Education Commons^™

Brightpoint Community College: Effective Enrollment Anti-Melt Strategies, Michael J. Forder, Ismael J. Betancourt Velez, Adrian Petway, Juan Espinoza

Doctor of Education Capstones

Community colleges strive to provide affordable and accessible educational opportunities to all. Tuition revenue plays a significant role in college operating budgets and is critical for supporting academic functions. Student dropout threatens the fiscal security of community colleges while running counter to the mission of educating communities. This exploratory case study set out to understand the student melt issue due to non-payment at Brightpoint Community College taking place between enrollment and the start of classes. The research team aimed to understand how students engage with the current payment process, what are the underlying factors leading to missed payments, and what …

A Preliminary Study Connecting School Improvement And Mtss With Student Outcomes, Hank Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu, Ali Kushki, Cheyne Levesseur

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Schools have an increased focus on implementing schoolwide initiatives (e.g., multi-tiered systems of support; MTSS) to address risk factors related to dropping out. These interventions can involve multiple domains, including academic, behavioural, and social and emotional supports. Although researchers suggest that schoolwide interventions are effective, school staff may need help implementing various content (e.g., academic, behaviour) domains into a cohesive plan. This preliminary study focused on nine schools in the Midwestern United States that implemented schoolwide interventions as part of a statewide technical assistance approach. The research included using survey and extant data for all students to determine the connections …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of What Schools Can Do To Retain Lumbee Indian Students With Disabilities Through High School To Graduation, Telisha Daniell Locklear

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore what schools can do to retain Lumbee Indian students with disabilities through high school to graduation. The theory guiding this phenomenological study was Maslow’s theory of human motivation. It relates to the motivation to satisfy a series of basic needs before individuals can meet their full potential. There were 12 special education teacher participants in this study who serve Lumbee Indian students. Data were collected through participant interviews, open letters, and focus groups. Data were analyzed thematically using the Van Kaam methodology. Five major themes emerged from the analyzed data. …

Identifying Attributions And Predictors Of High School Dropout In Rural Youth: A Mixed Methods Approach, Karla Swayngim Reed

Theses and Dissertations

Graduating high school is an important educational milestone that is related to better life outcomes; however, high school dropout remains an issue in the United States (US). This mixed methods study began with a qualitative stage using attribution theory to identify the factors rural youth perceive as responsible for their decision to drop out of high school. Focus groups were conducted with youth from a rural area in South Carolina (SC). Seven themes were identified across the two categories of Internal and External Focus. Internal Focus themes included: (a) ability/self-efficacy, (b) effort, (c) plans for the future, and (d) other …

The Impact Of Distance Learning On Nontraditional High School Student’S Attendance At A Predominant Hispanic Alternative High School In South Texas, Teresita De Saro, Alejandro Garcia, Velma D. Menchaca

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

High school dropout rates have long been a problem for school districts, and various contributing factors have solved the problem. Most of these students have been plagued by the inability to integrate into the mainstream of school life due to socio-economic standing, lack of parental support, and many other problems. This qualitative study examined how distance learning courses have the potential to increase high school graduation rates and attendance rates. This study was conducted at an alternative high school where the primary goal is to ensure nontraditional students' academic and personal support needed to graduate from high school. Five themes …

From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of former high school dropouts in the Continental United States who self-determined to persist to doctoral degree attainment. The theory that guided this study was the self-determination theory with support from the self-efficacy theory and adult learning theory. These three theories framed this study, which sought to discover the motivating factors, life influences, and perseverance required of former high school dropouts who determined to re-enter academia and pursue an education to the doctoral level. The problem this study sought to address was the need to discover the …

Financial Aid As A Predictor For Retention Of First-Year Black Male Community College Students, Malcom Jamar Morgan-Petty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBlack male students are retained in higher education at less than half the rate of their Hispanic and White counterparts. At Southwestern Community College (SWCC, a pseudonym), there were indicators that the amount of financial aid received was related to retention; however, the extent of the relationship was unknown. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the amount of financial aid received and the retention of first-to-second-year Black male students at SWCC. Bean and Metzner’s model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition provided the theoretical foundation. The research question sought to clarify the extent …

Financial Aid As A Predictor For Retention Of First-Year Black Male Community College Students, Malcom Jamar Morgan-Petty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractBlack male students are retained in higher education at less than half the rate of their Hispanic and White counterparts. At Southwestern Community College (SWCC, a pseudonym), there were indicators that the amount of financial aid received was related to retention; however, the extent of the relationship was unknown. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the amount of financial aid received and the retention of first-to-second-year Black male students at SWCC. Bean and Metzner’s model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition provided the theoretical foundation. The research question sought to clarify the extent …

Easing The Middle To High School Transition: An Evaluation Of The Gold Program, Leilani Shive

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Some effective components of effective transition programs include using a freshman academy or school-within-a-school model, teacher and peer mentoring and summer bridge programs. This study analyzed the effectiveness of the Gold Program, a middle to high school transition program for at-risk youth in a large urban high school in the southwestern United States. This program incorporated those components in addition to several others, such as: parent involvement, career and technical education, blended learning, behavior interventions, and Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC). Individual components of the Gold Program were chosen to meet the four S’s of Schlossberg’s transition …

Assessment Of Factors Affecting Dropout Intentions During The First Year In A Modeling School, Mauro Echeverri

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To date, there has been little research done on student dropout rates in modeling schools. This quantitative study utilizes applied research methods to analyze 138 female students in STAGE, a modeling school, where most students are between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. This study aims to examine why students drop out during their first year of study. The model utilized in this research integrates variables derived from Vincent Tito’s theory of departure, in addition to other variables not included in this theory like the parental support impact on extracurricular activities. Correlations analyses were used to assess the …

Perceptions Of School Counselors And Teachers Regarding The Communities In Schools Model, Amy M. Gates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lower graduation rates among Black, Latino, and low-income students negatively impact individuals, families, and communities. The Communities in Schools (CIS) model was widely used in urban school districts due to suggested positive outcomes butwas underrepresented in current independent research. Using Benet’s polarities of democracy as the theoretical framework, this qualitative case study allowed for the collection and analysis of perceptions of educators within the Atlanta Public Schools (APS). The results of this study suggested social change implications related to increasing manpower in urban high schools and the development and use of comprehensive student support services to reach more at-risk students. …

Examining The Experiences That Promoted Completion: A Phenomenological Study Of Single-Parent Community College Students In Noncredit Programs, Esther Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences that promoted completion among single-parent students who completed a noncredit program at a community college in East Texas named Pine Tree College (PTC). The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s (1975) theory of student departure as it explains experiences that lead a student to dropout of higher education and not persist to completion. The student departure theory (Tinto, 1975) provided the theoretical framework for the study to answer the central research question and sub-questions: (a) What are the experiences that support noncredit program completion among single-parents in the …

Teacher Perspectives Of Factors That Cause High School Dropout Rates For Latino Students: A Case Study, Isis Yahaira Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to identify and report the experiences of high school teachers working with at-risk Latino students on prevention high school dropout in public schools in Los Angeles, California. This study was beneficial as it informed school administrators and teachers on the factors that cause Latino students to drop out of high school and highlight successful strategies and interventions used to retain at-risk students in school. The theory that guided this study is the cultural ecological theory by John Ogbu. Focus groups, open-ended semi-structured interviews, and observational field notes were the tools utilized …

A Geospatial And Statistical Analysis Of Dropout In Louisiana Public High Schools, Michael D. Stein

LSU Master's Theses

Students dropping out of high school is a nationwide problem, plaguing communities and often greatly reducing the prospects of a quality life for those students who do not complete their high school educations. Louisiana consistently has among the highest public high school dropout rates in the United States, and often the highest. This geospatial and statistical study aims to identify the factors that correlate with high school dropout in Louisiana public high schools, specifically, and to produce detailed maps of the dropout rates across the state to identify the schools most afflicted.

Extensive school-level data from five academic years (2014-15 …

The Relationship Between Parenting Stress, Attendance, And Attrition In A Group-Based Parent Management Training Program, David Rubio Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behaviors rate among the most common referral concern for young children to mental health clinics (Kazdin, 2003). The preferred treatment for child behavior problems is parent management training (PMT; Matthys & Lochman, 2017). Raising a child with externalizing behaviors is associated with high levels of parenting stress, which can interfere with treatment engagement (Deater-Deckard, 2004). One negative outcome that has been associated with high levels of parenting stress is dropping out from treatment (Kazdin et al., 1997). Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS; Agazzi, Childres, & Armstrong, 2017) is a PMT program that has experienced participant …

A Program Evaluation Of An Alternative Educational Program In A School District In North Carolina For High School Students At-Risk For Dropping Out, Janice Duffie

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation of an alternative educational program in North Carolina for high school students at-risk for dropping out. The CIPP model was used to evaluate to what extent the alternative educational program is achieving its stated mission. This mixed-method evaluation consisted of quantitative and qualitative data that included interviews with district- and school-level leaders, surveys from selected staff at six high schools and the alternative educational program, and historical data. The program evaluation explored the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for improvement. Based on the findings, the research questions examined …

Perspectives Of African American And Hispanic American Students On Academic Support Services, Cynthia Mclain Shyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A 2016 cultural diversity and inclusion study conducted at a local private college (LPC) in the Midwest United States revealed concern among faculty about the underutilization of academic support services for African American and Hispanic American (AAHA) students. A gap exists between the number of AAHA students who use academic support services at LPC, and the number of AAHA students recommended to the services. The research questions were, “How do AAHA students’ perceptions about support services influence their use of academic support services at the LPC?” and “What do AAHA students suggest that could increase their use of the support …

Bullying As A Predictor Of Early Pregnancy, Dana Fadel

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

According to the World Health Organization, bullying has been identified as a current critical public health problem (Srabstein & Leventhal, 2010). Bullying is defined by consistent, repeated maltreatment through physical or emotional aggression that is often experienced at school or online, (Young-Jones, Fursa, Byrket, and Sly, 2015). Studies on bullying and its effects are plentiful, ranging from psychological to social-emotional damages; however, there is a gap in the research on its effect on teen pregnancy. This mixed methods study examined the effects and consequences of bullying as a risk factor in teenage pregnancy. Through 17 surveys and three interviews of …

A Study On The Influence Of Social And Academic Integration On Student Retention Through The Lens Of Academic Discipline, Kyle Demitri Warren

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student retention and social and academic engagement and how it varies by academic discipline. Research indicates that students may have varied experiences within higher education based on their academic discipline. Such varied experiences may be due to integration factors related to their social and academic experience. How these differences lead to varied retention outcomes and the degree to which that is the case is an area of inquiry that is minimally explored throughout the retention literature. As such, this study explored the disciplinary differences in college student retention along …

Community College Students' Perceptions Of Developmental Mathematics And Influences On Persistence, Sumithra S. Iyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in the dropout rates associated with developmental mathematics classes in 1 Texas community college provoked the need for this study. The purpose of this case study was to explore students' reasons for dropping out of developmental mathematics and what might have helped them be successful. Tinto's model of student attrition, which is characterized by students' social and academic integration affecting their retention in the college, provided the conceptual framework for the study. The research questions addressed the students' perceptions of both why they dropped out of developmental mathematics courses and what might have helped them to successfully complete …

Factors That Influence Students’ Decision To Drop Out Of An Online Business Course, Sandra Gail Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although online enrollments at community colleges have increased in recent years, student dropout rates in online classes have also increased and educational researchers wonder why students are dropping out of online courses and if online instruction can contribute to student success. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the online experiences of students who dropped out of the Introduction to Business online course at a community college in a Mid-Atlantic state and the factors that led to their decision. The research questions concerned how students who took the Introduction to Business online course described their decision to …

Understanding Causes For Jamaican Dropouts From The Career Advancement Program, Eron Garfield Mclean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Jamaica, a significant number of at-risk older youths do not attend school, nor are they employed. The government created the Career Advancement Program (CAP) to provide skills and career options for them, but many students drop out of the program. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of the reasons why students were dropping out of CAP and what could be done to retain them longer. The study was designed to explore why students dropped out of the CAP before completion, to what extent experiences in CAP satisfied student needs, and how experienced …

Exploration Of Independent Study Programs In Supporting Re-Engaged Students To Earn A High School Diploma, Christopher Hoang

Theses and Dissertations

Although high school dropouts have been studied in-depth, there is a lack of information pertaining to individuals who dropout and re-enroll. In addition, there is no research on individuals that re-enroll through an independent study high school to attain a high school diploma. This study intended to answer 3 research questions: (a) what factors led high school dropouts to return to high school, (b) what factors led re-engaged youth to stay in school and graduate, and (c) what does an independent study provide re-engaged youths?

This qualitative study utilized the interpretative phenomenological research design. This study was conducted with the …

Short- And Long-Run Effects Of Early Grades, Luca Facchinello

Research Collection School of Economics

Does early grading affect educational choices? To answer the question, I exploit the staggeredimplementation of a reform which postponed grade assignment in Swedish compulsoryschool. I identify short- and long-term effects of early grading, for students with differentacademic ability and socioeconomic status (SES). When graded early on, high-ability students(especially if high-SES) perform better, and are more likely to choose academic coursesduring compulsory school. Low-ability students react in the opposite way, in particular iflow-SES. While high school attainment increases for high-ability low-SES students, collegeattainment decreases for low-ability low-SES students. None of these effects carry over tothe labor market. This suggests that early …

How A School Leader Creates A Successful Dropout Prevention Program: A Case Study, Alan J. Sorensen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single instrumental case study was to understand how a school leader develops policies and programs that create a successful dropout prevention program. The three theories used in this study included constructivism (how people learn), social-cognitive learning theory (how people think, feel, and behave influences their ability to learn), and attribution theory (how people interpret and explain behavior). The central question and subquestions of this study revolved around how administrators and teachers perceive a school leader develops policies and programs that create a successful dropout prevention program. Data collection included documents, testimonies written by graduates, individual interviews, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Affecting The High Dropout Rate Of Nontraditional African American Students In Community College, Vernordra Haynie

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Nontraditional students comprise 75% of the higher education student population (Complete College America, 2011). These students maintain employment and care for their families while juggling the demands of college courses. Two-year colleges face challenges retaining nontraditional learners and more than 50% of nontraditional African American students fail to complete their associate degree (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to identify factors affecting the degree completion of nontraditional African American students in a community college setting and to offer institutional recommendations to retain this population of students to graduation. The researcher utilized a …

Inclusion Of The Economically Backward Students: Scope And Tenet Of Indian School Libraries, Sarthak Chakraborty, Sabuj Kumar Chaudhuri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study aims to find out how far a school library can contribute in the issue of inclusion of the economically backward class students. Meanwhile the author has opined three major issues: Economical, Psychological and Societal as the reasons behind the school dropouts in India; while theoretical analyses have unveiled that the school library has enough scope and potential to reduce the dropout rate by offering several innovative approaches. Further, the author has investigated the reality and forwarded ten unique approaches (broadly classified into Library beyond school, Increase the reading habit and Empowerment of the student) which could …

School Connectedness: Teachers’ Perspectives On The Effects Of A Small Learning Community On Ninth-Grade Student Transition And Dropout, Brittany Richey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore ninth grade teachers’ perspectives’ of a small learning community and its impact on student connectivity, transition and dropout. The following overarching research question framed this study: (Given the 15-year history of this freshman academy, what are the teachers’ perspectives on the impact of a small learning community on ninth grade transition? (a) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of interpersonal connectedness? (b) What are teachers’ perceptions of how the freshman academy affects students’ sense of physical and emotional safety? (c)What are teachers’ perceptions of how the …

Drop In Or Drop Out: A Case Study On The Effects Of Academic Track Placement, And Levels Of Student Skill And Will, On Successful Ninth-Grade Completion, Channell M. Wilson-Segura

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The ninth grade is a transition year from middle school to high school where many students struggle to successfully navigate a new environment, new teachers and peers, new academic and behavioral expectations, and the concept of graduation requirements. This qualitative study examined the effects of academic track placement, and student levels of skill and will, on successful ninth-grade completion in one New Mexico Title I high school. It also provided insight into their perceptions of the success factors and challenges that they felt impacted their ability to successfully promote to the tenth-grade, and thus, remain on-track for graduation.

This study …

Understanding Truancy As A Precursor To Dropout In A Rural Environment, Katelyn Hughes

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Truancy is the most predictive factor of dropout when controlling for low expectations and poor grades (Whelage & Rutter, 1986). Previous studies have found that students who participate in truancy have fewer positive relationships in the school, with both peers and teachers, (Lund, 2014), have less guardian involvement (Lund, 2014; Studsrod & Bru, 2011), and have less of ability regulating their emotions (Kim & Page, 2012). It has also been identified that the transition from middle school to high school is a tipping point for truancy and dropout behavior (Mizelle & Irvin, 2000). Very few studies have specifically focused on …