The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the moderating effects of economic advantage and race/ethnicity on graduation rates during COVID-19. Data collected from the Tennessee Department of Education's Graduation Cohort Rates was examined for a numerical relationship between the variable of race/ethnicity with…

In 2019 the world experienced a medical emergency that impacted education across the world. Several states in the United States had professional learning communities introduced into their schools as a means to enhance academic achievement prior to COVID 19. In order to show support to the schools and increase student achievement, a state…

The COVID-19 pandemic led to notable disruptions in student learning, particularly in mathematics, impacting students from marginalized backgrounds. This quasi-experimental quantitative study examines whether the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Mathematics results from 2019 to 2024 indicate that students have recovered…

Chinese international students, born and raised in China, are the largest international student group in the United States. While substantial academic research confirmed that Chinese international students face many challenges, including language barrier, culture shock, homesickness, etc., while studying in the United States, there is minimal…

Despite rising enrollment for first generation college students (FGCS) and Hispanic FGCS, there is a disparity in college graduation rates across the United State compared to other groups. FGCS and Hispanic FGCS have historically been faced with more factors that disrupt higher education success. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 impacted 3 rd grade students Math and ELA MAP performance in South Carolina Lowcountry Title I Elementary Schools before COVID-19 school year 2019 and after COVID-19 school year 2022. The study investigated students' Math and ELA MAP assessment performance from the Spring 2019 and Spring…

This program evaluation investigates the effectiveness of a Long Beach Unified School District's High School College and Career Center, focusing on strategies to close ethnicity gaps in College and Career Readiness (CCR). Utilizing surveys, interviews, and focus groups, data was collected from current and past students, parents, and staff at VAPA…

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large and negative impact on student learning. This dissertation explores the effect of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable student subgroups: English Learners (ELs). In this work I examine existing disparities among subgroups of ELs, and the different ways the pandemic has impacted…

Access to pass/fail grading was liberalized for courses designed to be delivered in-person but moved online due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at many universities in the spring 2020 semester. There was little research to inform liberalizing access to pass/fail grading as a tool to support student performance and persistence…

When discussing students' educational experience on campus, including race and racism, previous studies usually discuss domestic and international students separately and use different theoretical frameworks. Previous literature examining international students focused on the individual characteristics of students and how those associated with…

Women of color often experience the pressures of navigating multiple intersecting roles and multiple intersecting identities within various contexts. Within the hegemonic environment of higher education, particularly at historically or predominantly white institutions (HWIs or PWIs), as prior research demonstrates, women of color frequently enact…

This study examined the differences in racial groups across perceived stress and perceived disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate and graduate students at a Northeastern Predominantly White Institution (PWI). The sample consisted of 268 students who completed a Qualtrics survey measuring perceived stress, perceived disruptions…

Youth in the United States have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. Their education was disrupted at the onset with many going into virtual school for extended periods of time. This resulted in a loss of connection to peers, teachers, school counselors, and other educational support staff. Extra-curricular activities ceased and many…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide closures of schools resulting in a sudden shift to online instruction for a large population of students. For many students, this shift caused a decrease in academic performance. This four-paper dissertation explores the impact of this shift on newly struggling high school students. These students earned a D…

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) during virtual instruction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined whether teachers' race/ethnicity, years of teaching experience, level of education, and gender separately and…