Talking about race does not have to be incredibly awkward. In this book, Gooding offers twelve clear, cogent, and concise racial rubrics to help users of mainstream media more readily discern patterns hidden in plain sight. The text primarily leverages popular movies as the medium of analysis--since they are unparalleled in their cultural…

Substance use in adolescence is a significant public health issue, particularly in early-to-mid adolescence, which represents a window of risk in the etiology of substance abuse and dependence. Substance use during this development period often results from affiliation with deviant peers, who model, facilitate, and reinforce use. Existing…

We examined recent process models of accumulated disadvantage with an intersectional lens in order to provide a more complete picture of how disadvantages across punishment and math trajectories can accumulate over time and disparately affect marginalized race-gender groups. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a nationally representative…

With growing demand for workers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health care, it is important to assess not only whether education interventions impact educational attainment, but also students' majors. This study examines the impact of Early College High Schools (ECHSs) on bachelor's degree attainment by field of study…

This dissertation examines how implementing READ 180 for 9th grade students affects their Lexile level and reading ability. The research focuses on two questions: what changes were noticed in the students' Lexile levels? and what program recommendations can be made moving forward? The methodology used was PDSA and improvement science. The study…

The five-step bystander intervention model (i.e., Notice, Interpret, Accept Responsibility, Know What to Do, Act) has been utilized to study intervention in traditional bullying, but not bullying bystander behavior in online contexts. Additionally, differences in how students of color and White students are involved in bystander behavior in…

This ex post facto, causal-comparative, quantitative study examined variations in academic success of Early College High School (ECHS) students who completed a dual credit course in two separate classroom environments, specifically a high school classroom environment and a college classroom environment. The researcher sought to determine if a…

This research was conducted to examine the influence of parental involvement, in the form of parent conversations, on mathematics achievement for high school girls. Data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) public-use file provided a sample of 13,694 students, including 6,592 girls for our analyses. A scale for measuring…

This phenomenological qualitative study used a descriptive questionnaire and interview protocol to explore the perceptions of African American students regarding how bias and microaggressions impact their performance and classroom culture in a high school in an at-risk environment. A qualitative phenomenological approach was chosen because it aids…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are key drivers of a fast-changing world and provide skills to solve challenges in such an environment. Adolescence, especially the high school-to-college transition, is characterized by large divergences in youth's STEM pathways, but the reasons for this divergence remain unclear…

Preparing students for both college and careers has been an explicit national policy objective for more than a decade. Recently, the "College for All" discourse prominent in the early 2000s has faded as more resources and attention have been focused on career-connected learning. New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has been at the…

This study explored the relationship between middle school and high school math course-taking patterns in Nebraska using statewide reported course-taking data from 2009 to 2021. Course-taking trajectories were evident starting in middle school and were then studied by considering school-level variables and student-level demographic variables.…

This dissertation investigates the impact of limited technology access, the quality of remote learning experiences, and racial disparities on SAT math scores among 11th-grade students. The study spans two academic years, 2018/2019 and 2022/2023, offering a longitudinal perspective on the trends in math scores. The research employs a quantitative…

Data at the national, state, and local levels all indicate disproportionately low enrollment of Black/African American students in Advanced Placement (AP) classes at the high school level. Black/African American students are missing out on educational opportunities and access to an equitable education by not participating in AP classes in high…

This paper presents the first evidence of how students make career technical education (CTE) course-taking decisions. Among the universe of Michigan high-schoolers we find large disparities in CTE access and participation by gender, race, and income. We decompose participation gaps between supply (access) and demand (preferences) with a simple…