Education is a major factor in economic development in Jordan. Although the country lacks many natural resources, it has invested heavily in its human resources through the provision of quality education. While there is still room for improvement and growth, the country has reached notable milestones in economic development even though it is…

This qualitative study examined the role and value of NCAA Division II athletics on enrollment, finances, and student success. Comparing the perspectives of small, private NCAA Division II college presidents and athletic directors, the study's purpose was to better understand their perspectives on the impact of intercollegiate athletics at their…

One of the barriers most often cited by higher education faculty impacting the professional development of their pedagogical skills is the lack of support from the administrators in their institution. Identifying barriers, opportunities for support, and an approach for quality teaching using pedagogical techniques may contribute to a sustainable…

This dissertation is a collection of three essays in Public Economics. The first chapter studies the optimal design of student loans as a lever to foster the inclusion of poor students in private colleges in Brazil. The second chapter delves into understanding the consequences of affirmative action as a tool to increase the participation of…

This qualitative study explores the socialization processes of doctoral students in engineering and technology Ph.D. accredited programs at Chilean universities and how these experiences may impact their success outcomes, particularly advancement, time to degree, completion, and preparedness for postgraduation success. I employed semi-structured…

Recent data indicate a drop in the enrollment and re-enrollment of international students at colleges and universities in the United States. Campus climates and cultures, specifically the historically grounded facet of these climates and cultures, remained unexplored as a possible cause. This ethnographic case study's purpose sought to explore the…

California's most recent efforts on school finance reform brought change from the base revenue limit to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). This change was initiated by Governor Jerry Brown to address inequitable educational conditions. Through the LCFF and the creation of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), California shifted from…

School reforms in New Orleans have brought sweeping changes to the way public schools are governed and managed, and to the way in which students are assigned to public schools. Non-profit charter school boards now govern over 90% of public schools, and families are able to choose the public school in which they enroll. Competition within the…

The purpose of this study examined the relationship between expenditures per pupil and elementary achievement in public school districts in DuPage County, Illinois for the years 2010 through 2012. The study analyzed the data for the financial operating expenditures to elementary achievement on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. Data for the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the outcome of two different types of referendums, operating fund and construction, could be more accurately predicted by using certain predictor variables. Furthermore, if the outcome could be more accurately predicted, which predictor variables were statistically significant in that…

The purpose of this sequential explanatory study was to examine, through the lenses of sensemaking theory and professional authority, the relationship between how largely non-educational professionals in New Jersey experience their fiduciary responsibilities as trustees of the state's public colleges and universities and to what extent their…

This mixed-method study explored the culturally responsive practices of a midsized, Southern California school district that used Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) state funding to implement a voluntary summer program accessible to TK--6 grade students district-wide. Qualitative data gathered from semistructured interviews with the…

Using archival records preserved by Iowa's community colleges, private four-year colleges, and public universities, this dissertation examines how Iowa's established higher education institutions responded to and adjusted to the "presence" of new two-year colleges from 1965 to 1975. This decade was a critical period of development for…

This dissertation is comprised of three studies that investigate the implications and determinants of public funding for universities. The first chapter lays down the foundation for the other two studies. I discuss how state-level policies, as determined by legislators, represent a pivotal component of firms' non-market strategies that have direct…

U.S. News annually ranks universities' academic quality based on indicators claimed by U.S. News as the most prominent academic quality indicators (AQIs). In today's competitive higher education market, universities are concerned about their positions in U.S. News World Report (USNWR) rankings. On one hand, among all AQIs, undergraduate academic…