The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to understand the impact of prior exposure to sexual health education on middle and high school students' sexual health knowledge, self-efficacy, and intentions. The study analyzed a secondary dataset that included pre- and posttest results collected for program evaluation purposes by a…

The purpose of this study was: (1) to build embedded reflective practices with qualitative data in alignment with existing continuous improvement (CI) for equity processes; and (2) provide professional development (PD) to support educators in using qualitative data sharing processes with the expectation of collective teacher efficacy (CTE)…

Many important voices--including The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the Dana Center's Launch Years initiative, and others--advocate for expanding the traditional course offerings in high school mathematics and statistics to include courses such as the Introduction to Data Science (IDS). To date, the research on the IDS course…

The proliferation of an expanding English second language community has led to an increasing number of English language learner (ELL) students enrolling within the California public schools system. This research study sought to understand how teacher self-efficacy affected ELL assessment outcomes and the role professional development had in…

Based on the experiences of 15 Latina/o undocumented parents, this qualitative study identifies three distinct ways Latina/o immigrant parents understand their role in their children's post-secondary aspirations: "confident partners," "motivational supporters," and "uncertain spectators." By comparing and contrasting…

In October 2021, California passed Assembly Bill No. 101, making it the first state in the nation to add ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement. Ethnic studies programs provide students with a comprehensive understanding of diverse cultures, histories, and perspectives, while fostering inclusive learning environments and empowering…

Noncognitive constructs such as self-efficacy, social awareness, and academic engagement are widely acknowledged as critical components of human capital, but systematic data collection on such skills in school systems is complicated by conceptual ambiguities, measurement challenges and resource constraints. This study addresses this issue by…

Objective: To promote healthy beverage consumption among 9-12 grade students (ages 14-18) by means of a 4-week curriculum promoting increased awareness of drinks containing added sugar and the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and health risks. Design: Quasi-experimental pre-post design. Setting: High schools in Northern…

The research explores Black and Latinx recent high school graduates' perceptions of their high school English classes and the value they placed on their experiences and their futures. This study aims to amplify the voices of students who have been dismissed from academic research on issues concerning student voice by providing recent graduates an…

The research explores Black and Latinx recent high school graduates' perceptions of their high school English classes and the value they placed on their experiences and their futures. This study aims to amplify the voices of students who have been dismissed from academic research on issues concerning student voice by providing recent graduates an…

As California is one of the primary states with the highest influx of Latinxs, the rise of Latinx enrollment in California high schools calls to the importance of understanding methods to increase academic and overall wellness. Cultural congruity (i.e., match of one's cultural values with those of the educational setting) is hypothesized to…

To promote health equity, it is crucial to educate the next generation of healthcare workers about disparities early on during their education. We developed a virtual research program at a medical school in the United States of America with the goal of increasing the awareness of youth about the complexities of health inequities. The program was…

Background: Adolescents' school engagement, mental health, and substance use have been major concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly given disruptions to school instruction. We examined how the instructional setting was associated with academic and health-related outcomes within an adolescent cohort followed during the pandemic.…

Mixtecos are Indigenous people that originate from the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Puebla, in Mexico. This community is unique in that it speaks an unwritten language with different variations based on locations north or south of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Puebla. California and other agricultural states have been the major relocation areas for…

Previous research points to digital attention training as a potential remedy for the growing levels of distraction and emotional distress that adolescents experience. However, no studies with a comparison group have been conducted in high school settings to assess the feasibility and efficacy of digital attention training. Using a two-group,…