This paper provides the first quantitative analysis on 'first in family' (FiF) university graduates in the UK. Using a nationally representative dataset that covers a recent cohort in England, we identify the proportion of FiF young people at age 25 as 18%, comprising nearly two-thirds of university graduates. Comparing groups with no parental…

This essay considers school and external factors that influenced a teacher's decision to pass a high school student, thus allowing him to graduate high school. I explore my role in understanding and then enacting change within the classroom. This article prompts educators to self-reflect on their positionality, moral decision-making, and…

High-impact practices (HIPs) have been shown to be effective in helping first-year students successfully transition into college. However, since most of the research on HIPs has been done in small liberal arts settings, little is known about the efficacy and implementation practices of HIPs in large, public, primarily nonresidential institutions,…

The Seal of Biliteracy is an official state award that recognizes high school seniors who graduate with demonstrated proficiency in English and one or more other world languages. The policies and practices that support the Seal of Biliteracy promote twenty-first century skills and intercultural communication competencies that are critical in…

Under the conditions of the globalized new economy, European universities have become profit-making institutions. They envision students as mobile workers-to-be whose employability chances depend on self-enterprising and on self-responsibilization for foreign-language command, and they now compete in the educational marketplace by targeting them…

Low-income students, many of whom reside in urban environments, often lack the support they need to prepare for postsecondary education, identify the best fit schools, apply for financial aid, enroll and persist in their studies, and, ultimately, graduate with a degree. Since 2014, a university school counseling department and a New York City high…

The COVID-19 pandemic has put virtual schooling at the forefront of policy concerns, as millions of children worldwide shift to virtual schooling with hopes of "slowing the spread". Given the emergency shift to online education coupled with the large increase in demand for virtual education over the last decade it is imperative to…

Every two years, the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) reports on the health of Washington's educational system. Established in 2013 by the Washington State Legislature, the Indicators of Educational System Health create a common framework upon which to evaluate the overall health of the educational system. The Board has two important…

In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature enacted a state postsecondary educational attainment goal that 70% of Minnesota adults (age 25 to 44) will have attained a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2025 (Minn. Laws 2015 Chapter 69 Article 3 Sec. 6). Most importantly, the law also sets 30% and 50% educational attainment benchmarks for all races and…

This chapter describes the process of developing an English for tourism studies course at a trilingual university across five academic years. The process involved four phases. During the 2011-2012 academic year, I gained a grounded understanding of the needs of the learners from the standpoint of a "reflective practitioner" (see Farrell,…

Motivated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) "60×30TX" strategic plan for ensuring 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 complete a postsecondary credential by 2030, this project examined the path to and through college and into the workforce for students in the Houston area and state of Texas. Strong academic supports…

Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I as one method to provide students more time to take college preparatory courses in high school, thereby increasing students' likelihood of graduating prepared for college and careers. Yet, little data are available for these leaders to examine whether their approach is warranted. Members…

This document provides the two appendixes that accompany the full report, "Algebra I and College Preparatory Diploma Outcomes among Virginia Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grades 7-9." Appendix A, "Methods," details the data sources, study population, and analysis methods used in the study. Appendix B, "Supporting…

Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I as one method to increase students' likelihood of graduating from high school prepared for college and careers. This study used administrative data to calculate descriptive statistics on Algebra I outcomes and attainment of college preparatory diplomas among students by their grade 5 math…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools assist students with disabilities to develop independent living skills and abilities essential to succeed in most of their life's endeavors. According to the law, each student with a disability must have an individualized education program (IEP), and the IEP must address…