gifted was only 3.4%. Despite already being behind in average identification, a suburban district outside of Philadelphia continued to see numbers of gifted students decline (almost by 50% since 2015). Since…

Teacher retention is a topic of concern for school districts and building administrators. With the many challenges (too many unrealistic expectations, discipline, lack of support, and low salary, to name a few), teachers are walking away and not looking back. The problem addressed in this study was that veteran teachers are leaving a southern…

Persistence, along with retention and completion initiatives, are the focus of institutions of higher education, especially community colleges. There are initiatives that focus on student success that start at orientation and revolve around connecting the student to the college. Students often arrive on campus with a minimal understanding of the…

Teacher shortage in the United States (U.S.) is persistent and severe and manifests more acutely in low-income school districts and mathematics and science subject areas. Strategies to recruit locally trained teachers from within the U.S. have failed to satisfy the increasing demand, and recruitment drives have extended beyond national borders to…

Although there is a wealth of literature focused on how and why college students persist, less is known about a subpopulation of college students: students on academic probation and/or financial aid warning status, i.e., students who are potentially one semester away from academic suspension and/or lost financial aid eligibility. This study seeks…

Universities have consistently struggled with undergraduate student retention. However, one variable that has been shown to be an important factor related to undergraduate retention and success has been college student sense of belonging. The purpose of this study was to examine freshmen students' perceived sense of belonging to the University of…