This dissertation investigates the complex phenomenon of high school dropouts and the social factors that contributed to them making that decision. The research included interviewing six high school dropouts, whose ages ranged from 35-45, all of whom were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. Each interview was conducted in…

Greater educational attainment is associated with an increase in expected income, lowering of internal discount rates, and improved financial and health literacy. Income transfers have the potential to positively impact educational attainment by either reducing the direct cost of college attendance or by an inducing an income effect that nudges…

I investigate the role of parents' investment and child's self-efforts made during adolescence on the intergenerational persistence of economic status. First, empirical evidence suggests that the college-tier a student graduates from significantly affects lifetime income. As seats for prestigious colleges are limited, households compete against…

Enrollment of underrepresented African American (URAA) males in higher education has declined significantly over the last decades. Past studies have identified interrelated factors that impact degree attainment for underrepresented students. Researchers typically attribute those factors to African American males' success and degree attainment.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the demographic characteristics of middle school students on their mathematics performance on the STAAR examination. More specifically, this study examined the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and at-risk status, separate and collectively, on the four mathematics components…

This dissertation examines relations between education-related self-beliefs and socioeconomic (SES)-based disparities in education. SES academic achievement gaps are a serious problem in the United States; however, they are not fully accounted for by objective family resources alone. I build from the premise that there is a subjective,…

Researchers support a positive correlation between specific parenting strategies and student motivation and between student motivation and academic achievement. This study focused on determining correlative presence between research-based parenting strategies and scholarship award to post-secondary education. The examination of the educational…

The purpose of this study is to find some of the key factors determining college readiness. School districts are under increased pressure to provide all students with experiences and the preparation to ensure they are college-ready. This study investigates a few key, potential factors in the journey to college readiness: early academic growth,…

This quantitative study examined the impact that Advanced Placement (AP) coursework had on students attending college with specific emphasis on those who failed the exam. The study comprised four years of entering freshmen students between the academic years 2006-2009. The study was comprehensive in that it revealed all AP attempts regardless of…

In this study, several middle school factors of students from two consecutive graduating classes were analyzed to determine what relation they had to college readiness, as measured by ACT subtest scores. The academic factors included: 8th grade EXPLORE composite score, 7th grade spring reading and math MAP scores, highest math course completed in…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether age differences affect students' academic achievement, and whether age differences affect students in low-income areas differently than those in mixed or higher-income areas. Student achievement data for grades 3, 7, and 11 in language arts and math were obtained from a variety of schools located…

Because of national, state, and local accountability to prepare students to be college and career-ready, secondary schools are looking for ways to maximize student academic growth while in high school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between academic growth as measured by the changes in performance from students' 8th…

Federal need based financial aid receipt and remedial course load were the central foci of an integrated model designed to predict six-year bachelor's degree attainment. Data represented 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) respondents who graduated from high school in 2003 and enrolled the same year as full time…

A substantial amount of research examines the benefits of high school college-credit attainment programs against non-participation. The growth in popularity of these programs, particularly Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment (DE), has them competing against one another for student attention. However, students, schools, and policymakers do…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore salient nonacademic factors related to social, economic, and cultural aspects together with traditional academic factors that influenced college retention. The study design employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory method design, collecting quantitative data for correlation and…