This dissertation examines the impacts of a last-dollar promise program on high school-to-college enrollments at a very large community college (VLCC) district in Texas. The research intends to add to the current literature on the growing popularity of promise programs at two-year community colleges. Specifically, this quantitative study examines…

This paper analyzed the role of students having a same-race teacher on a high school student's short- and long-term outcomes. How is a student's academic achievement affected in the classroom with a same-race teacher and how is their likelihood of attending college changed by having a same-race teacher? Race-matching improves Black and Asian…

Early College High Schools (ECHS) partner with post-secondary institutions to award students, specifically those from historically marginalized groups, with significant transferrable college credit--tuition free--along with a high school diploma. Utilizing the frameworks of counterspace and counterstory, this study aimed to understand the…

Current percentages of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) principals largely mirror those of the teacher workforce. They, however, diverge from student demographics. We provide insight into these racial imbalances by charting principal preparation patterns and demonstrating the typical leadership pipeline in Texas. In doing so, we draw…

Student participation and performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been an education concern in the United States for years. In 2013, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 5 (HB5) to support increases in STEM awareness, particularly among ethnic minority and female students. To date, no studies have been conducted on the…

Purpose: The overall purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to describe the racial/ethnic demographic characteristics of students and teachers in Texas public schools. The first specific purpose was to describe the ethnic/racial demographic characteristics of students and teachers in Texas elementary public schools for the 2010- 2011…

Federal legislation requires every student, upon completion of their secondary education, be considered college and career ready. Many states have developed and implemented career and technical education (CTE) programs of study (POS) to answer these mandates. Some stakeholders, familiar with historical vocational education programs, see current…

Teacher shortages increase yearly while interest in the teaching profession seems to be at an all-time low. Policymakers are again seeing value in high school "grow your own" (GYO) teacher programs as a source of future teacher talent. Against the backdrop of career development models for teaching, we developed an instrument based on…

Early College High Schools (ECs) are growing in popularity as an affordable avenue for students to obtain up to an associate's degree while in high school in Texas. Using Merton's (1966) Anticipatory Socialization Theory, this study investigated how ECs shaped 13 graduates' social behaviors and norms while in high school, and then how they…

This Urban Texas School District Restorative Discipline Practice (RDP) initiative was founded and funded on the description that RDP is designed to proactively build relationships, improve school climate, and reduce suspensions of African American (AA) males. This RDP phenomenon was reactively implemented in a Reset Center where suspended students…

Utilizing a lottery-based natural experiment, this study assessed the longer-term impact of early colleges on postsecondary degree attainment. It found that early colleges significantly increased the overall degree completion and associate degree completion rates within 10 years of expected high school graduation. While the impact on bachelor's…

For years, policymakers, districts, and scholars have pushed for the inclusion of more Black male teachers in US public schools; however, their even smaller subset--Black male special education teachers--has been ignored, particularly by scholars. The results of this study provide insight into the recruitment and retention of Black male special…

A sense of belonging was linked to academic performance for all students, but it was especially crucial for socially disadvantaged groups like African Americans, who have endured educational discrimination (Boston & Warren, 2017). High school social environments may develop race and culture silos, affecting students' sense of belonging. This…

This study addresses common assumptions about women of the borderlands while embracing a transformative consciousness in understanding, making, and reclaiming the meaning of citizenship for Mexican American women from the Rio Grande Valley. This critical ethnography recognizes Chicana Feminist epistemologies as a form of knowledge. Therefore, this…

There is extensive evidence suggesting that school suspension is correlated with poor academic performance. However, many studies examining the association between school suspension and achievement focus on the effects of out-of-school suspension specifically. While in-school suspension is offered as a less harmful alternative consequence to…