A discrepancy in high school graduation rates for low socioeconomic students has been a historical trend. Despite evidence that reduced high school completion rates limit these students' career options and earning potential, state and national data consistently show a higher failure-to-graduate rate for them despite government interventions to…

The problem addressed in this study is the high dropout and poor graduation rates among at-risk students attending Title I high schools in Virginia. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to (a) assess current levels of school connectedness, achievement focus, student persistence, grades, and attendance of at-risk high school students in…

One in four teachers have left the profession due to the global pandemic causing a national shortage of quality teachers in science and math subjects. The problem that this qualitative case study investigated was a shortage of quality science and math teachers for underrepresented high school students. The gap in the literature was identified to…

Underrepresented students struggle with academic and engagement behaviors in online learning. This study aimed to explore the perceived educational needs of underrepresented high school students during online learning. The conceptual framework created for this study utilized two different frameworks, combining the students' perceived educational…

This dissertation, titled "Families, Culture, Community: Expanding Understanding of What Catalyzes Student Success in a Pre-College Upward Bound Program," investigates the critical factors influencing student success in the Upward Bound program through a funds of knowledge framework (Moll et al., 1992; Rios-Aguilar & Kiyama, 2012).…

Career and technical education (CTE) prepares disadvantaged students for employment or secondary education. The problem addressed by this study was that many African American high school students are not enrolling in CTE despite efforts to prioritize historically underserved students. A qualitative exploratory case study was used to address this…

A comprehensive high school located in Southern California exhibited a suspension rate of 11.1%, placing it second among high schools within their district during the 2018-2019 academic year. According to the California School Dashboard (2019), students who were African American, Hispanic, English learners, homeless, had disabilities, and were…

The focus on equity and inclusion in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s led to the creation of Upward Bound (UB). The core mission of UB is to prepare high school students with the academic and social skills necessary to enroll in post-secondary education and beyond. However, there is a lack of empirical studies on how the growth of students'…

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the factors of resilience that educators could replicate to increase the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students that successfully complete high school and continue to become successful adults. An examination of the factors that socio-economically disadvantaged individuals attribute to…

The present study describes the adaptation and open trial of The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A; Ehrenreich-May et al., 2018) adapted as a group-based intervention in a Chicago Public High School among predominantly low-income Black and Latine adolescents experiencing elevated depression…

This critical historical narrative sought to understand how secondary and postsecondary educators can best engage community partners in providing access to a college education--and the opportunities associated with it--for students who have been systemically excluded. Based on extensive archival research and 21 oral history interviews with Upward…

There is a lack of information to allow researchers to fully understand the experience students from lower-income families have regarding college and career readiness received through interactions with their school counselors. College and career readiness education is implemented by school counselors for students participating in K-12 education.…

This study investigated perspectives on extracurriculars by immigrant, non-immigrant Latinx, and non-immigrant Black parents of high school students, as well as potential barriers, if any, to their children's ability to participate in extracurriculars. Drawing upon previous research that demonstrates the positive impact of extracurricular…

Pre-college access programs operating in high schools commonly focus on assisting underserved and historically excluded populations of students in preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in postsecondary education. Through two analyses, this study examines the efficacy of two types of access programs in facilitating postsecondary enrollment and…

The problem of practice (PoP) in this dissertation in practice (DiP) focuses on the lack of motivation and engagement exhibited by career technical education (CTE) students within the traditional high school chemistry classroom as a response to textbook and teacher-centered pedagogy. This qualitative action research study utilizes a game-based…