English language learners (ELs) often attend schools where there are (1) inequitable access to appropriately trained teachers and limited professional development opportunities, (2) inadequate instructional time, and (3) inequitable access to instructional materials and curriculum. These conditions place ELs at a considerable disadvantage.…

African American male enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions saw a small increase between 2010 and 2019, rising nine percent over that period. However, their representation only reached eight percent of total undergraduate students by fall 2019, down slightly from nine percent in 2010. Only 37% of African American men who started…

Despite efforts to improve student retention and graduation success outcomes, many U.S. four-year postsecondary institutions have experienced limited growth in student retention and graduation rates over the past decade. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to determine the mean differences in retention and graduation…

Texas higher education institutions serve some of the most diverse student populations in higher education. However, graduation rates remain among the lowest in the United States, particularly for underrepresented minority students. Diverse faculty who act as mentors have the potential to increase underrepresented minority students' sense of…

This study sought to examine the extent superintendent longevity relates to student performance as measured by graduation rates. Specifically, this study sought to examine how a district school superintendent's longevity provides conducive context through which student academic improvement programs, culture, and relationships could be established…

Newcomers represent a large and understudied subgroup of students in California. The Oakland Unified School District has been disaggregating data on newcomer status for the last 7 years, providing a basis for analyzing graduation outcomes for newcomer compared to non-newcomer students. The data highlight the variance in outcomes based on program…

This study identifies factors contributing to the success of foster care alumni (FCA) who graduate from post-secondary education (PSE), despite institutions devoting little effort to making PSE accessible to FCA. Nine FCA PSE graduates were interviewed about their success. Responses were analyzed using an exploratory method to identify themes…

Career and technical education (CTE) is revolutionizing the United States education system. These modern programs are being created across the country, and there is a need to ensure they are designed in a way that leads to students successfully graduating high school. The problem was a lower rate of students graduating from secondary education in…

This case study utilizes mixed methods to evaluate the methods and processes used to recruit, to gauge student persistence and the graduation rates of black students in a Christian college setting. It examines the institutional practices and policies that influenced positive retention and graduation of Black students in small, private Christian…

Senate Bill 19-129, concerning the regulation of online schools, calls for the Colorado Department of Education's Office of Online and Blended Learning to produce an annual report on the number of students who withdraw from Colorado K-12 online schools after the pupil enrollment count date. This report is required to include the dates on which…

This paper examines the propensity of African American students to graduate from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Using IPEDS data from 2004 to 2016, we take care in developing a control group of institutions from which to compare HBCU success. Results suggest that despite accepting more students who are at risk of not…

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are now well-established as a highly effective, flexible and large participation capacity distance learning tool. They have enabled unprecedented access to educational material for millions of people worldwide, however, still suffer from significant student non-completion. Various theories have been proposed but…

Florida's high school graduation rate is based on the percentage of students who graduated with a standard diploma within four years of their first full year of enrollment in ninth grade in the state. However, adjustments are made to this cohort over time to: (1) add incoming transfer students based on their grade level and year of entry; (2)…

Increasing college attainment offers tremendous promise for increasing social mobility, tackling poverty, and reducing racial and income inequality, aspirations that are more vital than ever as the devastating impact of the pandemic has fallen disproportionately on people of color. Yet for too many policymakers and practitioners, the path to…

This study investigated the sustained impact from elementary fullservice community school programming on middle school STEM academic outcomes that could lead to greater college and career readiness, as well as increased STEM career options for underserved urban students. Quantitative findings suggest middle school youth who attended an elementary…