Career-connected learning is an educational strategy that combines high-quality academic instruction, skill-based learning, and real-world experiences to prepare students with the knowledge and skills that they need to pursue their college and career goals. Career-connected learning can be delivered in a variety of ways, including in core content…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of a specific accelerated learning program on STAAR Algebra I End of Course exam scores for students who had previously failed the exam. The accelerated learning program, titled STAAR Acceleration, was intended to help students who had experienced school closures because of COVID-19 improve…

Background: Despite recent tobacco control efforts, adolescent vaping remains an epidemic in the United States. The purpose of our study was to understand high school student vaping behaviors using the perceptions of Massachusetts school personnel during the critical window from when the Massachusetts statewide flavor ban legislation was passed in…

Ten high school special education teachers were interviewed on their perceptions of the process in place for transitioning students with mild to moderate autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In many cases, it was determined that although through individual education plans (IEP), students with mild to moderate ASD were provided accommodations and…

This research study was to obtain, through the application of a qualitative narrative design of open-ended questions, the perceptions of school administrators regarding the effectiveness of the 2015 modified legislated implementation of House Bill 2398 and Texas Truancy Prevention Measures programs (TTPM). The TTPM policies and procedures are…

Students classified as English learners (EL) are a protected class of students with core legal rights. There are clear opportunities to strengthen education policies and practices to improve opportunities and outcomes for EL-classified students. This dissertation is comprised of three studies examining key issues in EL education with the goal of…

This study aimed to examine the impact of workplace literacy programs on the structure of social networks accessible to low-income Somali refugee workers. We conceptualized structure as network size and tie strength. Data were drawn using interviews with eighteen participants enrolled in a workplace literacy program. The classes offered included…

High school students are often involved in sexual and dating violence. The bystander approach aims to stop sexual and dating violence from their initial occurrence by promoting social norms supporting victims and tolerating no violence. Recent studies of high school bystander programs report promising evidence of effectiveness in improving…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools assist students with disabilities to develop independent living skills and abilities essential to succeed in most of their life's endeavors. According to the law, each student with a disability must have an individualized education program (IEP), and the IEP must address…

The Linking Learning to Careers (LLC) program offered high school students with disabilities an individualized and targeted approach to strategically plan for their futures. The Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) designed LLC to build on its usual services for high school students to emphasize unpaid and paid work-based learning…

Research indicates that the trend of students with disabilities choosing to attend college is continually increasing. However, research also suggests that this population may be ill prepared to meet the increased academic demands and level of independence needed at the college level. Research in the field indicates that high schools may not be…

In 2010, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana opened its first Excel Center adult high schools aimed at assisting adults in obtaining a high school diploma and transitioning those adults into higher education, industry certifications, and the workforce completely tuition free. MERS Goodwill, the largest Missouri branch of Goodwill (excluding…

Completing a post-secondary degree is crucial to being competitive in the current job market. By 2020, the majority of all jobs in the United States require post-secondary education and training; however, barriers to access and attainment exist among individuals working to obtain post-secondary degrees, and there is an overall slowdown in…

In the past few years, there has been a surge of interest in expanding the scope of high schools. Shifting away from an earlier era that focused primarily on graduation rates and achievement tests, states have built a range of college- and career-readiness measures to track things like whether students are taking and passing advanced courses,…

In 2013, the 83rd Texas Legislature established the Foundation High School Program, which allows for significant local variation in graduation planning and represents one of the most substantial changes to Texas curricula in recent history. The new policy (HB5) lowered graduation requirements for mathematics, science and social studies;…