Nontraditional educational settings (NES) cater to diverse student populations, including those considered at-potential or at-risk. Research on interventions and the role of helping professionals in these settings is limited. This dissertation comprises two studies aimed at elucidating interventions and support mechanisms for at-potential students…

Purpose: This study analyzes digital equity realities in U.S. K-12 schools and the role that school leadership plays in digital equity. Design/Approach/Methods: Based on Selwyn's conception of technology as three interlocking elements (access, educational practices, and social context), we applied the ideals of equity and social justice to each of…

With the continual decline of high school graduation rates in South Carolina, there is a need for high schools to look at alternative pathways to graduation. Many of the current alternatives offered to students remove them from the high school setting or interactions with the student body. This study focused on an alternative pathway to…

Introduction: We report predictive validity of the newly defined Student Risk Screening Scale -- Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE 9, with 9 items) when used for the first time by middle and high school teachers from 43 schools. Methods: The sample included 11,773 middle school-aged students representing four geographic regions, and 7,244…

Early Alert Systems (EAS) play a fundamental role in education by supporting the learning process and evaluating student performance. In this study, an innovative EAS designed to specifically identify weaknesses in Cognitive Skills (CS) in first-year higher education students is presented, focusing on a challenging course at a South American…

Students who spent time in state care as children, usually due to neglect or maltreatment, are a growing community within higher education in many countries. However, their participation rates generally remain below average and they are more likely to withdraw early, while their experiences have not yet been well-theorised. In this article, we…

Going to college creates a financial challenge for an increasing number of American students. The inadequacy of available financial aid and lack of wrap-around services make the possibility of college graduation increasingly challenging for former McKinney-Vento students. The purpose of this study was to explore the financial, socioemotional, and…

Youth with and at risk for disabilities served in alternative education settings frequently struggle with the writing process, which impedes their ability to communicate ideas and opinions with others. Providing explicit teaching of a writing strategy is necessary for this population of youth. This study examined the effects of self-regulated…

We explored reading comprehension development in children on the spectrum from pre-school to the first (YOS1) and third year of schooling (YOS3). Children were first assessed on meaning-related skills in pre-school. Forty-one children completed follow-up assessments of reading comprehension, reading accuracy, and listening comprehension in YOS1.…

Supporting children to successfully transition from primary to secondary school is of utmost importance for several reasons, including to prevent future emotional and behavioural problems. Level Up is a novel, UK-based intervention consisting of five online group sessions, straddling the summer holidays, and providing at-risk children and their…

Schools are well-placed to offer support to young people who self-harm. However, research shows that pupils who disclose self-harm behaviour to school staff are often faced with negative reactions and unhelpful responses. There is a clear need for an increased level of knowledge and understanding for staff to respond more appropriately. This study…

Machine learning models were constructed to predict student performance in an introductory mechanics class at a large land-grant university in the United States using data from 2061 students. Students were classified as either being at risk of failing the course (earning a D or F) or not at risk (earning an A, B, or C). The models focused on…

In dealing with wicked problems, such as pandemics, war, economic inflation, refugee influx, plus natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods, culture is seen as playing a strong role in determining peoples' responses. While school science education seeks to promote an awareness of, and even a preparedness toward, dealing with wicked problems,…

The African Union has dedicated 2024 as the Year of Education, seeing it as an opportunity to regalvanize member States towards the achievement of their education goals. The building of stronger, more learning-focused education systems is urgently needed on the continent. Africa has a growing population of young people: by 2030, Africa's under-18…

Background: Youth psychosocial and school adjustment results from complex developmental transactions between their individual characteristics and diverse environmental influences, which appear as risk or protective factors throughout one's development. Objective: From an ecosystemic and developmental perspective, this study aims to: (1) identify…