There are fewer doctoral degrees earned by women than men in many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and gender gaps in higher education pathways persist. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and understand the experiences and persistence of women Ph.D. students in male-dominated STEM…

The first-year experiences of six African American male students participating in a developmental education program at a community college were examined. African American male students constitute a significant proportion of those who struggle with academic performance. The initial year of college can be challenging for African American males,…

The purpose of this study was to better understand the influence of educators' attention to identity construction as tenth grade Emergent Bilinguals and native English-speaking students develop mathematical, social, and epistemological empowerment in a mathematics classroom. I incorporated a framework detailing critical consciousness as a mediator…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the student equity strategies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic of a student service division at a California community college. The coronavirus of 2019 had presented new and unexplored challenges to equity efforts in higher education and had amplified the existing inequities at community…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a culturally relevant and responsive intervention (i.e., the Hip Hop Learning Community) could develop a foster youth's cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005). The Hip Hop Learning Community intervention was developed using a Hip Hop Empowerment Model, combining Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model…

Upon assuming the presidency of the Republic of Korea in 2013, Park Geun-hye announced her administration's priority to address the country's "Four Social Evils"--sexual violence, domestic violence, school bullying, and unsafe food products. As part of this initiative, the ROK national government urged police officers to implement…

This research project offers educators a close and intimate view of the researcher's personal teaching efforts and a reflective account of responses to instruction. This qualitative reflective self-study includes written records of attempts to create and deliver reading comprehension lessons. It also includes a detailed account of how the…

There is a distressing dilemma in higher education concerning the increase in student attrition rates (Angelino, Williams, & Natvig, 2007; Hagedorn, 2006; Kramer, 2007; Lau, 2003, Seidman, 2005; Tinto, 2006). The seminal query of this study asks what higher education institutions are doing to effectively retain these students and secure…

Professional school counselors (PSCs) can play a vital role to help keep truant students in school by providing school-based interventions that target the personal barriers of attachment, engagement, and empowerment that may limit success in school. ASCA national standards encourage PSCs to demonstrate accountability for student outcomes. The…

Open-access admissions policies and greater affordability position community colleges at the forefront in addressing equitable academic outcomes. Yet, most community college students fail to complete their certificate, degree and transfer goals. The failure rate is particularly high for low-income, Black and Latino(a) students. Much has been…

Despite the proliferation of women in higher education and the workforce, they have yet to achieve parity with men in many of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors and careers. The gap is even greater in the representation of women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined pre-college intervention strategies…

This applied dissertation described the evaluation of a program designed to provide students with the necessary academic and social skills needed to matriculate and graduate from the university. The problem was that there was no evidence of a formalized program evaluation to determine if the Academic Empowerment Center (AEC) was effective in…