All students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit from having teachers and school leaders of color. Since principals of color are often more likely to hire and retain teachers of color, increasing school leader diversity is a key lever for addressing educational inequities. To provide advocates and policymakers with context on this important…

Given the evidence of positive effects on students of having at least one teacher who shares their race or ethnicity, state boards of education, other state policymakers, and school leaders need to recognize teachers' race and ethnicity as markers of teacher quality. Whether purposefully or not, education systems have long defined teacher quality…

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 364,143 students in 492 high schools who completed the Georgia School Climate Survey during the 2017-2018 school year. Through latent profile analysis, we identified that student perceptions of school climate could be classified into three distinct profiles, including positive, moderate, and negative…

In this comparative case study of 22 student-mothers in Georgia and New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, we explore the role social capital plays in mitigating participants' challenges. Using Adler and Kwon's (2002) bridging versus bonding forms of capital, we argue participants turned to their internal, primarily women-comprised networks…

While research on the marginalization of Latinx teachers has increased, a paucity of research has documented the powerful ways that Latinx teachers resist, challenge, and transform. Informed by the conceptual tools of conformist and transformative resistance, this life history study chronicles the experiences of a Latina in-service science teacher…

Background: In response to the effort to increase minority enrollment in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, STEM summer bridge programs were created to help minorities with the transition from high school to college with the long-term goal of increasing the diversity of professionals in STEM. The goal of this…

This paper examines Black Algebra I educators' perceptions of their experiences in a professional learning community, "Algebra I Academy," designed specifically to equip Black Algebra I educators with liberatory pedagogical practices for their instruction with Black students taking Algebra I. Utilizing survey and focus group data from…

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 364,143 students in 492 high schools who completed the Georgia School Climate Survey during the 2017-18 school year. Through latent profile analysis, we identified that student perceptions of school climate could be classified into three distinct profiles, including positive, moderate, and negative…

Building a culturally responsive school allows for teachers to expand their teaching practices to individualize instruction based on students' culture and background. Teachers must do this even more so now as many students have suffered severe learning loss due to school closures during the pandemic. Culturally Responsive Teaching allow teachers…

Persistent racial inequities in the field of psychology have resulted in exclusion and marginalization of racially/ethnically minoritized (REM) students. This manuscript discusses the effectiveness of an endeavor to increase admission, recruitment, and retention of REM students, the Scholars Committed to Opportunities in Psychological Education…

This essay examines the importance of student success in higher education, particularly for underserved and disadvantaged student populations. This essay provides a review of contemporary trends in national postsecondary completion and strategies to enhance student success outcomes which will provide thriving economies and a talented workforce.…

This study was designed to explore how Black students' sense of belonging has been impacted, if at all, by social media at the University of Georgia showcasing how social media influences their psychosocial development in a collegiate environment. More specifically, this study framed the stories of the participants as counter-narratives, a key…

The U.S. psychology workforce is considerably less diverse than the population that it serves. While several recruitment and admission practices are effective for diversifying psychology training programs, upstream recruitment of underrepresented candidates is particularly promising. Aiming to diversify the clinical psychology graduate program…

This dissertation explores the issue of minority underrepresentation in K-12 educational leadership roles, examining its perceived causes and implications within academic settings. The research utilized a qualitative approach involving detailed surveys and interviews with school administrators from K-12 schools in Western North Carolina, Upstate…

Recent evidence suggests school resources are continually segregated from minoritized communities. This funding disparity impacts students' long-term outcomes in school and in their community. Political discourse has prioritized school defunding, privatization through vouchers and related policies, and tax relief and at the same time greater…