First-in-family students make up a majority of young first-degree students yet face a number of challenges. So they are now the focus of many specific interventions in the UK and the USA. This report looks at the pros and cons of using first-in-family as a key measure of disadvantage. It argues that, while it is an appropriate metric for low-level…

This quantitative study investigated the perceptions of institutional academic support by Division III student athletes. Student athletes can be at a high risk for lower grade point averages (GPAs) during their college career due to conflicting time demands of athletics and academics. The NCAA regulates the access to academic support based on…

The disruptive effects of the COVID pandemic on vulnerable and/or minority demographic groups among 1) student populations and 2) persons employed in low wage sectors are well-established. This study examined whether disparity in the disruptive effects of the pandemic extend to adult learners employed in "bright prospect" sectors (e.g.,…

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study was designed to understand how underrepresented minority medical students perceive their interactions and relationships with their medical education faculty and how these perceived interactions associate with their academic self-efficacy. Data from URM medical students across medical schools based in…

In March, 2021, signed into law was the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) (HR 1319, Sec. 2001), which addresses the specific and urgent needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The purpose of this program (ARP-HCY), is to strengthen the efforts of state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to…

Teacher residencies offer a promising approach to enhancing the recruitment, preparation, and retention of educators by addressing barriers to entering and succeeding in the teaching profession, especially among educators of color. In this paper, we examine strategies residencies might use to overcome the obstacles faced by Black educators. We…

What works to help rural students succeed in higher education? In fall 2020, MDRC partnered with Rural Matters and Ascendium Education Group to produce a four-part podcast series called "Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities." The series gathered experts from across the country to examine the realities of rural life and…

An increasing number of community colleges have expanded their programmatic offerings to include baccalaureate degrees. Given the representation of low-income students and Students of Color in community college, increased credential requirements for professions that once required only a bachelor's degree, and the benefits of graduate education,…

This study examines whether international enrollment can affect access for racial minority students in M.B.A. programs at public universities in the United States. Using data from "U.S. News & World Report," Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period from the…

This qualitative study of an urban high school draws on critical race theory's tenet of whiteness as property and the notion that educational opportunity is a race-conscious construct to interrogate the impacts of school improvement work intended to increase educational opportunities for students of colour. Educational opportunity is defined as…

Access to professionals and insider knowledge of industry is most often enjoyed by students from privileged families. Higher education institutions have a moral imperative to create access for underrepresented minority (URM) students; the business case and industry demand for diverse candidates support this imperative. This paper describes an…

Ethnic minority women in rural parts of China remain excluded from many pathways to economic and social success, including most forms of traditional education. While technical and vocational education and training (TVET) offers an alternative, it carries a degree of stigma and its benefits for these communities are not well-documented. This study…

The annual Performance Accountability Report (PAR) serves as an important mechanism by which public colleges and universities in Maryland are held accountable. Through a performance accountability plan, institutions are required to establish and maintain performance standards, and use metrics to assess their effectiveness in tackling institutional…

Some still view arts education as a non-essential extracurricular activity despite its benefits. Even though the Every Student Succeeds Act acknowledges arts education is a healthy and well-rounded subject, local, district, and state administrators still control budget allocation and cuts, which generally affect arts education. There has also been…

Predominantly white pre-service teachers typically lack awareness of white supremacist patriarchal (WSP) ideology as a system of thought and praxis. Yet, the prevalence of white people working as teachers alongside BIPOC students and families in urban contexts persists. These teachers' lack of understanding about the system that plagues the…