Secondary-postsecondary partnership reforms have grown in scale and importance throughout the past few decades as part of the national agenda to increase college access, equity, and completion. However, little research has examined the role of the principal in cross-sector partnerships. This qualitative case study explores how one nationally…

In this large-scale qualitative study, we use an emergent design to explore pre-service teachers' (PST) motivations to enter the profession. We open-code 2,798 PSTs responses to the directive, 'Explain why you decided to become a teacher', given over the course of a six-year period from one large Texas teacher preparation programme. Using constant…

STEM preparation--especially high school math course-taking--is a key predictor of college entrance. Previous research suggests that high school English learners (ELs) not only take fewer advanced math courses but also enroll in college at much lower rates than non-ELs--a group that includes former ELs. In the present study, we alter the analytic…

Purpose: Immigrant-origin English learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing population in US schools. Most EL research examines the college-going outcomes of this population by focusing on those who are EL-identified in high school; here, we capture both current and former EL-identified students, or "ever-ELs." A subset of bilingual,…

This study explores some of the demographic, personal, and experiential factors of emerging adults that correlate to a spectrum of moral outlooks ranging from moral universalism to moral relativism. Data was gathered from 466 volunteer undergraduate students. Respondents' demographic, experiential, and personal factors served as independent…

This article examines the ways Latino/a bilingual teacher candidates (TCs) talk about their own and others' language practices and the ways this talk reflects and reproduces racialized notions of bilingualism. Drawing on data from a one-year critical ethnography at a Hispanic-serving institution in Southwest Texas, this article demonstrates that…

This study investigates the influence of K-12 STEM education on the retention rates of Black women pursuing STEM majors in higher education institutions in Texas. The problem addressed in this study is the unknown influence of K-12 STEM education on Black women majoring in STEM in Texas higher education institutions. This research aims to describe…

In the United States, people often feel like they need to choose between pursuing a conventional four-year college degree or working, leaving millions of people with no opportunity to achieve the professional and economic advancement that comes with a bachelor's degree. What if this is a false choice? Apprenticeship Degrees offer a hybrid option…

Heritage Spanish speakers (HSSs) in the U.S. who seek certification as bilingual teachers must show Spanish language proficiency. The state of Texas requires candidates to pass the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) a test seen as a gatekeeping mechanism (Clark & Flores, 2002) in a field that presents chronic shortage of…

The U.S. Department of Labor approved the first nationally registered K-12 teacher apprenticeship program in January 2022, opening the door to a rapidly growing pathway for prospective teachers. By October 2022, Texas had an approved program, and the Department of Labor has now approved registered teacher apprenticeships in more than 30 states.…

The issue of race is deeply ingrained in the societal structures of the United States. The landmark Supreme Court case, "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954) was hailed as the end of legalized racial segregation in American schools. However, in practice, the ruling resulted in thousands of African American teachers losing their jobs. The…

This paper presents a mixed method study examining the relationship between teacher advanced degree attainment and student achievement. This study utilizes teacher demographic data along with standardized test scores from 702 public schools in south central Texas. First, OLS regression analyses were employed to measure the relationship between the…

In spring 2022, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology (OET) committed to advancing digital equity through the Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER) Initiative. Through DEER, OET hosted a series of national conversations with leaders from community-based organizations, as well as families and learners furthest…

This qualitative narrative research study aimed to address the problem of students' low enrollment numbers in a historically low number of college-bound areas in South Texas. The theoretical frameworks utilized to explore this topic were self-efficacy and social capital. The proposed theories explored students' level of self-efficacy, social…

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global effect on education. The transition to emergency remote instruction emphasized the importance of technology training for existing and pre-service teachers. This qualitative case study examines how teacher preparation programs prepare pre-service teachers for the technological demands of the post-pandemic…