Digital Commons Network^™

A Work In Progress: The Lived Experiences Of Black Male Undergraduates At One Predominantly White University, Wayne D. Lewis, Steven Thurston Oliver, Jennifer L. Burris

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

This exploratory study examines the lived academic and social experiences of current black male undergraduate students, including their perceived barriers and their strategies for persistence and achieving success. Study participants included black male undergraduate students at one predominantly white, four-year, public research university. Data collection methods included two focus group interviews with a purposeful sample of 12 undergraduate, black male students. Students reported that explicit and implicit messages of racial hatred have contributed to a general campus atmosphere of discomfort for black male students. The students described an environment where they continually encounter racial micro aggressions and prejudice. Students reported …

Supporting First Generation College Students, Kelli Hutchens, Matthew Deffendall, Michael Peabody

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Seeking to help support first generation college students (FGCS), the University of Kentucky (UK) has developed new programming and initiatives in recent years aimed at enhancing institutional support for this student group. Among these efforts was the launch in 2009 of the First Scholars program at UK, a project funded by and affiliated with the Suder Foundation, which currently funds five First Scholars programs at universities around the country. This practitioner’s brief first provides an overview of relevant literature related to serving FGCS and then discusses programmatic efforts undertaken at UK designed to improve the retention and graduation rates of …

Evidence-Based Or Just Good For The Soul? Examining The Efficacy Of Peer Tutoring In College, James D. Breslin

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

As peer tutoring programs have become pervasive on college campuses, it has become common to hear their benefits extolled. The goal of this paper is to examine the literature to determine in what ways accessing peer tutoring may impact college students. Specifically, the dual lenses of cognitive development and the generation and conversion of academic and social capital are employed to limit the scope of the research and focus the analysis. Conclusions include that while “peer tutoring” lacks a commonly accepted definition, students may receive intellectual benefits and their social networks may be broadened when accessing services that are intentionally …

Global Ky (Fall 2011), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Global Ky (Summer 2011), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Global Ky (Spring 2011), University Of Kentucky International Center

Global Kentucky

No abstract provided.

Retention Update For Ucapp, Michael Mullen

Undergraduate Education Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Education Is Like A Magic Carpet: Transfer Perceptions Of Urban Latino Community College Students, Catharine Mary Anne Penfold Navarro

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Latino students are the only ethnic group more likely to enroll in community colleges than four-year institutions. However, they transfer to four-year institutions at much lower rates than their white counterparts. This gap in transfer rates for Hispanic students is of significant concern to higher education researchers and policy makers because of its broad impact on overall educational attainment for Hispanics.

Research on Latino transfer rates has focused predominantly on quantitative data, which paints a clear picture of what is happening, but falls short in explaining why transfer rates continue to be low. Researchers have offered both structural (social reproduction …

The Effect Of Student Mobility On Student Achievement, Lisa Eddy

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Student mobility and its relationship to academic success have been researched since World War II with varied findings (Goebel, 1978). Establishing the relationship between mobility and achievement is difficult due to the fact that mobility is related to many factors. Mobility has been found to be prevalent among students who traditionally demonstrate achievement gaps (specifically students of low-income status) (Long, 1992; Smith, Fien & Paine, 2008).

Mobility’s relationship to achievement is complex. Led by a single definition of mobility, admittance to more than one school in the given district over the period of one academic year, this research study sought …

Changing The Way We Do Things Around Here: Strategies Presidents Use For Creating Organizational Change In Higher Education, Jared N. Tippets

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

As society changes, so must higher education. Therefore, colleges and universities and the presidents leading them must adapt to survive in today’s highly competitive marketplace. What must an institution do to stay abreast of the changes? Once the necessary changes are identified, what processes are used by a president of a college or university to go about deliberately creating change on campus? By understanding how to create planned change, leaders within higher education will be able to better ensure that their institutions remain relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment. For many colleges and universities, their ultimate survival may depend on …

Graduate School Choice And Recruitment: An Assessment Of The Martin School Applicant Data System And Its Utility For Supporting Administrative Decisions, Leslie A. Curtis

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Student recruitment and retention are issues of importance for both graduate schools and graduate programs alike. Administrative decisions must be made, regarding these topics, which will best benefit the school or program. Within the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, those decisions can be influenced by data collected on current and past students. Analysis of data obtained from the student admissions application and a survey sent to students accepted into the Martin School can inform these management decisions. The information developed can highlight areas of recruiting concern such as attracting a higher number of high-quality in-state applicants, increasing diversity, …

Competition Among Public Schools: An Analysis Of Kentucky Public Elementary Schools, Sarah L. Burns

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study relied on data gathered on school identifiers and characteristics, student and teacher characteristics, and index scores of Kentucky public elementary schools, collected from 2001-2008 at the school level. An extensive literature review was completed in order to examine the effects of competition on public schools, both positive and negative.

This paper focused on the impact of public school competition on academic index scores in Kentucky school districts. Competition was measured in two ways: by the number of schools available per student in the district as well as the total district enrollment controlling for the total number of schools …

Athletic Academic Reform: Does The Level Of Spending On Academic Services By Athletic Departments Affect The Academic Progress Rates Of Revenue Sports?, James W. Batley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study examines the relationship between the level of spending on academic services per student-athlete for 22 athletic departments within the Division I structure and the recently established performance measure outlined in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Academic Reform: the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

The importance placed on student-athletes to learn, develop, and maintain academic eligibility has led to the implementation of a number of academic tutorial and support programs provided by college and university athletic departments. This analysis investigates the relationship between the level of spending on student-athlete academic services and student-athlete academic performance for two …

Examining Kentucky Public Schools: Gender Differences In An Index Measure Of Accountability For Academic Standards, Khin Thazin Myint

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Kentucky public education system has made progress over the past 20 years after a number of reforms beginning in 1990. A stated goal of these reforms has been not only to improve the overall performance of students in a school, but to also ensure that no student groups be allowed to fall behind. To accomplish this, the state has adopted and implemented goals that are shared with those of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, including school accountability and a goal of proficiency for all students by the year 2014. However the most recent analysis of three statewide …

Educational Advancement: Decision Influences Regarding Attendance And Level Of Post-Secondary Education, William Spears

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The intent of this study was to determine which characteristics from a group of student, teacher, and school characteristics had a significant influence in affecting enrollment in education beyond high school. There are social benefits from having a more educated populace, the Kentucky political system has highlighted intentions to increase enrollment in institutions, and Kentucky has lagged behind the nation and most states in its ability to continue educating the populace beyond high school. Most of the previous efforts to examine postsecondary attendance decisions have focused on the demographics of students with the implication that those student characteristics are the …

Teacher Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, And Alternative Certification In Early Career Special Education Teachers, Brenda C. Voris

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The number of special education students continues to rise, creating the need for additional special education teachers. Alternative certification programs have dealt with the special education teacher shortage, but not the question of teacher quality. Most teachers entering classrooms from alternative certification programs have little or no formal education in methodology or behavior management, but have commensurate responsibilities as their more experienced colleagues.

The intent of this quantitative study was to examine 222 special education teachers’ sense of self-efficacy and job satisfaction in 21 central Kentucky school districts. The focus was the relation among special education teacher’s degree of efficacy …