The SAT has long been used to assess students' readiness for college and to create competitiveness in college admissions. However, it has become a topic of controversy as stakeholders and researchers question its necessity, value, and validity especially where it concerns equitable access to post-secondary opportunities for underrepresented…

Black & Brown college students with autism are missing in the higher education research surrounding the college experience and college readiness. This is important because understanding the college experience and readiness for students center many debates and research queries within higher education practice and policy (Carnevale et al., 2010;…

This study examines the impact of high school academic indicators and participation in the federally funded Upward Bound program on college graduation rates for first-generation, low-income students. Specifically the extent to which participation in the federally funded TRIO Upward Bound program and related factors--high school GPA, course rigor,…

Postsecondary education and career training is increasingly important, with growing polarization of the labor market and forecasts for increasingly skilled workers to meet the needs of the US economy, particularly in California. Additionally, gaps between various student groups in educational access and attainment continue to persist despite…

The purpose of this study was to determine if attaining the college readiness indicators adopted by the Kentucky Board of Education affect postsecondary outcomes. This study evaluated students' overall college credit attainment in the first year of college to determine if attaining the college readiness indicators affects student performance…

Nearly two thirds of students are not ready for college level work in mathematics as evidenced by the inability to succeed on standardized math placement tests. Unfortunately, this necessitates developmental coursework, which is not credit bearing, and ultimately makes these students significantly less likely to earn a college degree. This study…

There are widespread concerns about disparities in educational attainment in the United States. Unfortunately African American, Hispanic, Native American, and low-income Broward County Public Schools high school students participate in College Bound Type Programs at lower rates than students of other races and ethnicities. Many of these students…

Dual enrollment programming is a way in which high schools and colleges can form partnerships to further their shared interest in student success both in high school and college, perseverance to college enrollment and completion, and a way for students to experience the rigors and expectations of college while in the supportive environment of high…

My study seeks to explore the extent that select secondary and postsecondary indicators predict STEM student enrollment and persistence particularly for Hispanic students. Identifying postsecondary STEM success and college readiness indicators with special focus on malleable indicators that can assist educators, administrators, and policymakers in…

Community colleges are more likely to serve student populations commonly categorized as at-risk, including students attending part-time, students from lower-income groups, or underprepared students. Each year, over 2,000,000 community college students are considered underprepared and enroll in remedial or developmental education courses.…

This research study analyzed the impact of an early college readiness program (ECRP) on students' academic performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and mathematics assessments in Grades 3, 4, and 5. ECRP is a college readiness system designed to support students to reach postsecondary education. The ECRP…

If students are not able to access internships or career-based programming, they are likely to not acquire skills necessary to be college and career ready. In short, an abundance of research supports the problem of limited preparation of all students for college and career readiness in high school, which also affects success in college and/or…

College enrollment for the Latino/a population has improved over the past 30 years, yet even with this growth, Latinos/as continue to trail their Caucasian and Asian peers in college enrollment and attainment (Camacho-Liu, 2011; Fry, 2011; Krogstad, 2016; Krogstad & Fry, 2014; Santiago, Calderon-Galdeano, & Taylor, 2015; Zarate &…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which differences were present in reading, mathematics, and both subjects college-readiness for English Language Learners who were enrolled in Texas high schools. In the first investigation, the extent to which English Language Learner boys differ in their…

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…