The use of social media is swiftly increasing, especially among the adolescent population. At the same time, student engagement in school is waning, leading to poor grades, dropping out, health problems, and low lifetime earning potential. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to determine if a relationship exists between…

High school graduation represents a pivotal milestone with far-reaching implications for an individual's future in social, economic, professional, and personal spheres. Despite its significance, only approximately 85.5% of students in the United States successfully earn their diploma each year, with groups such as black, Hispanic, American…

Purpose: During 2016-2020, the number of high school students enrolled at Georgia postsecondary institutions increased by over 110% and public spending on dual enrollment more than doubled (Georgia Student Finance Commission, 2020). Benefits to dual enrollment students include improved college performance and shorter time to graduation (An and…

Purpose: This research examine participation in a dual enrollment program and a student's race and socioeconomic status. In addition to examining the college retention and graduation rates (student success) of dual and non-dual enrolled students, this study looked at potential race and socioeconomic disparities. Design/methodology/approach: A…

Research documents positive associations between school climate and student outcomes, and, as such, many policymakers have positioned it among their chief priorities for school improvement. Despite this increased focus, extant research has offered mixed findings on the presence and magnitude of racial school climate disparities. The present study…

School climate can have a notable impact on student academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. It is also a critical component of school improvement efforts, as demonstrated by recent federal and state initiatives to provide resources and supports for increased school climate measurement, accountability, and improvement. The primary…

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) during virtual instruction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined whether teachers' race/ethnicity, years of teaching experience, level of education, and gender separately and…

Support from parents and school staff are important for adolescent well-being. However, few studies have examined the role of parental involvement and adult social support at school on high school students' mental health, specifically, suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Data were collected from 362,980 high school students (51.85% female)…

The purpose of this study is to examine how the perceptions of school climate, specifically school relationships, differ for Black girls with and without an individualized education plan (IEP) as compared to their peers. The study utilized survey responses from high school students in a Georgia school district who participated in the 2020 Georgia…

This action research study examined the feasibility of an iron-rich school nutrition program on student Lexile scores while controlling for gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design in which independent intact groups served as either comparison group (students not exposed to the implementation…

Background: This study examines the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on academic and career concerns of high school students; relationship between attendance and grades with educational concerns; and association between student perception of the pandemic and decision to attend school virtually or in-person. Methods: Diverse students in grades…

Background: Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents during an important developmental and social period in their lives. This study examines the mental health impact of the pandemic on high school students shortly after closure of public schools in spring 2020, and whether this…

There is empirical evidence of substantial heterogeneity in economic mobility across geographic areas and the efficacy of schools has been suggested as an explanatory factor. Using administrative microdata from seven states covering nearly 3 million students, we explore the potential role of schools in promoting economic mobility by estimating…

Whether students of color are more or less likely to be identified as having disabilities than similarly situated students who are White in U.S. states with histories of de jure and de facto racial segregation is currently unknown. Unadjusted analyses of large samples of students attending elementary and middle schools in the U.S. South yielded…

This technical appendix provides additional information about the sample, data, and estimation strategy used for a series of American Educator Panels (AEP) Data Notes published by the RAND Corporation in 2019. The Data Note series is intended to provide brief but incisive analyses of teacher and school leader survey results that may be of…