Placement policies are intended to match students with appropriate courses in order to improve student success, but how do you evaluate these policies? In this article, we evaluate four placement policies at Towson University by considering three categories of outcomes: long-term outcomes such as graduation and retention rates, short-term or…

There are longstanding concerns regarding whether remedial coursework at the college or university level is the most effective and efficient way to increase student success for students deemed not "college ready" upon entry to college. Requiring students to complete these courses (often non-credit-bearing) prior to becoming eligible for…

"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…

High schoolers have opportunities to jump-start postsecondary education and save money on college by participating in dual enrollment or Advanced Placement coursework. Students and families in a large Maryland district need to decide which pathway offers the most financial gains given academic and demographic characteristics when offered both…

Since the introduction of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, veteran student support services have expanded in higher education in response to the growing veteran student population and to improve the academic achievement of veteran students. The problem addressed in this study was a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of veteran students' participation…

The following study explores the landscape of grading systems utilised in higher education, focusing on the frequency of different types of assessment scales (including Straight Letter, Plus/Minus, and other alternative policies). Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between university grading system and student behaviour,…

This quantitative study investigated food insecurity levels and attitudes and behaviors towards food waste at minority-serving colleges (MSIs). A validated survey from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Adult Food Security Survey Modules (AFSSM) was used to assess food security population levels. Paper 1 of the three included is…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the buffering effect of subjective well-being (SWB) between community college students' levels of daily life hassles (DLH) and their grade point average (GPA) during the fall semester. The problem addressed looked at DLH having an effect on academics such as lowering GPAs, data…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of the experiences of community college students enrolled in a mathematics course with supplemental instruction (SI) attached. This study was conducted at a moderate-sized community college in Maryland. A qualitative research design was used, specifically a systematic approach design.…

Community colleges nationwide rally to meet President Obama's challenge of adding five million graduates by 2020. However, many institutions continue to experience declining retention and attempt lackluster solutions to bolster student success. One often overlooked factor in need of investigation is the impact of food insecurity, an inadequate…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether students who participate in school athletics at Blue High School (a pseudonym) in Maryland perform better academically regarding GPA, attendance, and in-school referrals, in-season versus out-of-season. This study focused on athletic participation and academic achievement. An examination of coaches'…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation and impacts of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model in its first year of implementation in 66 schools across the U.S. and to document scale-up progress during the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant period (2017-2021). The impact evaluation included 21,529 9th grade students…

This quantitative study employed a correlational design to examine the relationship between socio-ecological factors and academic success experienced by African American men who participate in African American male-based achievement programs at five Maryland community colleges. The Socio-Ecological Outcomes (SEO) model developed by Harris and Wood…

To investigate food insecurity in community college students, our research team developed a mixed methods study. For the first phase, we interviewed 16 Maryland community college administrators to determine which community colleges had food banks or food pantries. The second phase involved gathering in-depth information from 6 community college…

At the request of the Superintendent of Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the Office of Shared Accountability (OSA) examined the enrollment and academic performance of students in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in schools implementing the Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) initiative. The goal…