This descriptive, cross-sectional, mixed methods study focused on an anonymous state-wide nonprofit organization in a mid-Atlantic state and the perspectives and insights of the mentors who work directly with first-generation immigrant high school students as they assist their mentees through the college and scholarship application process. The…

This paper estimates the effects of earning industry-recognized certifications (IRCs) in high school on downstream outcomes. IRCs are a form of alternative education credential issued by industry groups or corporations to individuals seeking to acquire knowledge or skills in a particular sector. This credential type has grown rapidly among high…

The term "summer melt" denotes a phenomenon when post-secondary students who received an offer of admission and may have paid a deposit when accepting the offer, "fail to enroll at all in the fall after high school graduation". Assessing the extent of summer melt and the success of measures to reduce it has become more relevant…

This case study research explores the potential of a post-16 pathway planning process based upon self-determination theory (SDT). Two male students at an alternative provision (AP), were supported by a behavioural support teacher to take part in a pre-planning meeting with the researcher to explore their post-16 aspirations. They then took part in…

This dissertation explores how the political economy particular to southern Dallas, Texas impacts a community-based college-readiness program for high school students in a Latino community. A community-based educational space (CBES) operated by a civil rights organization serving Latino youth who would be the first-generation to attend university,…

This article analyses the influence of family and friends on students' higher education plans. Using a Bourdieusian framework, it examines social class and contextual influences on both the structure of students' networks and the content of interactions within them. These are shown to be dependent on the dispositions and capitals of both the…

The purpose of this Equity Tool is to provide insights to/about Students of Color, student mentors, school guidance counselors, and community college/university advisors, towards understanding current/future higher education endeavors.

The choices available to high school seniors for post-secondary higher education are numerous. Each choice and destination providing a different education element and outcome for the potential student. Numerous choices exist outside of the standard traditional four-year university recommendation option that is often provided. This quantitative…

Rural students graduate from high school at higher rates but go to college at lower rate than their urban and suburban peers. To take on the educational attainment challenge for rural students, we need to know more about postsecondary encouragement programs. This study examined a pilot postsecondary encouragement program in 11 rural high schools…

States have introduced a range of strategies and legislative policies aimed at increasing college matriculation through readiness strategies and initiatives that offer strong collaboration between secondary and postsecondary education. Early college high school (ECHS) models are one-way that colleges, primarily community colleges, can serve…

A new module designed to ease the transition from school to university was devised and implemented at Cardiff University School of Chemistry. Two iterations of the module are described, both of them conducted under restrictions imposed by COVID-19 pandemic regulations. Over a two-week period, students attended 15 different sessions, each designed…

Because Black males have consistently enrolled in college at lower rates than other racial groups, it is critical to continue researching reasons for this racial gap in higher education. In this phenomenological study, participants shared their lived experience, which revealed the following themes: guidance counseling - supportive yet lacking,…

Job Corps is the largest and most comprehensive education and job training program in the United States for young people ages 16 to 24 who are not in school or working. Most students live at and take classes at its approximately 120 residential centers. To explore ways to improve student outcomes and reduce per-student costs, Job Corps pilot…

Based on a case study of two majority-Black public high schools in a highly segregated American school district, the article employs a critical intersectional framework to examine the experiences of ten college-aspiring young Black men as they navigate the college choice process. Findings indicate that working-class Black male students are less…

In 2019, the Legislature passed House Bill 1599, which established graduation pathways as a requirement for graduation. These pathways must be aligned with a student's postsecondary goals as described in their High School and Beyond Plan. This report includes the unique pathway options, a data summary, and disaggregated pathway completion data for…