This dissertation researched the scope of mathematics achievement disparities in the United States and how these disparities can be minimized through a self-efficacy lens. To answer pertinent research questions with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2019 mathematics assessment in Grades 4, 8, and 12, gap analyses,…

Teacher education students are more likely to be White than general bachelor's degree-seeking students across the nation (King, 2019), even as K-12 student populations are becoming more racially diverse (USDOE, 2022; DRIVE Taskforce, 2021). Colleges of education are contributing to the reproduction of a predominantly White teacher workforce. In…

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with academic achievement in at-risk high school students attending one of four charter schools in south Florida geared toward dropout prevention. Several factors were identified through a thorough review of the literature to identify the common demographic variables associated with…

This research study examined the campus culture of two community colleges in North Carolina. These colleges were selected based on language included in their mission statements. The campus culture of each institution was explored through the lived experiences of minority (African American and Hispanic) students attending those colleges. Native…

This study examined the effect of mandated school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning loss and the effects of a rapid shift in instructional modality. The research study focused on comparing the academic year results of 2021-2022 to the year of 2018-2019 in English language arts and mathematics assessments, specifically using…

Nearly two thirds of students are not ready for college level work in mathematics as evidenced by the inability to succeed on standardized math placement tests. Unfortunately, this necessitates developmental coursework, which is not credit bearing, and ultimately makes these students significantly less likely to earn a college degree. This study…

Students enter the college application process on unequal footing--with various levels of financial, social, and cultural capital they can rely on to navigate it. At least 10 states and hundreds of colleges and universities have begun "direct admissions" programs, which proactively admit students using data like their GPA and ACT/SAT…

This article examines the needs in New York State for public policy to address disparities in educational outcomes, opportunities to learn and appropriate evaluations that assess student readiness to advance in their education or work opportunities. Several proposals for educational public policy changes and practices are offered in the conclusion…

Overview: This study examines the complex effects on families when mothers reenroll in school at any level. The population of mothers in school--especially in college--is large and predominantly composed of women of color (Reichlin Cruse et al. 2019; Anderson 2022). Though there is a mounting emphasis on increased education and skills in the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the technical features of slopes produced from the curriculum-based measurement in writing (CBM-W) word dictation task. Seventy-nine elementary students in the U.S. Midwest with intensive learning needs responded to weekly word dictation probes across 20 weeks; responses were scored for correct letter…

This study explores whether teacher reports of executive functions predict change in reading performance (i.e., reading development) for elementary-aged students when controlling for direct assessments of executive functions and for teacher reports of students' literacy skills. Prior research has raised problems with the construct validity of…

This study explores whether teacher reports of executive functions predict change in reading performance (i.e., reading development) for elementary-aged students when controlling for direct assessments of executive functions and for teacher reports of students' literacy skills. Prior research has raised problems with the construct validity of…

The Remediation report is in response to Ohio Revised Code section 3345.061 (H), which requires the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) to issue a report recommending policies and strategies for reducing the need for academic remediation and developmental courses at…

Common methods of measuring discipline disproportionality can produce contradictory results and obscure base-rate information. In this paper, we show how using multilevel modeling to analyze discipline disparities resolves ambiguities inherent in traditional measures of disparities: relative rate ratios and risk differences. One previous study…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted face-to-face instruction in schools across the United States and the world. Using the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS), we analyzed data from three middle schools in a suburban school district in the southeastern United States in order to determine if there were any statistically significant interaction…