Background/Context: Scholars have long critiqued the antidemocratic forces at work in education, advocating for a more equitable, liberating, and democratic vision of schooling, with teacher education taking on a central role. Mainstream teacher preparation obstructs democratic education, as evidenced by the failure to disavow and dismantle white…

This project focused on the study of resilient Latinas in California Community Colleges and how educators and administrators can better support them through resilience-informed teaching practices, college policies, and support services. It studied factors specifically related to Latinas' resilience. Critical resilience is the theoretical…

Despite efforts to place students on a guided pathway to successful completion, nearly one in five students who do not persist at community colleges complete 75% or more of the credit threshold for a degree before leaving the institution (Johnstone, 2018). In Texas, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Members (THECB, 2020),…

Though Assembly Bill 705 was passed in California to reduce gaps in retention and completion for community college students of color, these equity gaps persist. This study used quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine factors that influence enrollment choices and success in gatekeeper courses, like English, for African American…

Although external engagement practices, such as parent, family, and community engagement, are widely acknowledged as good teaching practice, there are no regulations and little fiscal support in the state of California for conducting these practices within the school system. Using the conceptual framework of community equity literacy (CEL) (Green,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of community college students' perceptions and experiences regarding mental health counseling services on a community college campus. The conceptual framework used for this study was Hettler's (1976) Six Dimensions of Wellness model, which demonstrates the interconnectedness of all six…

The purpose of this project is to establish a healthy community through conflict resolution in small communities through the relationship-oriented dialogue education. This project was designed as a practical program that serves as a guide for effectively coping with conflicts within small communities and was conducted over a period of 12 weeks…

Throughout higher education, there is increasing concern about students who experience food insecurity, housing insecurity, and difficulty meeting other critical needs. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges and led to lower enrollment across all higher education sectors. Community colleges experienced a steepest decline between 2019 and 2021.…

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the tensions between rural community needs and politicized state-level school closure mandates. District leaders faced competing demands of meeting the basic needs of vulnerable families, supporting the mental health of students and teachers, protecting the health of all community members, and creating new…

The history of Indianapolis' Near Westside, its residents, and the Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus, demonstrates how disenfranchisement, economic injustice, and spatial injustice intricately intertwine higher education institutions and residential communities. Where homes once stood, now stand institutions of…

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the health disparities plaguing our communities are highlighted more than ever. Community-based learning (CBL) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) provide a highly relevant framework in addressing health problems, especially those related to the Social Determinants of Health (AHRQ, 2020).…

Based on research in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, this article argues that the globally popular reform of school-based management suffers from several shortcomings and is a partial, extractive, and technocratic means of engendering parental and community participation. Ultimately, this article demonstrates that it is necessary to move beyond SBM as a…

According to the U.S. Refugee Processing Center (RPC), over three million refugees have resettled in the United States since 1975 (U.S. Dept. of State, 2018). The purpose of this research was to obtain a deeper understanding of what refugees learn through their cultural experiences as they adjust to their new surroundings. Viewed through the…

The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), has had a significant influence on how child- and family-serving programs operate and support healthy development and wellbeing. Many organizational partners and members of the Strengthening Families National Network are…

This executive summary describes the study, "Community Conditions That Strengthen Families: Protective Factors Work at the Community Level." The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), has had a significant influence on how child- and family-serving programs…