Research, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations have increasingly had a larger influence in public educational institutions as they support particular programs, practices, and policy reforms. This study investigates the case of local organizations that have initiated and institutionalized high school dropout prediction systems called ninth…

There is a need to address disparities in the underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students' degree attainment and retention, vs. non-URM students. A literature review suggests that URM STEM students face barriers related to demographic, academic, and social-cognitive factors. The Louis Stokes North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA) seeks to address…

Completion rates for first-generation community college students continue to be of concern for higher education leaders. Only one out of five students at community colleges obtain their desired degree in three years or less and first-generation students persist less than non-first-generation students. This qualitative descriptive study explored…

First-generation students, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, have low persistence rates. Research shows that one of the barriers to their low persistence is a need for a student-centered pedagogical approach. Research has shown that if an instructor incorporates a pause technique during a standard lecture,…

Purpose: This study explores the challenges facing FGCSs and seeks to provide strategies, opportunities, and novel and actionable insights for increasing retention and graduation rates among FGCSs in community colleges during and post the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study further identifies whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these…

Energy literacy is critical for all undergraduate students, particularly for future teachers, as they will guide the next generation toward more just and equitable energy systems. Many pre-service teachers have funds of knowledge (FoK) about energy that can enhance critical thinking about energy systems and inequities. This qualitative study…

Despite growing attention to addressing racial, ethnic, and other inequities in many domains, limited research explores whether and how society's marginalization of people with disabilities compounds for immigrants to produce inequitable financial outcomes. When accessing education and employment, immigrants with disabilities face challenges due…

The focus of this project study was the lack of adoption of open educational resources (OER) by community college faculty members at a rural community college in the southwestern United States. The study site failed to meet their strategic plan goal of having 50% of all courses using OER by July 2022. The purpose of this exploratory, basic…

Educators and policymakers have continued to search for the ideal medium for gauging learning and teacher accountability. After nearly 50 years since the inception of assessments to prove minimum competency, many attempts have been made to reform the process and the assessment tool. With the current focus in education being on career and college…

Many students who enroll in online universities will never graduate. Attrition in higher education is accepted and expected; however, in exclusively online programs, it is prolific, with more than 80% of those students who begin an online program leaving before graduating. It is well known in the academic literature that isolation is related to…

This dissertation explored the experiences of 16 undergraduate students across four cohorts who chose to begin college by participating in a first-year experience program abroad in London, England. Through the use of individual interviews and participant observation, this study sought to understand what influenced students' decision making to…

The planning and implementation of effective transition services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have emerged as crucial aspects of middle school special education. This action research study examines the impact of professional development and collaborative practices on improving transition services for middle school students with…

The present qualitative study aimed to investigate how school garden-based science pedagogy improves students' attitudes toward science learning, particularly in under-resourced urban school districts. The findings of this study suggest that the implementation of school garden-based science pedagogy can positively impact elementary students'…

While the value of mentoring has long been presumed in the literature as well as in practices, little is known about the success of formal, and informal mentoring practices (Crisp, 2010; Crisp & Cruz, 2009; & Ward & Ball, 2016). In addition, there is a lack of research on community college student mentoring in higher education…

The idea of dual vocational education and training (VET) has developed almost since VET education in Poland was established when the nation became a sovereign country in 1919. VET reforms -- during the 20 years before the Second World War and after 1945 -- were carried out to support rising industry and other developing areas of the economy.…