In response to fears regarding high-profiled school shootings and firearm violence, schools transformed dramatically, implementing school safety measures such as school police, armed security, metal detectors, and active shooter drills. This study used nationally representative data to assess the relationship between school safety policies and…

This study sought to determine whether a significant difference exists in the efficacy of teachers who received a traditional licensure versus those who received alternative licensure in their first three years of teaching. Additionally, the research aimed to determine if there was a significant difference in student growth based upon teacher…

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…

The scarcity of teachers of color (TOCs) in Pennsylvania has been well-documented. In 2018, Research for Action (RFA) reviewed the literature on the benefits of teachers of color for all students and highlighted barriers, strategies, and initiatives in "Patching the Leaky Pipeline: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color in…

The challenge of increasing the number of minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees is a systemic problem. In the case of higher education, one of the main challenges also includes the retention of academically prepared minority students who are underrepresented in STEM degree programs. President Barack Obama…

Objective: The beginning of college marks a decline in physical activity and racial/ethnic minorities have disproportionately lower rates of physical activity. This study examined the association between perceived stress and physical activity among an ethnically diverse sample of college-attending young adults. Participants: 2,396 students (36%…

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large and negative impact on student learning. This dissertation explores the effect of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable student subgroups: English Learners (ELs). In this work I examine existing disparities among subgroups of ELs, and the different ways the pandemic has impacted…

Narratives featuring majoritarian (e.g., White, male, middle/upper class, and/or heterosexual) protagonists are so prevalent in U.S. society that they have become the normative reference point by which some members of society may view and label others. They may, therefore, implicitly consider those who do not fit the majoritarian mold as somehow…

Using data from the 8Rs CARL Libraries Practitioner Survey in 2014, this study assesses the impact of race on the earnings attainment process based on a sample of 392 CARL library practitioners. It determines that there is a significant salary disparity between visible minorities and nonvisible minorities. Racial differences in job characteristics…

Racial disparities in the demographic composition of K-12 students and teachers has led university teacher education programs and school districts to endeavor to prepare all teachers, especially White teachers, to work with diverse students. However, often sidelined in these initiatives are the challenging tasks of preparing, recruiting, and…

Research has shown that student access and achievement in advanced precollege chemistry has been largely inequitable when considering certain demographic factors. In this nonexperimental observational study, an intersectional analysis of ethnicity and gender was utilized to examine United States student participation and performance (N = 146,610)…

Using Astin's inputs-environments-outcomes model and intersectional quantitative inquiry as a conceptual framework, we sought to understand which subgroups within the LGBQ+ student of color (SOC) population indicated a higher sense of belonging. Furthermore, we were interested which collegiate environments and experiences contributed to belonging…

This study assessed the effect of a teacher professional development (PD) programme that incorporated culturally responsive teaching on Chinese kindergarten teachers' perceptions of learning motivation of ethnic minority (EM) vs. Chinese pupils in Hong Kong. The moderating role of classroom ethnic composition was examined. Forty-five teachers in…

This mixed methods study explores predictive factors for housing insecurity (HI) and homelessness. Using multi-variable analyses with data from an original survey (48% response rate, n = 1,416 students), we found that income, race/ethnicity, awareness of services and being impacted by a natural disaster, all significantly impact HI and…

A narrative inquiry was conducted to explore the stories of students of Color with low-socioeconomic status perceptions of predominantly White institutions through their college experiences. This narrative inquiry explored if those experiences influenced their identity as college students, and if so, in what ways. Transition theory and the…