The labor-market payoff to workers with associate degrees in healthcare and STEM occupations is very high in Massachusetts. We examine whether this induced a growing proportion of students in MA community colleges (MACCs) to earn an associate degree (AD) in one of these fields. We do this by using multinomial logit analysis to compare trends…

This study examined factors associated with students with disabilities (SWDs)' STEM major choice in postsecondary institutions. The major findings included: (1) SWDs with difficulty conversing had a greater likelihood of choosing STEM majors compared with their counterparts without such a difficulty in both two- and four-year institutions; (2)…

Compared to White families, Latino families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face systemic barriers when accessing services for their children. Although there is research about systemic barriers among Latino families, less is known about how Latino and White families differ with respect to special education knowledge, family-school…

With the disruption of the pandemic, it is important to study first-year college students' learning experiences and its potential effect on education plans. To understand first-year college students' learning experiences after the transition to online instruction during the pandemic, in June 2020, the authors of this study reached out to…

This report examines the meaning and impact of the digital divide -- the gap between those who can and cannot access the Internet -- on college students during the COVID-19 emergency shift to remote learning. The assessment is based on several national surveys conducted in the spring or summer of 2020, as well as results from a large-scale survey…

Significant racial and ethnic achievement gaps exist between students in the U.S. by elementary school, although the underlying causes for these achievement gaps differ. One factor for racial/ethnic achievement gaps is between-group differences in socioeconomic status (SES), particularly exposure to poverty. Moreover, other factors contributing to…

While access to digital devices, the internet, and digital skills training has been uneven in the United States for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these disparities. More than ever, digital tools are central to performing daily tasks--from completing school assignments and applying for jobs, to reviewing personal health records, and…

Women are underrepresented in many undergraduate geoscience programs. Some departments are more successful at recruiting and retaining female students than others. To understand why, we investigated potential differences between more and less successful geoscience departments in terms of social support, institutional supports, institutional…

This document provides the survey methods appendix that accompanies the study, "Will Students Come Back? A July 2021 Parent Survey about School Hesitancy and Parental Preferences for COVID-19 Safety Practices in Schools. Research Report. RR-A1393-2" (ED615819). The appendix provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and…

It has gotten increasingly harder for students to work their way through college, especially for low-income students who face steep challenges when combining work and learning. Students from higher-income families tend to benefit as they work fewer hours in jobs directly related to their fields of study. Low-income working college students often…

Over the past half century, the relationship between working and learning has changed in profound ways that have made it more difficult for students, especially students from low-income backgrounds, to attain the right mix of work experience and schooling necessary to qualify for entry-level jobs with a future. The need for formal postsecondary…

This report uses data from the 2016 Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECPP) of the National Household Educational Surveys Program (NHES). It provides findings about percentages of children who received any nonparental care, the type (relative care, nonrelative care, center-based care, or multiple arrangements), associated costs of…

The COVID-19 crisis has made delivering early intervention services much more challenging and could exacerbate racial inequities in health and education. But we can only fix what we can measure--so it is vital that states collect and report better data. A survey of state coordinators of early intervention services in fall 2020 focused on Black and…

Just as schools are working to appropriately address K-12 students' unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, early intervention systems are focusing on addressing the missed opportunities the pandemic created for young children and their families. Young children missing these opportunities for early intervention services are potentially at…

All young people have the potential to succeed--to do well academically, socially, and economically. Some young people, though, experience cumulative and chronic adversity along the way--disrupting their opportunities to thrive. Young people have the best chance to realize their potential when communities can intentionally align support with young…