In recent times, the number of studies on non-cognitive skills has increased. Apart from using a score for noncognitive skills (gauged via a questionnaire), many of these investigations involve adult respondents who had already completed their educational careers at the time of the study in question. In this paper, using data on Japanese students,…

I conduct a statewide experiment in Michigan with nearly 50,000 high-achieving high school seniors. Treated students are mailed a letter encouraging them to consider college and providing them with the web address of a college information website. I find that very high-achieving, low-income students, and very high-achieving, minority students are…

Although college access has increased, first-generation college students are still less likely to enroll in postsecondary education, and when they do enroll, are more likely to attend less selective schools compared to their peers whose parents are college-educated. In order to understand how first-generation students end up where they do, we must…

To provide examples of culturally responsive practices used by leaders of a rural Latinx-serving youth program, this case study focused on a community youth program in a small, rural Midwestern town. Program leaders (one White man and one Latinx woman) were both middle-aged and had postsecondary degrees. Nine Latinx youth participants (four girls,…

This is the full report. In 2019-2020, the program's third federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 8th grade students (n = 2,546) across 11 middle schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings…

Using a structural life-cycle model, we quantify the long-term impact of school closures during the Corona crisis on children affected at different ages and coming from households with different parental characteristics. In the model, public investment through schooling is combined with parental time and resource investments in the production of…

Higher education is increasingly becoming an option for young adults with intellectual disability (ID). Although initial evaluations of postsecondary education for this population have been promising, a broader "quality of life" framework needs to be adopted in order to truly understand the impact of these programs. Moreover, researchers…

In this study, I used American Community Survey (ACS) 2005-2015 data to examine the enrollment effect of the Post-9/11 GI Bill; the analysis resulted in three main findings: First, although the New GI Bill has increased overall college enrollment by about 3 percentage points on average, the effect was much larger immediately after the bill's…

This paper considers the role that schools have in determining whether school leavers participate in higher education or not. It examines the association between schools and university participation using a unique dataset of 3 cohorts of all young people leaving maintained schools in Wales. School "effects" are identified, even after…

Methods of causal inference are not widely used by education researchers, even though they can be extremely useful tools for eliminating selection bias and confounding factors in empirical studies. For example, researchers have established that taking additional math classes in high school is strongly correlated with success in college and higher…

This article contributes to our understanding of the gap in college access by examining (a) the extent to which and (b) how high school counseling focused on college broadens access. We extend Engberg and Gilbert's typology of schools based on high school counseling norms and resources. Using recent data from the High School Longitudinal Study of…

A plethora of educational research suggests that first-generation college students (FGCS) are at a distinct disadvantage when attempting to access college. Much of the research on this population examines the struggles these students face. Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study investigated lived experiences of ten…

Recent increases in high school graduation rates have been linked anecdotally to online course-taking for credit recovery. Online course-taking that supports high school completion could open opportunities for postsecondary education pursuits. Alternatively, poorer quality online instruction could diminish student learning and discourage…

High educational attainment is associated with beneficial outcomes for both individuals and society; however, Black males are underrepresented among college students. This study drew on a positive youth development (PYD) perspective to investigate the role of academic self-efficacy beliefs (a malleable strength) in predicting academic preparedness…

Research has shown that family structure changes negatively influence educational attainment, but they overlook qualitative distinctions in college choice, such as college selectivity. Yet, college choice research has largely focused on static measures of family structure, failing to account for year-to-year family structure changes that occur…