This dissertation measures and describes the factors that impact doctoral student persistence. Using a mixed methods cases study design, I analyzed institutional student record data, survey data on caregiving responsibilities, and data from semi-structured interviews with PhD students at a STEM-focused, public research university in the American…

Students with high incidence disabilities are dropping out of high school at alarming rates. Compared with other demographic groups, students with disabilities have the lowest graduation rates of any group in the nation. The substandard graduation rates have remained stagnant for two decades, indicating that programmatic attempts to address the…

Black men within the United States with learning disabilities have difficulty navigating the collegiate environment (Jackson, 2016) because they are not academically prepared when taking developmental courses (Abreu et al., 2016; Bouck & Joshi, 2017). Researchers have studied Black men's lived experiences with Individualized Education Plans…

Examining why a student leaves a nursing program, voluntarily or involuntarily, after successfully meeting competitive admission criteria is an important area of research. The ability to persist in higher education, and in particular for student nurses, is a critical determinant of academic success. Attrition rates among nursing programs range on…

Urban community colleges serve as an agent of democracy, provide open access, and a variety of affordable program options, which attracts a rising number of African American single mothers. The attempt to manage the tremendous responsibility of child rearing single handedly, while in college, increases the dropout rate and is a known factor that…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are widespread and still growing due to their modernity and proliferation. However, one of the concerns of MOOCs is the high dropout rate of enrollees. Focusing on this issue, especially in Saudi Arabia where there is a lack of literature and special characteristics such as adopting single-sex education system,…

A Midwest community college's culinary arts program is experiencing a trending decline in student persistence to degree completion rates year after year. Low persistence to degree completion rates impacts post-traditional students, this community college, and employers. This research is needed, as this and other community colleges could inform…

Even though the United States includes college readiness as a national policy priority, little is known about the factors and experiences that determine positive outcomes in mathematics using online instruction for historically underrepresented minorities at 4-year colleges and universities. The purpose of this quantitative ex-post facto study was…

Retention and student graduation rates are a major concern for community colleges nationwide. As student dropout rates continue to climb and graduation figures languish, many studies have been conducted to investigate the causes of student attrition. Numerous reports have found faculty advising to be a contributing factor in student retention,…

Despite university efforts to decrease the number of students dropping out of college, attrition of online students occurs at an annual rate of 50% or more (Wang & Wu, 2004). Educational leaders understand the increased demand for online programs and courses because of students' requirements of convenience and flexibility (Kuo, Walker,…

Study abroad has been a part of the curricular and co-curricular programming of higher education since 1875. Yet, despite the long history, a literature search revealed that study abroad is the least examined of the high impact practices (HIPs) related to engagement theory. Further, despite its promise as a retention strategy, study abroad has…

The drop out phenomenon is a persistent problem in public schools across the United States. The consequence of a student dropping out of school negatively impacts both the individual who chooses to drop out and the society that ultimately is responsible for supporting that individual. The purpose of this study is to analyze the decision making…

In 2012, funding for many colleges and universities was determined by the graduation rate at the institutions. The problem that was addressed was a business question that many community college officials must solve as low student success rates measured by retention and student grade point average lead to higher dropout rates. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this case study was to examine the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) impact on five selected student performance factors. A literature review revealed there have been many SWPBS research studies regarding traditional public schools. However, there have not been any published empirical SWPBS studies involving K-12…

Staff members working at alternative schools must use best practices to effectively serve at-risk students and reduce expulsion rates. Expulsion is directly linked to high school dropout rates, with subsequent social costs. Today's alternative schools serve at-risk students who exhibit problematic behaviors, providing them an opportunity to…