The U.S. economy requires a highly educated workforce, yet too few black, Latino, and low-income students attend, persist, and graduate from college. The present study examines the college outcomes of participants in a model Advanced Placement® (AP) intervention to shed light on its effectiveness and determine whether improving AP participation…

Studying abroad is arguably one of higher education's most effective ways of developing students' global competency and preparing them to enter a global workforce. This study explores the relationship between demographic characteristics, college experiences (personal, social, and academic), and study abroad participation among college students.…

The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), in collaboration with 10 public school districts in the Greater Houston area, set out to better understand the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of student mobility on Houston area students and schools. This brief explores the informal networks of elementary school student mobility in the…

This study examines how inequality manifested during the emergency remote COVID-19 transition in higher education. We use 35 in-depth interviews with college students, conducted virtually, in real-time, during spring 2020 lockdowns, to examine how the transition impacted their lives. Students in the sample from lower-income backgrounds reported…

Evidence suggests that youth progressively experience mental health needs and discover mental health symptoms for the first time in adolescence. Schools have come to the forefront of providing mental health services, as adolescents spend most of their day in the academic setting. The current study aimed to examine individual and school-level…

Research shows that dual enrollment--a practice in which high school students take college courses while they are still in high school--has multiple benefits for student success in both systems. To capitalize on those benefits, California and other states have moved in recent years to increase high school students' access to college courses. In…

College affordability has been an urgent concern in the context of Texas higher education. In September 2003, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3015 (2003) to allow governing boards of public universities to set different designated tuition rates, with no upper limit. As a result, tuition at four-year colleges and universities in Texas has…

Despite growing calls for greater inclusivity and cultural responsiveness, little is known about how environmental education (EE) may differentially affect diverse audiences. As part of a national study of 334 environmentally focused day field trips for adolescent youth in the United States in 2018, we examined how outcomes differed for students…

There is a dearth of literature that has empirically examined ecological factors that influence school counselors' engagement in leadership. Thus, using hierarchical regression analysis, we examined whether sociocultural factors (i.e., race/ethnicity, childhood socioeconomic status, current socioeconomic status, age, gender), professional…

Data have consistently revealed a major problem with disproportionality in several academic and social climate measures for African American students compared to their White counterparts. Black students tend to have lower end-of-course (EOC) testing scores in mathematics and reading, a greater tendency to be suspended from school, lower average…

This study explores the extent to which student, family, peer, and school factors predict (a) whether students take "Advanced Placement®" ("AP®") courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and dual enrollment courses and (b) in models limited to course takers, how many courses they completed. Our findings, based on a…

The health benefits of physical activity are empirically supported and well accepted. However, the relationship between physical activity, physical fitness, and academic performance remains to be clearly established. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement among a sample of…

In a series of research briefs, the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) examines and describes the amount of student mobility in Texas, with particular focus on Houston area public schools. This fourth research brief provides an overview of patterns of student mobility differed by race, socioeconomic status, and English learner status.…

The study's purpose was to determine the effectiveness of charter school programs in increasing academic achievement in students with disabilities who received special education services within one charter management organization. The study reviewed student achievement on a state standardized assessment in ELA and Mathematics. Relationships…

The present laboratory-based study investigated socioeconomic status (SES) as a moderator of the association between empathic accuracy and well-being among married couples from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Empathic accuracy was measured using a performance-based measure of empathic accuracy for one's spouse's negative emotions during a…