In Catholic high schools, the positions of campus minister and theology teacher have shifted from vowed religious and clergy to the laity. The job descriptions and expectations of these positions have not changed to reflect the realities of those who hold them. Based on my own experience and anecdotes of colleagues, I have noticed a consistent…

This dissertation uses three empirical papers to examine the relationship between student gender, student's income expectations for the future, and persistence in schooling. First, I use survey data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) to examine how both children's and parent's earnings expectations for students in 12th grade vary by…

Problem: Due to the current resurgence of attention given to high school students' taking courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), research was needed to examine whether a relationship between the number of STEM courses a high school student, who graduates from high school and works in a non-STEM field, completes and…

In 2010, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana opened its first Excel Center adult high schools aimed at assisting adults in obtaining a high school diploma and transitioning those adults into higher education, industry certifications, and the workforce completely tuition free. MERS Goodwill, the largest Missouri branch of Goodwill (excluding…

Career academies are specialized educational programs that offer graduates a pathway to acquire the skills, knowledge, and credentials needed to enter the workforce or pursue further education in a specific career field. These programs are designed to improve student engagement, reduce dropout rates, and enhance post-graduation outcomes. The…

This dissertation examines the impact of state educational programs on the economics of education and labor, focusing on the New York State (NYS) STEM Incentive Program and China's tuition-free policy for vocational secondary education (VSE). The first two Chapters analyze the effects of the NYS STEM Incentive Program, an initiative implemented in…

Many school districts across the United States face severe shortages of high school science and mathematics teachers. Moreover, college graduates that major in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field face unique opportunity costs when deciding to enter the teaching field. An analysis of the opportunity costs faced by STEM…

Qualified teachers are the backbone of K-12 education. Unfortunately, fewer teachers are enrolling in teacher education programs and new teachers are quitting the profession at an alarming rate. This has placed a burden on school districts to implement out-of-the box measures to fill vacant slots. Such measures include offering provisional…

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) outcome data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration were used to examine age as a predictor of employment outcomes for transition-age youth with significant disabilities. Employment outcomes were examined with regard to type of VR case closure achieved and wages earned. Age at application for VR services was…

In the first chapter, I analyze the growth patterns of postsecondary education costs in re-cent years. It shows the trends of college revenue, expenditure and other financial items using data drawn from the Delta Data Project between 1987 and 2010. Connections between various categories of revenue/spending and state-level macroeconomic indicators…

This dissertation contains three chapters that explore various aspects of the economics of education, with a focus on higher education. In particular, the first two chapters deal with college major as it relates to earnings, occupational choice, and high school curriculum, while the third discusses the relationship between college-student match…

Young female adults with disabilities are at risk for difficult lives. The transition from high school to post-secondary education is fraught with difficulties for disabled persons and research indicates they do not fare as well as their non-disabled peers (Wagner, 1992; Wagner, Newman, Cameto & Levine, 2005). In addition, gender disparities…

About 75% of U.S.-trained, non-citizen PhDs in science and engineering work in the U.S. after graduation, and 54% of those who stay take postdoctoral positions. The probability of postdoctoral participation is substantially higher for temporary visa holders than for permanent visa holders because of visa-related restrictions in the U.S. labor…

For many Native American students, particularly those from reservations, the pursuit of higher education is a formidable concept to grasp. Poverty, rural isolation, and a myriad of social ills all take a role as demotivational factors that act as barriers between Native American students and a college education. On the other hand, family,…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the future value of interscholastic participation in extracurricular activities on the individual student level. In this study, two relationships were examined: (a) the relationship between high school student participation and postsecondary educational attainment, and (b) the relationship between…