This convergent, parallel, mixed-methods study with qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods was conducted to identify what type of thinking is required by the College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) by (a) determining the frequency and percentage of questions categorized as higher-level thinking within each cell of Hess'…

Before the process starts for African-American students to choose a higher education institution, the students are faced with challenges in high school and in the college search phase that either help or stunt their college preparedness, and therefore impact their college choice. The lack of access, knowledge, and readiness are all barriers that…

Over the years, the evolution of science along with technology, engineering, and mathematics has been noticeably evident while science education, on the other hand, has shown little development. The research study aimed to investigate future change initiative implementation in secondary science curricula. In addition, the purpose of the research…

First-generation college students (FGCS) experience a myriad of unique challenges when starting their university education, including perceiving themselves as being socially isolated on campus (Markowitz, 2016; Nazione et al., 2011; Wilkins, 2014), experiencing guilt as they leave behind academically family and friends (Banks-Santilli, 2015; Orbe,…

This study sought to identify best practices incorporated by secondary school counselors in California high schools that promote, support, and increase college-going identity and foster a supportive college-going environment for Latino male students. The researcher used a phenomenological qualitative study to capture the best practices and…

More than ever, students are enrolling in schools of choice, and more specifically Early College high schools. In years past, dual enrollment was the most predominantly sought-after access for postsecondary education within the traditional high school settings, since then new options of Early College High Schools (ECHS), Early College Nursing…

The purpose of the study was to understand how faculty and counselors perceive student persistence, retention, and college readiness in relation to student academic success. The qualitative approach was utilized to obtain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of the participants. Purposeful sampling was utilized to select faculty and…

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of college readiness reported by college sophomores from a private Christian university in the South. Data were collected from 42 participants by electronic questionnaire to investigate (a) the perceived areas of greatest and least preparedness, (b) factors perceived to influence participants'…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate community college student perceptions of academic advising for 12 first-time first-generation (FTFG) General Studies students attending a rural southeastern community college. The phenomenological research approach was utilized to better understand participant experiences by…

Annually, 40% to 60% of students who graduate high school and enroll in higher education do not exhibit the skills necessary to succeed in college-level work and will need remediation in mathematics or English (Jimenez et al., 2016). Successfully graduating from high school does not guarantee academic preparedness for college. To understand why a…

High schools are viewed by policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike as key institutions in facilitating access to college, especially for minoritized students from low-income families. A school-wide strategy for making college accessible is for high schools to establish a college-going culture that normalizes college attendance, elevates…

This study analyzed the strengths and areas for improvement in the resources and support provided to college access practitioners serving in urban charter and public-school communities. Prior research has examined the impact that college and career readiness resources and support have on students' postsecondary preparation and success. Limited…

School principals are responsible for improving low College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores; however, little was understood about how K-12 school principals' leadership practices were perceived to improve CCRPI scores in schools. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the leadership practices of K-12 school…

Dual enrollment programs have been in existence for decades in public high schools in the United States. While there is literature on the academic impact of these programs with a focus on high school and college outcomes, there is a gap in the literature regarding what is known about students' experiences in dual enrollment programs that allow…

This study examines college choice decisions of students admitted to the University of California (UC) and the relationship between these choices and degree attainment. It does so using a dataset that combines UC administrative data with National Student Clearinghouse data on enrollment and degree attainment. It first discusses how academic and…