Higher education has been touted as critical to social mobility, even greater longevity; however, these benefits accrue with degree completion, and many students who begin college never earn a degree. Using the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we sought to understand variation in college completion rates and test…

This dissertation is composed of three studies linking general education astronomy to student performance, course-taking, graduation, and identity. The first study examined demographic and academic predictors of astronomy performance among a cohort of N=1,909 community college students enrolled in astronomy courses in a large suburban community…

This study examines whether Superintendent-Principal Partnership Longevity has a relationship with student Annual Graduation Rates in New York State from 2009 to 2018. Previous research has explored the role of individual school leadership longevity (superintendent or principal) on student achievement. Superintendent-Principal Partnership…

Community colleges are trending toward a decrease in full-time faculty and an increase in adjunct faculty. Using 2019-2020 IPEDS data from 853 community colleges, researchers explored the relationship between full-time faculty and community college student retention, and combined graduation and transfer rate. Results demonstrated that proportion…

On-time high school graduation is an important topic in educational research, policy, and practice. However, no comprehensive meta-analyses had been conducted on this topic. The current meta-analysis reviewed 47 articles published from 1985 to April 2022 and aggregated the effect in four dimensions: student background, family support, school…

This dissertation measures and describes the factors that impact doctoral student persistence. Using a mixed methods cases study design, I analyzed institutional student record data, survey data on caregiving responsibilities, and data from semi-structured interviews with PhD students at a STEM-focused, public research university in the American…

The study evaluated the relationship between female sophomore students' participation in campus recreational sports, retention at the university, and graduation rates. The purpose is to identify the potential influence of participation in recreational activities on persistence toward graduation. Alexander Astin's Theory of Student Involvement and…

Completing a program of study and earning a credential is a mark of student perseverance and success. Student completion rates can tell us how well colleges and universities support students in completing an educational program. A research study by the US Department of Education reported students who completed non-degree certificate programs had…

Military students face many challenges in the transition from military life to higher education. From psychological, mental health issues, career changes, and difficulties interacting and building relationships, many obstacles can delay or stop a military student's path to degree attainment. This study sought to determine if military students are…

The problem at the southeastern university study site is that adult nontraditional learners taking classes on campus are graduating at a low rate, which may indicate a lack of needed support services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the learning support needs of adult nontraditional learners and institutional support…

The researcher designed this qualitative descriptive study to investigate the experiences of successful first-generation, low-income college students that contributed to their ability to complete a bachelor's degree. A strength-based perspective was used to examine successful students and their unique abilities, allowing them to overcome various…

Recent state and national achievement exam results, as well as academic progress reports, have underscored how the COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures had a large, negative impact on students' reading and math development. While a great deal is known about the test-based academic impacts of the pandemic such as test scores that provide…

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative survey method is to gather State GEAR UP leaders' perceptions about the actual program activities and their sense of importance of those same program activities. The objectives of the GEAR UP Program are: (a) to increase the academic performance; (b) preparation for postsecondary education of…

Students with various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) diagnoses have increasingly enrolled in colleges and universities. Although graduation rates are lower for this group, some students succeed, and mentoring programs are increasingly part of this success. The purpose of this article is to describe a…

College graduation rates for racially minoritized students are adversely affected by structural barriers and hostile campus racial climates, which lead to notable equity gaps within and across institutions. Theory and prior literature suggest that the representation of racially minoritized students and instructors may play a role in shaping these…