This chapter presents a critical examination of the institutionalization of baccalaureate degrees at a Hispanic-serving community college. Findings highlight that in expanding programmatic, financial, and geographic access to certain baccalaureate degrees, access to other educational opportunities was undercut.

Latino boys' motivational beliefs in STEM remain under-examined in the literature, especially during middle school when building a strong STEM trajectory is critical for future success in STEM. The current study used Expectancy-Value Theory to analyze how Latino boys interpreted their expectancies and values in order to better understand their…

This critical ethnography utilizes critical policy analysis and a theoretical understanding of neoliberal racism to examine the practiced reality of school choice in a public, under-resourced, and historically underperforming neighborhood elementary school attended predominantly by Latina/o/x students. Despite improvement initiatives that resulted…

The continued significance of Derrick Bell's "theory of racial realism" is exemplified by the exclusionary sociopolitical and institutional climate that Latinx students experienced throughout the Trump presidency. I utilize various tenets from CRT and LatCrit as analytical and methodological tools for conducting a qualitative study at…

Beyond having over a quarter of their undergraduate students be Hispanic, what makes Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) uniquely Latinx? And how can university leaders, faculty, and staff transform these institutions into spaces that promote racial equity, social justice, and collective liberation? In "Transforming Hispanic-Serving…

The purpose of this historical study was to investigate how individuals articulated the call for the South Texas/Border Initiative, a legislative mandate that funneled unprecedented amounts of funding to underserved universities along the Texas-Mexico border region between 1987 and 2003. Utilizing archival sources, we conducted an analysis of the…

Black, Latinx, and other minoritized students have long been overrepresented in the high-incidence, subjective, disability classifications including Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Emotional Disturbance, and Intellectual Impairment. Special education places these students on trajectories that deny them access to quality…

Utilizing "testimonio" methodology grounded in LatCrit and Chicana Feminism, this research centered the voices of 11 Latina undergraduates attending a 4-year private, predominantly white institution in the Western U.S. to understand how they defined and measured their own success in higher education. Traditional success measures focus on…

While most community colleges admit all students who apply for admission, the vast majority have required students to demonstrate specified levels of literacy and numeracy before they can take college-level courses. Typically, students have been assessed using a single placement test, such as the College Board's ACCUPLACER. Colleges--or sometimes…

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and…

The Partnership for College Completion (PCC) was founded to "advance equity in higher education" by supporting colleges and universities to improve college completion for Black, Latinx, and Pell-eligible students--those groups that experience persistent disparities in completion. Simultaneously, PCC engages in state policy reform to…

The first edition of "The Color of Success" was a groundbreaking, asset-based exploration of the educational trajectories of high-achieving, low-income students within urban schools. The author brings his now seminal book up to date with insights based on existing and new research, current policies, and innovative pedagogical approaches.…

Due to economic inequality in society, millions of Latinx high school youth work after-school jobs and summer jobs in order to provide additional income for their families. The purpose of this qualitative study, conducted with transnational Latinx youth, was to identify the engineering-related skills and bodies of knowledge they developed and…

The murder of George Floyd and COVID-19 in 2020 catapulted the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the forefront in every aspect of life: housing, healthcare, Internet access, and education. The perception of university leadership's actions and their ability to make appropriate decisions regarding those issues in creating a campus…

Critical consciousness refers to the ability to analyze and take action against oppressive social forces shaping society. This longitudinal, mixed methods study compared the critical consciousness development of adolescents of color (n = 453) attending two sets of high schools featuring schooling models that represent "opposing"…