Although an emergence of literature focuses on the college transition process, few studies exclusively highlight the experiences of first-generation and racially underrepresented students. Several structural factors hinder the progress and development of marginalized students as a result of the intersection of racism and classism. Pre-college…

Background/Context: Scholars have long critiqued the antidemocratic forces at work in education, advocating for a more equitable, liberating, and democratic vision of schooling, with teacher education taking on a central role. Mainstream teacher preparation obstructs democratic education, as evidenced by the failure to disavow and dismantle white…

During the 2016 elections and the Trump administration, the fight against interlocking systems of oppression--from white supremacy, to transphobia, misogyny, and xenophobia--occupied dominant and minoritized cultural imaginaries, on the news, in fictional representations, on social media. As some outlets even denied the existence of these…

We examined how performance-based funding (PBF) for higher education institutions in Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana affects bachelor's degree completion, admission practices, and the enrollment of underserved students. Utilizing data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, we employed an event study analysis, in addition to a…

Although student loan debt has been rigorously studied over the past several decades, scant research has investigated how institutions of higher education communicate debt to current and former student borrowers. As COVID-19 forced the United States Department of Education to cancel the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement as part of a student's…

Indiana continues to experience significant challenges in filling vacancies in its teacher workforce. Fewer students are enrolling in educator preparation programs; and, among those who do enroll, only 16% are actually teaching in an Indiana classroom. In a 2021 survey, 96% of Indiana districts reported teacher shortages--with significant…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of high school programs on the success of urban graduates. The success of the graduates in this study was defined by their contribution to society, durable skill levels, and personal introspection. Specifically, this study was focused on the impact of early college programs versus traditional…

While there have been numerous studies of teachers' lived experiences, the LGBTQ+- teaching community continues to be underrepresented within this literature (Mayo, 2008). More specifically, empirical evidence regarding LGBTQ+ preservice teachers' (PST) experiences and their induction is nearly all, but absent. This is of great importance to…

Existing research examines whether studying with teachers of the same race/ethnicity affects student achievement, but little is known about whether those effects vary by timing and frequency. We use 7 years of administrative data from third through eighth graders in Indiana to estimate the heterogenous links between same race/ethnicity teachers…

Community colleges and broad-access universities (those with minimally selective admissions policies) provide an opportunity for students across the United States to attain postsecondary degrees and economic mobility. However, graduation rates from such colleges are often low and there are many obstacles that can be difficult to overcome,…

Students in the present educational landscape are experiencing issues of bullying and harassment at an alarming level. A primary duty of a school administrator is to ensure the safety of all students from the repercussions of unattended to bullying and harassment issues, which has become a significant challenge with the increase in remote…

High rates of teacher turnover and persistent student achievement gaps are ongoing challenges for many Indiana schools. State and district leaders have responded with a range of initiatives and policies to strengthen teaching and learning and to increase student access to effective teachers. One of the most promising is the development of teacher…

Credit hour policies, or performance-based financial aid policies, have become increasingly popular among policymakers seeking to improve degree completion rates. In the Unites States, the college completion agenda has been bolstered by national calls from intermediary organizations and philanthropic foundations alike to raise the overall rate and…

Background: Over the last twenty years, retention has increased in popularity with policymakers who are concerned with student achievement and aim to end social promotion (i.e., the practice of advancing a student to the next grade level although they have not yet met the academic expectations of their current grade level). Despite calls to expand…

Indiana has a robust portfolio of high school options, including traditional public schools, charter schools, and private schools that accept Indiana Choice Scholarships (private voucher schools). This study identified the type of high school enrollment (type of high school and voucher status) among the student populations of four cohorts (who…