Education Commons^™

Impact Of The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: An Examination Of Retention Of First Year Students In The Hampton Roads Area, Kim B. Sibson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has had a tremendous impact on higher education institutions (HEI) across the country. As of 2011, the Veterans Administration (VA) had issued G.I. Bill payments to almost 500,000 veterans. This research examines the effect of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill on student retention in different types of HEIs in the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia, an area that has a high number of military and military-affiliated residents. Ex post facto data from various institutions have been compared, with a public university, a for-profit college, and a two-year public community college to examine the retention rates of …

A Correlational Study Examining The Relationship Between State Fiscal Effort And High School Graduation Rates, Kelli Marie Cedo

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

One way of analyzing United States investment in human capital is through examination of the nation's high school graduation rates. High school graduation has an impact on society's growth and prosperity. This study examined states fiscal effort toward education and its impact on state high school graduation rate. Utilizing a qualitative design state fiscal effort and state high school graduation rate were examined over a 25 year period from 1986-2010. Multiple regression analysis and repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine if sustained fiscal effort had an interaction with state high school graduation rate over time. This study revealed that …

Educational Investment Makes Financial Sense: A Longitudinal Study Investigating The Effect Of Fiscal Effort On Personal Income, Mark Loiterman

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

As the United States seeks to compete in the increasingly connected global economy, efforts have been made to improve both internal educational outcomes such as test scores and graduation rates, as well as relative educational outcomes such as the ranking of the United States' test scores on international assessments. Finding the correct strategies to improve education nationally is difficult, since education takes place in a very personal context that differs from state to state, district to district, school to school, classroom to classroom, and student to student. However, because of the importance of increasing educational outcomes, the nation has looked …

The Effect Of Delayed Enrollment, Regional Wealth, And First-Generation Status On Community College Student Success, Sunita Etwaroo Hines

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

For many students, the path to earning a postsecondary educational degree is often met with personal and social obstacles, but first-generation students are less likely to even enroll in postsecondary education and they have a higher probability for attrition when compared to their counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between delayed enrollment, regional wealth, and first-generation status on community college student success. This study analyzed differences in student success for students who enrolled at the community college immediately after high school graduation, for those who delayed enrollment up to two years, or delayed enrollment more …

A Study Of The Factors That Predict Academic Success And Retention Of Student-Athletes, April A. Brecht

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Institutions across the country and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are continuously looking for ways to improve the academic success and retention of students. Most research focuses on the use of cognitive factors as predictors; however, there has been an increase in the use of non-cognitive factors in this research. This study used logistical regression in the examination of non-cognitive, cognitive, and demographic factors as predictors of academic success and retention of Division I first year student-athletes at a large, public, moderately selective, research extensive institution. The population consisted of 275 students who participated in 16 intercollegiate teams. The …

Leadership Preparation: A Phenomenological Study Of A District–University Partnership, Raymond Lamont Haynes

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study was to ascertain principals' preparedness as implemented by a Peninsula City Schools-Madison University partnership under the design constructs of planning, collaboration, internship, and mentorship. The study was framed upon research asserting that district—university partnerships are cultivating instructional leaders who can promote achievement. In this design, districts and universities partner to implement theory-based instruction and authentic practical training to expose aspiring leaders to the specific issues and challenges within the schools they will eventually lead. Using a phenomenological case study design, the researcher extracted the perceptions of Peninsula City Schools-Madison University Division Leadership Team members who …

Student Conduct Administrator Knowledge Of The Statistical Reporting Obligations Of The Jeanne Clery Disclosure Of Campus Security Policy And Campus Crime Statistics Act, Michael Matthew Debowes

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the "Clery Act") is a consumer right-to-know law originally passed by Congress in 1900. The law requires colleges and universities receiving federal student aid to publish annually their security-related policies and crime statistics. The law provides for a civil fine up to $35,000 for each act of noncompliance, which can include failure to disclose a single crime statistic.

Student conduct administrators play an important role in classifying crimes, yet the literature is lacking on this population's understanding of the Clery Act. Therefore the purpose of this study …

Relationship Between Virginia's Fiscal Effort And Public School Graduation Rates, Bryce Ryan Johnson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Prior education finance studies have measured the effect of funding on various student achievement variables. These studies demonstrate the need for resources in education, but this need requires further exploration. Previous literature shows several limitations regarding study length, scope and fiscal resources analyzed. This study further investigates school funding by analyzing the relationship between school funding and high school graduation rates over a nine-year time frame.

This research examines what role Virginia's school districts' division fiscal effort (the proportion of its wealth invested in K-12 public education) plays in determining several identified measurable student outcomes from 2003 to 2012. The …

Helicopter Parents Of Community College Students: How Community College Professionals Operationally Define And Address This Phenomenon, Helen C. Hightower

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study examined whether the phenomenon of parental over-involvement occurred in the Virginia Community College System. Concern has been expressed in the popular and academic literature in recent years over the increased level of parental involvement at four year institutions whose student bodies consist almost exclusively of traditional-aged students. With a mix of traditional-aged and non-traditional students at community colleges, this study investigated whether or not community college employees expressed similar concerns as their counterparts at senior institutions.

The study was designed using a mixed methods approach and utilized a triangulation of results in order to answer four research questions. …

Entry-Level Cognitive Mathematics Skill And First-Semester Mathematics Performance As Correlates Of Fall-To-Fall Retention Of Community College Students, Stephen Tyler Corbin

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between first-semester mathematics performance and fall-to-fall retention for first-time-in-college, degree-seeking community college students. The study further refined the investigation by seeking to determine if the significance of this relationship was affected by student readiness for college-level mathematics as of the first semester of enrollment at the institution under study.

The sample chosen for this study consisted of 1518 first-time-in-college, degree-seeking students enrolled in fall semester 2011 at a large, multi-campus community college in Virginia. The dependent variable was fall-to-fall retention, a commonly applied student success metric in the Virginia Community …

Preparing School Leaders To Advocate For Social Justice: A Case Analysis Of Social Justice Tenets In A Leadership Preparation Program, Jessica Costa

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

School leadership preparation for social justice is a pressing concern in an era of achievement gaps and a rapidly increasing population of largely marginalized students: English learners. This case study explored how one university leadership preparation program infused social justice tenets into the training. Following a qualitative methodology, data collection focused on documents, interviews, and class observations. In recent years, critical race theory (CRT) has garnered much attention in education scholarship as a way to examine racialized practices and social injustices that persist in U.S. schooling. This study used CRT as a basis for the theoretical framework and interpretive lens …

Educational Policy Decisions Effect Upon Same-Gender Public Education, Richard Gerard Catoire

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, with emphasis on greater choice and flexibility for parents and students in public education, to include the provision for same-gender public schools and classrooms, led to a resurgence in same-gender public education in the United States. With the results of the research on same-gender education presenting conflicting evidence and mixed-perspectives on the outcomes of same-gender education in improving academic achievement or attainment, there are still questions to be answered, not only to the effectiveness of same-gender education, but also to policy decisions to establish same-gender public education programs. While proponents of …

Persistence Of General Educational Development And Advanced Diploma Recipients At A Southeastern Public Community College, Ann Underwood Smith

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With the current emphasis on accountability and the importance of a college education in today's economy, the success of nontraditional students at community colleges is critical. How to improve the success of high-risk students such as GED recipients is a complex challenge for college leaders. While the GED is widely accepted for admittance to college, GED holders have experienced low levels of postsecondary success and clearly face many complex challenges. Lack of persistence has been found in most studies of all nontraditional adult college students, but there is no consensus on whether or not traditional high school graduates perform better …

Impediments To Serving Students With Learning Disabilities In A Rural Community College Setting: The Administrative Perspective, Seth Gent

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the challenges rural southern Appalachian community colleges officials face when serving students with learning disabilities. Upon entering community college, learning disabled students are often unfamiliar with many of the expectations that may be necessary to ensure their academic success such as self-disclosing to ensure they are provided adequate services, becoming self-advocates, and navigating requirements of post-secondary education. This study consisted of 15 interviews from five different community colleges across the rural southern Appalachian region in which senior level, mid-level, and front line community college officials dealing with students with learning disabilities were interviewed. A document review …

Discovering Career Self-Efficacy Among Rural Community College Students, Tameka Mierelle Womack

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Many students report that their main purpose for attending a two- or four-year academic institution is to prepare for a career, and require assistance during the process of selecting a major and career that is appropriate for them. Students who struggle with career indecision often seek help through career counseling and/or computer-assisted career guidance systems. Self-efficacy plays a key role in students' self-esteem and their belief that they can not only choose a career but successfully complete the tasks associated with achieving that career. Students with low career decision self-efficacy may have a higher potential to drop out of college. …

A Qualitative Exploration Of First-Generation Student Experiences At A Large Diverse Research Institution, Donald Michael Stansberry

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

College enrollment among first-generation students is on the rise (Choy, 2001) at both two-year and four-year institutions (Engle & Tinto, 2008; McCarron & Inkelas, 2006; Stayhorn, 2006). As this student population continues to grow, it is important to learn more about them and the factors that contribute to their success or failure. Through the use of focus groups, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of first-generation college students that impact their academic and nonacademic success. The research questions that guided this study were: What experiences do first-generation college students perceive impact their academic success? What …

Community College Vice Presidents' Perceptions Of Academic Partnerships, Gloria Jean Savage-Early

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Partnerships have a very important place among two- and four-year institutions as they allocate limited resources to continue to give higher education students a quality education. Community college vice presidents desire to give students options of completing degrees while maintaining jobs and supporting families along with options of pursuing advanced degrees. This qualitative study, which uses a phenomenological approach, will explore the perceptions of higher education community college vice presidents regarding the factors that affect partnerships between two- and four-year institutions of higher education. The main research question and sub-questions, to be explored are as follow: How do vice presidents …

The Effect Of Mentoring On The Academic Success Of College Sophomores, John C. Lee

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

A review of the higher education literature indicates that the majority of retention research has focused on first-year students and that additional research is needed for other class levels – particularly sophomores (Graunke & Woosley, 2005). However, the reality is that sophomores benefit from a minimal number of special programs, minimal contact with faculty and others in leadership positions, and minimal attention from student affairs personnel (Anderson & Schreiner, 2000). An unintended consequence of this reduced attention is higher than expected rates of sophomore attrition.

This exploratory research study employs a quasi-experimental quantitative research design to evaluate the results of …

Community College Students With Psychological Disorders And Their Perceptions Of Online Learning, Gretchen Winifred Langford Warren

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Research focusing on students with learning disabilities is abundant for secondary and higher education. Studies utilizing data on students with psychological disorders cover secondary and 4-year university education. However, community college students with psychological disorders and their perception of online classes is an area of educational research which lacks data. Students across a wide spectrum of psychological disorders tend to find learning challenging. The community college's learning environment may best fit their learning styles. With modem educational innovations, the online learning methods must take into consideration the unique psychosocial, cognitive, and academic needs of the community college student population.