Many students in postsecondary education programs face challenges navigating pathways to good jobs. In particular, students who face barriers to success need accessible pathways to economic mobility, but low income and low tolerance for debt present challenges. These students stand to benefit from strategies at all levels of education (and after…

Rhode Island's future social and economic health requires a thriving Hispanic population. Along the P-20 education pipeline, education stakeholders should work to reduce systemic barriers and increase opportunities for Hispanic students to excel in STEM fields. With higher median earnings and lower unemployment, STEM careers have the potential to…

The current supply of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in the teacher labor market is not meeting the demand required by schools and districts needing highly qualified STEM teachers to fill vacancies. The study in this policy brief addresses the potential factors contributing to math and science teacher turnover to…

This dissertation is a qualitative study that investigated the experiences of Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) higher education professionals who hold a position in the President's Cabinet of a public university in the Western United States. The study utilized human capital theory, social capital theory, and social cognitive career…

Teacher shortages represent a global challenge for educator preparation programs (EPPs) and the districts they serve. Using mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis, this paper presents the findings of the three cases involving the use of student data and partner voices to highlight the benefits of intentionally integrating the…

Career-connected learning is an educational strategy that combines high-quality academic instruction, skill-based learning, and real-world experiences to prepare students with the knowledge and skills that they need to pursue their college and career goals. Career-connected learning can be delivered in a variety of ways, including in core content…

In this paper, which takes the form of a dialogue, we discuss the possible directions that vocational education might take in the contemporary social, economic and technological context of the early 21st century. Taking account of the unresolved debates around vocational education internationally and future global economic demands for expertise we…

The Fresno K-16 Collaborative is a signature initiative of the California Governor's Council on Post-Secondary Education that aims to increase college degree attainment in high-demand industries, align educational preparation with the demands of regional employers, and close race and equity gaps by developing an integrated system and seamless set…

Rural schools in the United States serve more than 9.3 million students (Showalter et al., 2019), often possessing strengths and facing challenges that differ from their metropolitan and suburban counterparts. To attend to the unique context of rural schools and to encourage rural education research in key areas, the National Rural Education…

Considering the growth and promising outlook of STEM occupations and the significant need to diversify STEM, the present study explored Black and Latinx youths' situated experiences with and perspectives on STEM education. Informed by the major tenets of a grounded theory qualitative method, we interviewed 24 middle and high school students about…

Students of color do not pursue teaching careers as often as their white counterparts. Project Teacher Development (PTD) is a partnership between a large urban school district and a public regional university to recruit and prepare students of color as future educators. The goal of PTD is to identify, mentor, and inspire high school students to…

Over the last 50 years, the US has experienced significant shifts in its racial and ethnic makeup, making it a much more racially diverse country than it was a half century ago. The racial and ethnic composition of the higher education system has shifted too. In spite of this progress, various forms of racial bias, socioeconomic inequality, and…

Reduction in faculty positions in higher education and increased graduate matriculation rates represent a higher education conundrum. Planned happenstance theory (PHT) is a career development model focusing on positive outcomes resulting from unpredictable precareer events. This mixed methods study explores how PHT applies to the career paths of a…

Student research in STEM education is an important learning component for both undergraduate and graduate students. It is not sufficient for students to learn passively in lecture-based classrooms without engaging and immersing themselves in the educational process through real-world research learning. Experiential learning for STEM students can…

Persistently low graduation rates continue to leave educators in search of ways to promote the success of college students. One understudied factor that scholarship has linked to student persistence and success is students' confidence in their major and career paths--their major and career self-efficacy (MCSE). Ways to increase students' MCSE in…