In 1976 and again in 1995, several brave women chose to enroll at--and thereby to "gender integrate"--America's military colleges. In 1976, women were admitted to the Department of Defense (DOD) service academies after an Act of Congress changed a law so as to allow for their matriculation. Beginning in 1995, women were admitted to state-supported…

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which prospective first-generation students from middle-income families make decisions about attending college. I sought to discover the following: (1) what influenced students' decisions, and how the students felt about these influences; (2) how students interpreted the importance of going to…

Young adults applying to college these days are bombarded with information--from the institutions themselves, from well-meaning relatives and friends, from high-school counselors, from directories and news-media reports, and from a cottage industry that has spawned consultants, test-prep centers, and special Web sites. At the same time, they need…

This report seeks to give a balanced view of the issues that exist for young men of color as identified by the research. Its particular value is that it looks at six distinct pathways that young men of color--and all students--take after high school and arranges the research in this way, and for the first time synthesizes the literature for males…

On November 10, 2005, then Superintendent of the Kalamazoo Public School System, Janice Brown announced--to the surprise of Kalamazoo's residents--the beginning of the Kalamazoo Promise. Fully funded by a set of anonymous donors, the Kalamazoo Promise is an urban revitalization program that offers up to four years of free tuition to any public…

Every school has an organizational habitus that represents its allocated resources, mission, perception about students' cultural capital, and the school counselor's expectation and behavior related to college admissions. A school's mission, resources, and assumptions about students and their families affect the college choice process of students…

Until every school gives all students an education that prepares them for college and a career, African-American parents will have to fight for their children's future, class by class, teacher by teacher, and school by school. Your child deserves nothing less. This guide shows you: (1) Why your child needs to prepare for college and a career; (2)…

The pathways of individuals into teaching exhibit several moments of choice that impact crucially on the final composition of the teaching workforce. Though the transition from training into teaching has frequently been studied, the self-selection into the institutions of teacher education has received little attention until now. Sorting into…

Decisions made by high school and college basketball athletes are becoming increasingly complex as sport has evolved into a true industry. The decisions made during the formative years have a tremendous impact upon the individual as well as the institution that the athlete chooses to attend. Most of the studies about athletes and their institution…

This correlational study samples twelfth grade (senior) students in one central Midwest high school and examines their participation in credit-based transition programs and their changes in educational aspirations. Surveys and community college data are used to collect quantitative data to address six research questions. Using Hossler and…

The concept of brand has crept into many areas of the American economic landscape, and college has been no exception. The ascension of "U.S. News & World Report" rankings, the widespread visibility of collegiate athletic brands, the power of traditional college brands such as the Ivy League or flagship state universities...these are just some of…

The College Ambition Program (CAP) model was developed to support high schools in preparing their students to enter STEM fields. CAP includes four programmatic components: mentoring, course counseling and advising, college-related activities and workshops, and teacher professional development and instructional support. This study is part of a…

Dual credit programs have become increasingly popular with 71% U.S. public high schools offering dual credit courses in 2002-2003. As this popularity has grown, so have concerns regarding academic rigor, course quality, parity with college courses, and effects on higher education. Determining actual dual credit course equivalent in higher…

The purpose of this study is to examine resource allocation patterns and the predictive power of these resources in increasing the likelihood of four-year college enrollment among academically qualified, low-income students. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study, college choice decision-making is conceptualized in relation to an…

This document presents case studies from the qualitative study [see ED500519], each of which highlights a student who struggled at a different point in the postsecondary planning process. These case studies draw on a longitudinal, qualitative study of 105 CPS students in three high schools. They are based on five student interviews conducted…