The problem of practice (PoP) explored within this Dissertation in Practice (DiP) pertains to the lack of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates within the University of Mississippi and how inclusive excellence (IE) can help increase the number of STEM graduates within the institution. I am interested in exploring…

Student retention is a problem that continues to challenge American colleges and universities, especially two-year technical colleges. Students are enrolling in two-year colleges, but they are not persisting to graduation. The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship between students' initial enrollment goals, their feeling of school…

Unacceptably high attrition rates present a challenge for American community college administrators. Paradoxically, community colleges have been denoted in fewer than 25 percent of the research conducted with regard to the potential benefits of cohort learning communities. This qualitative case study was conducted with 10 students from the…

This qualitative study examines the perceptions of education doctoral students and graduates in two upper Midwest research universities in the United States concerning their experiences of thriving during the transition to independent researchers. Thriving is a multi-faceted construct that describes positive human functioning and development.…

Student retention in higher education is currently one area most colleges are looking to improve and build upon (Baer & Norris, 2016). Higher education institutions in the United States have been under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and accrediting agencies to provide an affordable education for a diverse population for jobs in a highly…

First-generation students, who represent more than 40% of entering college freshmen, have lower academic achievement and struggle to persist compared to their continuing-generation peers. Although previous studies have repeatedly shown a deficit model for first-generation students, there is still a lack of clear understanding about the…

The most significant factor that influences student achievement is the quality and commitment of the teachers who are providing rigorous instruction. As efforts to recruit more individuals into the teaching profession have been successful, determining how to keep highly qualified teachers who provide meaningful and effective instruction remains a…

This study addressed the increasing attrition and migration of teachers from middle school classrooms. The study also sought to determine to what extent specific research-based factors motivated teachers to remain in the middle school classroom. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used in this study. The first portion of the study…

The data above provide insight into the range of student outcomes for colleges participating in the American Association of Community Colleges's (AACC's) Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA), a national system of metrics designed by community colleges for community colleges to better describe the outcomes of their students. As the data…

This quantitative study investigated the ability of the noncognitive characteristic of grit to predict community college student success and persistence. Grit levels were measured using the eight-item Grit-S scale that was administered to students in classes of a large suburban community college. Individual-level institutional data also were…

The purpose of the research was to explore the relationship between the K-12 experienced classroom teacher attrition and work environments. Due to the myriad of factors that influenced teacher attrition, the researcher conducted the study with the focus on three variables related to work environments: (a) professional supports at administration…

Latinx students are enrolling in four-year higher education institutions at a rapidly increasing rate. However, an alarming low number complete their degrees. Institutional barriers such as racism, language discrimination, cultural conflict, privilege of citizenship, and lack of role models present challenges to degree completion for Latinx…

Retention rates at many community colleges across America are low, because students withdraw prior to graduation, and financial aid rules known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) may compound the issue for the least advantaged students who have no financial or social safety nets. Some students find themselves cut off financial aid within…

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of teacher retention by researching factors that influence veteran teachers to remain in Missouri's K-8 school districts. School districts all across the nation face the daunting task of improving student achievement in the face of teacher shortages, especially in rural areas and in…

This qualitative descriptive study explored what human resource leaders understood to be high-impact practices in the acquisition, development, and retention of quality teaching talent for nonurban public school districts in Texas. This study answered three research questions that included what human resource leaders identify as high-impact…