Organizational climate is a concept that may affect individual behaviors, attitudes and well-being in organizational life as well as explain why some organizations are more productive, effective, innovative and successful than others. The concept has been investigated in many disciplines such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, political…

This study explored educational persistence in the narratives of students re-engaging in secondary school, specifically relating to the messages they received from their families motivating them to succeed in school. Framed in Yosso's (2005) theory of community cultural wealth, students described the methods their families used to support them…

A variety of factors contribute to attrition in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at the community college level including underpreparedness, lack of confidence, and broader socioeconomic issues. This work describes our efforts to improve student learning and overall success in a community college General Biology I…

Both sides of the debate on school choice point to the failure of schools in choice programs as evidence for their position. To opponents of choice, school failures point to the lack of accountability of the voucher sector, and the need for greater governmental control. To choice supporters, failures represent the marketplace working, as…

The present study explored the causal relationship between self-esteem and school belongingness among a sample of urban youth. Based on a longitudinal cross-lagged panel design, the results offered initial support for the personal agency perspective of growth in self-esteem leading to growth in school belongingness. We discuss the implications for…

For decades, urban public schools have been plagued by systemic and structural challenges that continue today. Scholars, policymakers, and the general public have pointed to problems of learning in urban schools and to low expectations for urban students' learning, but little attention has been given to how urban students themselves conceptualize…

Placement of students entering community colleges would, intuitively, seem like a simple process. Students recently graduating from high school would naturally be ready for college-level coursework and able to enroll in credit-bearing courses from the outset. Unfortunately, myriad research exists illustrating quite the contrary. In fact, the…

The concern about problematic, disruptive student behavior, declining academics, and their relationships at an inner-city elementary school in the southeast United States had persisted despite positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) implementation for two years. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to explore…

Including charter schools and pre-kindergarten programs, New York public school enrollment in 2017-18 was estimated at 2,608,473 million, 15,222 fewer than in 2016-17 and just slightly above the 1991-92 count of 2,584,967, according to the State Education Department. The latest U.S. Census data, which shows a continued decline in New York's…

Teacher turnover in urban high-poverty schools is detrimental to students' achievement. In fact, one of the most prevalent social justice issues today is the unequal distribution of experienced teachers to urban high-poverty schools. Researchers suggest that experienced teachers are more effective at raising student performance than new or early…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to hone in on a successful non-traditional urban high school to learn and determine the different factors that affect student academic achievement. The study focused on programs and practices, leadership practices and cultural norms. Interviews with school faculty, observations of classrooms and…

The United States Federal Government believes that "technology can be a powerful tool for transforming learning" (U.S. Department of Education, 2017, p. 1). The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the beliefs and actions of high school principals regarding technology integration using Bolman and Deal's 4 Frames (Structural,…

Assistant principals play a critical role in the success of any school. As the role of assistant principals has shifted from disciplinarian and task manager to instructional leader, it is important for principals to provide shared leadership opportunities to their administrative team. This qualitative study investigated principal practices of…

Supporting nontraditional students within the student lifecycle is one of the major challenges faced by urban universities. This study presents a pedagogical intervention in which a group of Hispanic students participated in an engaged learning project with a bilingual newspaper. Findings indicate that this project motivated students to complete…

Black boys in grades third through fifth are not developing reading comprehension skills compared to their peers in an urban southeastern school district. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perceptions of third through fifth grade reading teachers on reading comprehension of Black boys in this district. The conceptual…