Given its ongoing struggles at attaining demographic diversity and its key role in nations' economies, the engineering workforce receives considerable attention from researchers and policymakers. Yet, prior studies and STEM recruitment initiatives have often underemphasized the variety among available engineering jobs and careers. It therefore…

Youth with foster care experiences (i.e., foster care alumni) have poor educational attainment outcomes (Texas Education Agency, 2021). These poor outcomes compound earlier disadvantages and have individual and collective consequences. Annually, approximately 20,000 youth are emancipated from foster care in the United States (National Youth in…

The issue of race is deeply ingrained in the societal structures of the United States. The landmark Supreme Court case, "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954) was hailed as the end of legalized racial segregation in American schools. However, in practice, the ruling resulted in thousands of African American teachers losing their jobs. The…

The study evaluates the location and prominence of Chicana/o/x Studies courses on community college campuses nationally according to their websites and public-facing resources through content analysis methodology. To date, the research on Chicana/o/x Studies and on Ethnic Studies programs in community colleges, in general, has been limited, so…

This qualitative interview-based study examined the perceptions of 17 diverse, mainly non-traditional age early childhood practitioners enrolled in a 2 + 2 Bachelor of Applied Science degree completion program focused on children birth to age five, as to the perceived influence of program on them personally and professionally. The theories of…

Latinos have become the largest minority group in American postsecondary education, a majority of whom attend two- or four-year Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). However, little is known about labor market outcomes as result of attending these institutions. Using a unique student-level administrative database in Texas, and accounting for…

To promote diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, we must identify factors that influence or hinder historically underrepresented minority (URM) students' persistence to degrees in STEM. We documented potential factors that influence students' persistence in an undergraduate biology program and…

Educators in the field of family and consumer science (FCS) must be able to foster intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills in students (Schumacher, 2014), and internships are one way to do so. Internships are formal programs that provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession. Interns are temporarily placed…

This article reports a qualitative study of the reasons mothers chose to enroll their children in a Spanish/English two-way immersion (TWI) Program in Central Texas. Some of the mothers' reasons varied, and others overlap. All mothers expressed the belief that the program would provide their children with more opportunities, cognitive benefits,…

This case study takes place in a Midwestern, politically conservative rural community shortly after a highly contested presidential election. Like other communities, Paisano has experienced demographic change in a relatively short time. Meat processing plants and construction jobs proliferate, attracting migrant workers. One day, secondary school…

Texas faces numerous challenges but also has abundant opportunities to build the middle class and increase prosperity. Unfortunately, too many Texans are on the sideline, lacking access to opportunities to learn, earn, and save to secure a more prosperous future for themselves and their families. To create jobs, increase income, and promote…

This study addresses public universities' policies and practices in the USA (United States of America) with a focus on public bilingual teacher preparation in Spanish-English programs (initial credential licensure and Masters of Education programs with, or without, endorsements). We questioned: "What do bilingual programs look like in public…

This study attempted to build a predictive model of factors related to social work students' interest in gerontological social work. Bachelor's and Master's students from universities around Texas were surveyed to determine if knowledge about the aging process and related job opportunities, attitudes toward aging and professional or personal…

The nation's recuperation from the Great Recession remains sluggish, with high unemployment and a weak housing market continuing to squelch hopes that a full economic recovery will soon be at hand. The intensity and nature of the recession's lingering effects vary considerably across the country, however. Some metro areas, like Austin and…

This report presents stories of six teachers who believe in the power and promise of immigrant students and English language learners. Their stories begin to help readers understand the assets these groups of students bring to classrooms, the challenges they--both students and teachers--face, and the role that teachers and schools play in their…