The digital divide and digital equity have long been a concern for educators, and public schools. In 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic swept across the country, public schools closed for in person classes and moved to a new paradigm of online only classes, issues of digital equity and the digital divide became a critical focus for families…

There is a high dropout rate of English language learners (ELLs) compared to non-ELLs at the school under study. Guided by Bass and Burns's transformational leadership conceptual framework, this qualitative study aimed to examine the perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the influences contributing to the high dropout rate of ELLs.…

At the study site school for this research, the online curriculum in the current blended learning program was not promoting the desired student achievement outcomes. It was unknown if and how research-based best practices associated with blended learning were being implemented. This qualitative case study explored which elements of blended…

This dissertation consists of three chapters on the industrial organization of higher education. Chapter 1 studies the impacts of mergers and acquisitions on students' outcomes. We explore a series of acquisitions of private higher education institutions in Brazil to conduct an ex-post analysis of the effects of mergers. Using detailed…

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…

Even after significant education turnaround efforts supported by federal and state agencies, achievement gaps between white students and students of color and students not living in poverty and students living in poverty persist (McFarland et al., 2018). Student academic outcomes are often driven by factors unrelated to teaching in classrooms…

In this dissertation, I examine various factors shaping students' trajectories and opportunities later in life. In Chapter 1, I explore the role of grade retention policies. Grade retention as a remedial policy is controversial because the benefits of extra instruction time may not outweigh its costs. Previous research has primarily examined…

This dissertation aims to understand the contribution of schools to reducing bullying behaviors and, in turn, to examine the benefits for students of attending a school that effectively reduces bullying. In doing so, this dissertation contributes to the literature on bullying by (a) locating the school as a key environment in social-ecology of…

With the population of English learners (EL) entering Texas public schools increasing, it is essential to understand how the current school system supports these students. This study investigated the language used in school handbooks as a predictor of English Language Learners' (ELL) academic outcomes in Texas independent school districts. Student…

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to explore the strategies needed to increase student retention rates and decrease dropout rates in a higher education organization. The problem addressed in the study was the lack of strategies that managers use to increase retention rates and decrease dropout rates in a higher education…

Black students are disproportionately represented in special education, especially in categories that are subjectively determined by educators. Also, Black students with disabilities experience disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline in schools and have disproportionately higher dropout rates and lower graduation rates. Research has…

Many U.S. schools in poor communities are implementing restorative practices, which comes from the restorative justice model that has been implemented in many juvenile systems. Many schools are implementing restorative practice interventions to improve their drop out rates, graduation rates, and improve their relationships between students and…

The dropout rate of minority students, mainly African American male special education students in the public school system, is a grave concern for society for many years. The youth who drop out of high school often ends up unemployed and in legal complications. His higher education chances become non-existence, and the student's situation causes…

While there is higher education research on age, experience, gender, and faculty educational attainment in regards to various proxy measure of teaching effectiveness, there is little research that has explored these characteristics in an online setting that utilizes the curriculum development and delivery format that is used by the institution.…

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…