The purpose of this slide deck is to shine a spotlight on education in the American South with a focus on equity and to provide an understanding of the historical, social, political, and economic context in which the education sector operates. Any movement serious about improving education and life outcomes for underserved student groups --…

In response to chronically low gifted identification rates in the majority of elementary schools among Black and Hispanic/Latino students, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) launched Nurturing for a Bright Tomorrow (NBT) in Fall 2014. NBT was a multicomponent curricular enhancement program designed to train early elementary school…

"The Status of Women in North Carolina: Health & Wellness" is the second in a series of four publications on women's status in North Carolina. Good health, access to health services, and the ability to live in a safe environment are critical to the economic security and overall well-being of North Carolina women. While poor health…

Students in Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) continue to score well on AP exams with an increased percentage of students enrolling in the courses. As in past years, in 2013 the district had higher average AP exam scores compared to the state and the nation. WCPSS had 76.6% of scores 3 or higher in 2013 (qualified and above). Again in both 2012…

Purpose: In an era of unprecedented student measurement and emphasis on data-driven educational decision making, the full potential for using data to target resources to students has yet to be realized. This study explores the utility of machine-learning techniques with large-scale administrative data to identify student dropout risk. Research…

Although publicly-funded prekindergarten (pre-k) programs have been designed to promote children's school readiness, programs have tended to support early literacy skills to a greater degree than early language skills. Given the importance of both language and literacy skills for children's reading acquisition and academic achievement, the present…

Because the family and consumer sciences body of knowledge (FCS-BOK) is the framework for the profession, students' familiarity with the FCS-BOK has implications for the profession. Using pre- (N = 78) and posttest (N = 43) data from students enrolled in an "Introduction to Family and Consumer Sciences" (FCS 160) undergraduate student…

The primary purpose of the 2016-2017 North Carolina (NC) Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Evaluation study was to examine variability in enrollment practices within the statewide Pre-K Program. Four major categories of enrollment practices were examined: recruitment, application, placement, and waitlist. The study involved all 91 local NC Pre-K Program…

In this study we investigate Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) high school graduates' academic performance in the first year of college and test whether their exposure to racial segregation in high school at both the school and classroom levels affected their college freshman grade point averages. Utilizing administrative data from the Roots of…

This dissertation study concerned the lack of underrepresented minority students matriculating through the health professions pipeline. The term pipeline is "the educational avenue by which one must travel to successfully enter a profession" (Sullivan Alliance, 2004). There are a significant number of health professional pipeline…

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which diverse schools engage in culturally responsive beliefs and practices within response to intervention (RTI). Eight diverse elementary schools participated, and 200 general and special education teachers in grades K-5 completed surveys. Areas surveyed included culturally responsive…

This qualitative case study gives authentic insight into the experiences of African American males who serve as local school superintendents in the state of North Carolina. It investigates their career experiences on the way to becoming a superintendent and while serving in the superintendent's role, particularly their perceptions of how, if at…

In every state in the South, the percentage of residents with bachelor's degrees or higher who were born outside the state exceed the percentage born in-state, reflecting their dependence on imported talent over building their own talent-development systems. In Virginia, the Southern state with the highest percentage of residents with a B.A. or…

Background/Context: Schools are integral to augmenting and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. This is because K-12 schools can inspire and reinforce students' interest in STEM, in addition to academically preparing them to pursue a STEM career. Previous literature emphasizes the importance of…

Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill teamed up with UnidosUS to explore whether and how our debt-driven higher education system makes it difficult for students to finish a college program or degree. The quantitative research, gathered from more than 1,500 respondents from across the country, offers insight into the primary…