There is an increasingly large disparity in college graduation rates among low-income and first-generation college students. Research suggests that the main reason for this discrepancy is the lack of access to information and knowledge about the college process. First-generation students have fewer people in their social network who went to…

This study estimates the extent to which apprenticeship affects the academic trajectories of vocational high-school students. Previous research has shown that apprenticeship-based high schools (or dual vocational education) increase employment outcomes compared to school-based-only vocational education. Employing a propensity score matching…

This report summarizes grade-level promotion and graduation outcomes for 2,192 Austin Independent School District (AISD) students who participated in the Twilight Program in 2019-2020. Of the 12th-grade students enrolled in Twilight in 2019-2020, 92% graduated. Of Twilight students in 6th through 11th grades, 90% were promoted to the next grade…

Overall, Twilight credit recovery program student outcomes were positive during 2020-2021. The middle school students who participated in Twilight had a 60% success rate and high school students who participated in Twilight had a 77% success rate. In addition, 81% of the 12th graders who participated in Twilight graduated from high school. Lastly,…

Studies have documented widespread academic disengagement in middle and high school students. This disengagement has been tied to a myriad of negative outcomes, including failure to graduate from high school and transition into college and meaningful vocations. Supporting adolescents in cultivating a sense of beyond-the-self purpose is one factor…

This report summarizes grade-level promotion and graduation outcomes for 2,163 Austin Independent School District (AISD) students who participated in the DELTA Program in 2019-2020. Seventy-four percent of DELTA students in 9th through 11th grades were promoted to the next grade level and of the DELTA students in 12th grade, 83% graduated from…

This report summarizes grade-level promotion and graduation outcomes for 2,859 Austin Independent School District (AISD) students who participated in the Twilight Program in 2018-2019. Of the 12th-grade students enrolled in Twilight in 2018-2019, 95% graduated. Of Twilight students in 6th through 11th grades, 94% were promoted to the next grade…

To address under-preparation of students for college-level course-work, Texas House Bill 5 (HB5) introduced a number of substantive changes to the state high school curriculum and graduation requirements. Among its provisions, HB5 created a requirement that school districts offer a college preparatory mathematics course for students not meeting…

This report summarizes grade-level promotion and graduation outcomes for 2,646 Austin Independent School District (AISD) students who participated in the DELTA Program in 2018-2019. Seventy-one percent of DELTA students in 9th through 11th grades were promoted to the next grade level and of the DELTA students in 12th grade, 85% graduated from high…

Stereotype threat has been shown to have deleterious impacts on the short- and long-term academic performance and psychological well-being of racial and ethnic minority students. Psychological variables related to this identity threat represent significant sources of achievement and attainment gaps relative to nonstereotyped Asian and white…

The Kauffman School is a public, tuition-free charter school serving Kansas City students. In the 2019-20 school year, the school enrolled 1,186 students in grades 5 through 12. Most (88 percent) of the students were low income, and 89 percent were Black or Hispanic. To measure the impact of the Kauffman School on its students, the authors…

Postsecondary access and degree completion are increasingly important concerns for individuals and policymakers. This dissertation presents evidence on three distinct strategies for increasing students' level of preparedness for higher education, rates of postsecondary enrollment, and rates of postsecondary degree completion. The first is an…

The COVID-19 pandemic may be one of the greatest challenges our provincial education system has ever addressed. In the spring of 2020, many governments around the world ordered schools to suspend in-person instruction for most of their students, requiring education systems to pivot almost overnight to online or remote teaching and virtual…

The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative and Green River Regional Educational Cooperative received an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement the Creating College and Career Readiness (C3R) initiative. The initiative offered a suite of software developed by WIN Learning (WIN) to support…

The Advanced Virtual Academy (AVA) Twilight High School (THS) provides Houston Independent School District (HISD) high school students opportunities to earn credits toward graduation and pass state-mandated assessments. The program targets students who are at risk of not completing courses required to earn a high school diploma. This 2014-2015…