Within the CCC system, mathematics has been identified as the most considerable barrier to persistence, transfer, and degree completion (Cooper et al., 2022). Recent research corroborated the notion that mathematics serves as a gatekeeper for Black and Latinx students; historically, this subject has impeded students of color from accessing…

The diversity of California's teaching force continues to lag behind its student population. While students of Color make up 78% of the state's K-12 population, Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers (TOCIT) comprise just 34% of the teaching workforce (California Department of Education, 2018), a statistic that has dominated the teacher…

Research on arts education notes the positive impact of arts education on educational outcomes for students, particularly students of color, students in poverty, and students needing additional academic support. Students living in low-income communities receive different educational opportunities than those in high-wealth districts. This disparity…

The mass human and economic casualties wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the deep inequities at the base of the disproportionate losses and suffering experienced by diverse U.S. populations. But the urgency and enormity of unmet needs requiring bold policy action also provided a unique opportunity to learn from and partner with…

California Community Colleges (CCC) is the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the United States. It serves 2.1 million students, 54% of whom are from historically racially marginalized communities in the United States (California Community College Chancellor's Offices, 2020). As with all higher education settings in this…

Higher education institutions position education abroad as an effective way to engage students internationally and develop critical intercultural competency skills. Education abroad also represents a major portion of campus internationalization at higher education institutions, globally. An ever-increasing understanding of how students engage in…

This qualitative case study of a Southern California community college dance program explored structural/administrative and social/cultural barriers faced by faculty and students who plan to transfer to university dance programs that require an audition for admission. Interviews with faculty (n = 4) and recent alumni (n = 6) were analyzed with…

This essay begins with a presentation of the author's personal and professional background relative to the topics of diversity, identity, socialization, and the inequality of educational outcomes. Turner then presents US census and Chronicle of Higher Education data to provide a national context for the discussion to follow, including but not…

Enrollment increased slightly at both the California State University and University of California systems in fall 2020, but the effects of the pandemic on enrollment in the California Community College system are mostly unknown and might differ substantially from the effects on 4-year colleges. This paper provides the first analysis of how the…

While the population of school's is changing, the demographic of teachers is not. In the United States, white female teachers account for 80 percent of all teachers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Due to variations in cultural norms, social status, emotional, political, environmental, and racial/ethnicity issues, there is a lack…

Teachers of color increase school success for students of color. Yet, little attention has been paid to whether school attendance behaviors also increase from same race and ethnicity matches. To address this, our study used administrative data provided by a California high school district for the school years 2014 to 2018. We explored student…

"A college degree can be a ticket out of poverty." Yet, only 22% of the country's Black population and 15% of the Hispanic population have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, compared with over one-half of Asians and about one-third of whites. Strong academic success in foundation courses and courses that fulfill general education…

This study examines the associations between county-level immigration arrests and academic achievement, absenteeism, and measures of school climate and safety for students in the California CORE districts. We found consistent evidence that Latinx and Latinx English learner students experienced declines in academic achievement, attendance, and…

Preparation and professional development can help principals be more effective leaders, but little research has examined what specific approaches are most useful. A study of 462 California principals and the teachers and students in their schools shows that high-quality preservice preparation for principals is associated with stronger teacher…

The purpose of this research is to acknowledge what California Community Colleges are/are not doing in regards to poor transfer outcomes to bolster bachelor's degree attainment, especially for underrepresented minorities (URM) and Black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) students. The California Community College system entices students with low…