This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study addressed the perceptions of at-risk, Generation Z, undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), related to their persistence and retention. The problem was that many at-risk, Generation Z undergraduate…

Many students graduate high school unprepared for college or the job market because they lack employable skills or have not been taught the necessary tools to succeed in higher education. The problem addressed in this study was that many teachers in a central Alabama school district are not adequately trained to support the development of…

Black, Indigenous, and students of color (BIPOC students) in high school, who are dually experiencing the socially constructed labels of race and disability (BIPOC-SWD), are not provided with equitable access to Career and College Pathway (CCP) programs, which contributes to a lack of preparedness and success within postsecondary settings. Despite…

Evidence today shows that there is a skills gap among employable young adults. This study was based on a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation that was conducted in a rural school district in northwest North Carolina. The study examined the perceptions of the program by CTE high school teachers, CTE community college instructors,…

This study examined science teachers' perceptions and determined their level of STEM awareness and support. Survey, interview, and demographic data were collected from a purposeful sample of 124 high school science teachers across eight high schools in a large suburban school district in southeast Texas. For purposes of this study, the school…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore English high school teachers' perceptions regarding standardized testing and college readiness. This study provided a thorough investigation of the lived experiences and perceptions of English high school teachers' ability to prepare students for standardized testing, and their ability to…

This qualitative study sought to advance understanding of the specific behaviors, actions, and skills utilized by a principal to create a college-going culture that ensured underrepresented students college access and success. The study was bounded by an exemplary urban high school serving underrepresented students in the northeast region of the…

This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the perceptions of administrators and instructors of full-time CTE programs in Oklahoma technology centers regarding their ability to develop employability skills in students. This study was framed by the human capital theory, which is described as the acquisition of a person's knowledge and…

The purpose of this study was to determine if K-12 public school students are receiving adequate college and career readiness guidance (CCR Guidance), and, if not, to characterize the nature, extent, and cause of the shortfall. Adequacy is defined as the ability of students to meet with a CCR Guidance counselor; the counselor's willingness to get…

College enrollment rates have increased over the past 30 years, but there continue to be gaps in college enrollment as well as graduation rates across demographics such as socioeconomic status and race. This is a social justice issue that affects the population of this study, which focuses on graduates of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School…

Early college opportunities continue to grow in high school settings, with the state laws making them available to all students by removing the limits of grade level, and the number of college college-level courses students can take while in high school. Because offering a credit-only approach in these programs is not making the expected impact on…

Students from rural communities undertake postsecondary education at rates lower than their counterparts from urban and suburban communities, and mathematics is a known gatekeeper along the pipeline toward a college degree. This study investigated the mathematics identity formation of students from a rural school who were college-bound to…

This dissertation explores the issue of under-representation of women in STEM fields in high school and the early years of college. One of the major contributors to the persisting gender earnings gap is male-domination in the STEM workforce. Women are under-represented in STEM occupations since they are less likely than men to take advanced STEM…

A single case study design was used to explore college and career readiness (CCR) experiences, perspectives, and standards in one Title I elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. Given that much of the research and practice literature related to CCR focuses on middle and high school, the goal of the study was to better understand how elementary…

This causal comparative quantitative study examined if college readiness differences exist between Black and Latino AVID enrolled middle school students in a school district in southern Arizona as compared with Black and Latino middle school students not enrolled in AVID and/or White AVID middle school students. The PSAT 8/9 was the proxy measure…