Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine the degree of relationship between school protective factors, student internal assets, and College and Career Readiness Indicator outcomes. The population for this study included comprehensive, public high schools across California, including only schools that…

Soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and conflict resolution have often been on the back burner of education reform. Common Core standards were introduced as a method of bridging the gap between academic skills and soft skills through fostering creativity and collaboration. It has been shown that soft skills are not necessarily…

The purpose of this study is to examine how and to what extent an afterschool program for marginalized youth assists in developing workforce readiness skills through a critical positive youth development (CPYD) framework that considers the social contexts of youth. There is little research on afterschool programs that prepare youth for the…

The fundamental goal of school psychological service delivery is to enhance the learning and mental health of all students, regardless of their school setting. However, there is evidence to suggest that school psychologists' professional needs and experiences may differ based on the context in which they work. The urban school context, in…

There are a growing number of zoo science degree programs in the US, designed to prepare entry level employees for a zoo or aquarium career that includes animal care, conservation, and public education. These bachelor's degree and associate degree programs include a focus on many areas of science as well as a variety of practical knowledge.…

This qualitative narrative inquiry aimed to learn about the experiences associated with adapting to post-secondary life when students graduate from high school with work-related skills. A narrative inquiry was used to interview graduates who participated in a work-based learning program while attending a public high school in the coastal Northeast…

For many years, U.S. employers have stated that today's youth are not prepared for college or equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century workforce. As we enter into an age where the American Dream is no longer possible with just a high school diploma, there is an increasing need to prepare students for college and the…

While higher learning institutions are restructuring their curriculums to meet business and organizational needs, the knowledge gap for first-generation college students remains wider than that of their peers who are not the first to attend college. While organizations and higher learning institutions have developed programs to meet…

Emerging digital technological advances have been a driving force in the evolution of the modern workplace. This influence extends not only to the creation of new industries and types of work, but also to how work is completed. For example, new technologies have made it possible for us to coordinate and communicate over vast geographic distances.…

In Asia, English is used as a lingua franca (ELF; Kirkpatrick, 2010). For Thai university graduates to be successful in their future careers, being able to understand various accents with Thailand's major trading partners, particularly American, Chinese, and Japanese, seems vital. As a listening test which includes these accents is needed, the…

Today's business schools strive to balance academic rigor, research, and teaching relevant curricula to prepare learners for the rapidly changing workforce. Faced with enrollment challenges, questions about the value of the degree, and reports that graduates lack the skills employers desire, business schools are called upon to change their…

Students who are considered "college- and career-ready" possess both the academic content knowledge and the 21st century skills, or "noncognitive skills," esteemed by today's higher education institutions and global workforce. And while some K-12 schools have recently embraced pedagogies such as personalized learning that…

This Executive Leadership Portfolio (ELP) represents purposeful, professional development that supports teachers and students as they implement Hodgson Vocational Technical High School's instructional focus called CREST. CREST is an acronym that signifies Collaborative learning, Risk-free environment, Essential questions, Summarizing strategies…

This study examines dual enrollment activities and their impact with a focus on equitable recruitment, persistence, and targeted success mechanisms for Black students and students from low-income families. The lived experiences of four former students from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds, and the perspectives of ten dual enrollment…

This study explores the relationship between school affluence and ethnicity/gender on the outcomes of African-American female high school students enrolled in a concentrated technology program at a large, urban public school district. A quantitative correlational research design was utilized. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine…