Research conducted in partnership with the Wallace Foundation and the Education Development Center revealed the importance of school principals on the success of student achievement and attendance, as well as on teacher efficacy and retention. The implications of this research reveal the importance of stronger and more focused principal…

This dissertation includes three essays on the economics of higher education. In the first chapter, I study the effects of college transfer. Over one-third of college students in the United States transfer between institutions, yet little is known about how transferring affect students' educational and labor market outcomes. Using administrative…

The increased demand for online courses correlates to increased workloads for faculty, staff, and leadership. Hiring, staffing, and other logistical matters often trump the emphasis on course quality. This paper introduces a strategic framework for creating and sustaining a successful distance education model. Tarrant County College Connect Campus…

Recent policies intended to improve teacher quality have focused on the preparation that teachers receive before entering the classroom. A short-lived federal rule would have required every state to assess and rank teacher-preparation programs by their graduates' impact on student learning. Though the federal rule was repealed, last year some 21…

Access to higher education begins with a student's decision whether and where to apply to college. This paper examines racial and ethnic differences in college application behavior of high school graduates, using two recent graduation cohorts from Texas. We estimate racial and ethnic differences in the probability of applying to college,…

This backgrounder details the scope of the following critical forum concerning Texas House Bill 51 (TX HB 51) of the 81st Legislature, also referred to as the emerging research university bill. In its totality the journal issue considers the impact of TX HB 51 on the organizational behavior of comprehensive regional institutions in the state of…

Service-learning is a high-impact educational practice that benefits the community, the university, and students (Jacoby, 2015). It also represents an educational practice that specifically supports the integration of Christian thought and action within Christian institutions (Schaffer, 2004). The purpose of the study was to determine the level of…

With the adoption of substantial changes to Texas high school curricula in 2013 (HB5), a central question for Texas policymakers, education and business leaders, families, and students is whether and how HB5 implementation impacts the state of college readiness and success in Texas. Comprehensive research is needed to understand the implications…

This book brings together distinguished scholars, community college practitioners, and emerging leaders to expand upon existing theories, provide reflection on practice, and demonstrate the dynamic nature of community college internationalization. There is a special challenge for United States community colleges to move from selected international…

The Committee for Economic Development (CED), in collaboration with Public Agenda, launched this qualitative research effort to explore the attitudes of business leaders toward higher education. The goal is to understand the starting point of business executives: What are their views on the purposes, importance, strengths and weaknesses of the…

Intercultural Development Research Association's (IDRA) 2014 Annual Report highlights seven defining moments in the work of the previous year: (1) Securing Opportunity; (2) Defending Children's Educational and Civil Rights; (3) Building a National Grassroots Family Model; (4) Putting Quality Early Education at the Forefront; (5) Empowering…

Higher-education institutions in Texas are increasingly exploring innovative approaches to structuring and delivering degree programs. Several institutions have developed competency-based degree programs, which aim to offer new pathways for students to obtain postsecondary credentials and to reduce higher-education costs for students by focusing…

Uganda is among many nations in sub-Saharan Africa that are trying simultaneously to expand higher education opportunities and to enhance the quality of higher-education offerings. These are particularly challenging goals in resource-rich environments and are even more difficulty in environments of more limited resources to include funding,…

The United States faces a period of opportunity for reinvention unlike any other, and the need for dramatic reform extends to higher education. Today, the United States is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges in meeting expectations and upholding values that have long distinguished the nation. For the benefit of every American,…

Many would agree on the primacy of a high quality education for social and economic health, democracy, and individual prosperity, but scarcely a week goes by that we do not hear that a quality education for all children is not possible. Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) and their partners are told that parents don't care;…