Public schools in the state of Texas are required by the Texas Education Agency to administer five state exams to high school students consisting of Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. These exams play a big role in school accountability and in high school graduation. For this reason, many schools develop intervention…

With the introduction of key federal, state, and local legislation that has placed an ever-increasing emphasis on improving overall school academic performance, it has become vitally important for educational leaders to explore any and all methods that may positively impact the academic outcomes of their respective educational institutions. While…

The purpose of this case study was to explore administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions about the resources needed to increase parental involvement. Leveraging three theoretical frameworks of Epstein's overlapping spheres of influence, the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model, and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this study utilized qualitative…

Many educational systems are generally viewed across the United States as failing to meet the increased demand of preparing an educated workforce to sustain the nation's economy and overall citizen way of life. One such failing is represented in the number of students not completing high school. To address the systemic dropout problem, federal and…

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the 9th grade state assessment test scores for Disadvantaged Hispanic students who are taking the English I State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness End-of-Course exam. The group analyzed was comprised of the 2016-2017 cohort students from a South Texas High School. [The…

This study examined the effects of extracurricular absences on final grades and State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) scores. A multiple regression test was run to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the grades of students with extracurricular absences and their STAAR EOC scores.…

Universities and colleges are consistently being held accountable for measurable outcomes from internal and external stakeholders. Outcomes such as the development of critical thinking skills have been tied to funding from state and federal governments and employers believe that graduates should be able to think critically and produce results…

This study was designed to investigate the influence of student participation in extracurricular activities, as perceived by rural high school principals, with successful extracurricular programs. Participating principals were asked about their perceptions on the influence of student participation in extracurricular activities on student…

College graduates who were involved in Texas Baptist Student Ministry responded to the Baptist Student Ministry Alumni Response Form indicating the nature of their involvement in Texas BSM, the personal importance they placed on these experiences, and the frequency and level of their current church activity. The researcher examined 26 hypotheses…

This qualitative case study explored the adaptation process of immigrant educators who had immigrated to the United States from various countries. Five professional educators from a region in southwest Texas were interviewed as well as 15 other immigrant educators who completed a survey of 16 questions. The purpose of this study was to illustrate…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of lesbian and gay students in higher education with respect to heteronormativity, overt and covert discrimination, and the hidden curriculum that is occurring in higher education. This researcher explored students' perceptions regarding their choices of majors, professors, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the common characteristics of economically disadvantaged schools that demonstrate success in academics and extracurricular activities. Mixed-method design was used for this study. The quantitative portion of the study determined the correlation between a school's performance in extracurricular activities,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the interactions between elementary school students and school personnel, family members, and community members to identify factors that contributed to South Texas Mexican descent students dropping out of school. A second purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of Mexican descent former high school…

With the study rise of the Hispanic population in the United States over the last 25-years there has been a languished progression of this populations' educational attainment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to tap into the "black-box" of ten academically successful Latino students from San Antonio by capturing the life history…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the spring 2008 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) results from a community college located in Southeast Texas to determine what relationship student engagement had to student persistence and academic performance and if that relationship differed by race, ethnicity, or academic program.…