For decades, universities, colleges, researchers, policymakers, foundations, and think tanks have been trying to solve the issue of getting more students to persist to graduation. Research shows that the problem of increasing the number of students who graduate in four years with a college degree still exists. Black female students continue to…

Across the United States, Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs have risen in popularity in recent years with the promise of producing biliterate and bicultural students. Many families of both the dominant and minority culture have gravitated towards these choice programs to enrich the school experience for their children. With the success of DLI…

Near-Peer Mentoring (NPM) is an innovative form of Peer-assisted Learning that has been gaining traction in educational settings. Traditionally, NPM is characterized by a more experienced student (typically a year or more advanced) offering guidance and support to newer, less experienced students, with the aim of helping them navigate the…

This qualitative case study explored the opportunity gap between Black and White students in public schools in the United States. The problem addressed in this study is the existence of an opportunity gap between White and African American students in public schools. Addressing and closing the gap has long been a concern for families, researchers,…

This mixed-methods study examined characteristics and learning experiences of student veterans who transitioned from community college(s) into a 4-year public university. The study descriptively compared veteran versus non-veteran transfer students, using a survey and follow-up interviews. Results illustrated that student veterans attended larger…

The multitude of benefits of college student retention for individuals, higher education institutions as well as our society has caused many researchers, administrators and policy makers to examine the causes of college student attrition as well as interventions that can potentially increase the success of students in post-secondary education.…

According to The College Board (2009), many institutions express concern with their retention rates, but few allocate the necessary resources to affect long-term change at the institution. Retention initiatives are often carried out across many departments and units in an institution, and many institutions lack a full-time coordinator for these…

Background/Context: The underrepresentation of students from lower socioeconomic status (LSES) backgrounds among college graduates with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees, and consequently in STEM occupations, is a concern with respect to reducing, perpetuating, or increasing social inequality. The loss of their…

Research, as well as mainstream culture, may be too quick to label parenting young people of color (which we define as being under or near the age of 20 when having a child) as delinquent and "at risk". Using qualitative data, we offer anti-deficit framing surrounding students of color with children, highlighting the unique achievements…

During the last ten years, a group of selective universities in Chile has started admission programs to increase equity in higher education that consider the achievement of students in the context of educational opportunities they have had, thus reducing reliance on the national college entrance exam. This study explores persistence rates of…

Computer programming MOOCs attract people who have different motivations. Previous studies have hypothesized that the motivation declared before starting the course can be an important predictor of distinctive dropout rates. The aim of this study was to outline the main motivation clusters of participants in a computer programming MOOC, and to…

Native American students are a demographic group that has consistently been underrepresented in institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States. Despite tremendous growth in the enrollment of these students in recent years, they are still underrepresented compared to other subgroups. While other minority students encompass about 29%…

Engineering schools have been unable to recruit and retain Native American students at the same rate as other students. Consequently, the Native American representation in engineering has been declining over the years in Arizona, even though the state ranks third in the number of degrees earned in the US by Native Americans. To understand the…

Within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), there is cross cultural evidence of gaps in transferrable skills between new graduates' capabilities and employers' expectations. These gaps hinder graduates' ability to obtain employment. Herein we report the impact of an evidence-based approach to closing skills gaps in senior STEM…

The aim of this study was to investigate the status of equal opportunity in education and employment in Saudi Arabia. Analyses of existing data show that the country has made a remarkable progress in educational enrollment at all levels (K-12 and higher education). However, challenges remain in terms of academic achievement for males,…