RAND researchers studied more than 450,000 recipients of New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) -- the nation's most generous state-funded grant program per state resident college student -- to explore whether getting larger amounts of grant aid led to higher graduation rates for students at varying income levels and attending two-year, four-year,…

Graduating from college can enhance one's life significantly, however Black and Latinx students may face significant barriers in this process. This a problematic concern at Lehigh Carbon Community College which is in the predominantly white area of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. The local demographics have rapidly changed and so has the…

The United States prioritized increasing the number of underrepresented undergraduate students who completed degrees in STEM fields. The ongoing challenge was to create a diverse workforce to maintain the country's global competitiveness. Higher education rolled out intervention programs to help underrepresented students stay on track and graduate…

Teacher retention is a global crisis in need of attention specifically through a leadership focus. The crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic encompassing the Great Resignation in the field of teaching and education. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between school principals with servant leader behaviors and…

College transfer has grown to be extremely common in the United States. Approximately three out of every eight (38%) of United States college students now transfer between colleges at some point during their college careers (National Student Clearinghouse Blog, 2018). Transfer is also extremely common within The City University of New York (CUNY)…

African American males attain post-secondary degrees less than their female and white male counterparts, especially at predominately White (PWIs) and Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs). These institutions are reported as having more racism, less cultural opportunities, and less satisfying student and faculty interaction. Some research…

Addressing the needs of students of color in higher education more effectively must no longer be an optional priority for college leaders and policymakers. To devise a strategy for change, more data are needed. Of particular note is the fact that few researchers have explored persistence for students of color at rural institutions, many of which…

According to Donavan (2014) National Center for Education Statistics shows 8.4 million enrolled in higher education in 2010 were nontraditional learners, and the projected enrollment will reach 10.3 million by 2021. Adult learners will constitute over 41% of post-secondary students in the next five years. Institutions have seen an increase in…

The influence of the services ascribed to the Student Affairs department in the first-year student retention is a continuing discussion in higher education. Some research suggests Student Affairs department planned activities and services could improve student integration and engagement in the college culture, enhancing student retention. However,…

More than half of the students who start this year at a community college will not return to the same institution the following year. This persistent problem negatively impacts students, institutions, and society at-large. However, institutions that experience greater success in retaining students place academic advising initiatives at the core of…

Public institutions of higher education have a dual mandate to provide the best possible education while also maintaining accessibility to students within its state. This study explores the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences associated with the retention of Pell-eligible, academically at-risk freshmen, and examines an academic…

Retaining qualified teachers is critical to the long-term success of students who receive special education services. Special education teacher retention is particularly important during the middle-school years, as this time is a marked period of transition between elementary and high-school that may place increasing demands upon teachers.…

A growing body of research identifies teacher turnover as having a deleterious effect on student outcomes. Further, given extant disparities in teacher turnover across schools, teacher turnover perpetuates the opportunity gaps for students enrolled in schools serving high proportions of minoritized students and students living in poverty. For…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore factors that lead to teachers remaining in the same position within a program at a suburban high school in a Midwestern state for the majority of their career despite high turnover rates in the state and within this district. This study used purposeful sampling to gain a better understanding…

This dissertation is comprised of two separate manuscripts, which coalesce on the topic of interventions for Black students in educational settings. In the first chapter, I provide an overview of existing interventions that have been applied in different academic environments, particularly as they pertain to Black students in PK-12 and college…