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African American Undergraduate Women And Their Perceptions Of The Influence Of Engagement On Their Academic Achievement, Bernice Norvella King-Strong Jan 2015

African American Undergraduate Women And Their Perceptions Of The Influence Of Engagement On Their Academic Achievement, Bernice Norvella King-Strong

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This phenomenological study examined how nine African American undergraduate women perceive the influences of their academic and social engagement practices on their academic achievement. This study took place at the University of California at Joplin, an elite, public predominantly White, institution (PWI) in Northern California. . The participants, who included four juniors, four sophomores, and one senior, came from diverse familial, academic and social backgrounds.Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000; 2009) and Engagement Theory (Kuh et al., 2005) were the theoretical constructs used in this study. The data collection process included: 1) two semi structured interviews with each participant about their …


Career Pathways In A Knowledge-Based Economy: Earnings Inequality Among Science And Engineering Doctorate Recipients, Throy Alexander Campbell Jan 2015

Career Pathways In A Knowledge-Based Economy: Earnings Inequality Among Science And Engineering Doctorate Recipients, Throy Alexander Campbell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation explored the intersectional effects of social factors (i.e., gender, race) and field of study on science and engineering (S&E) doctorate recipients' labor market outcomes (i.e., career paths and salaries). These social factors represent the participants' unique gendered and racialized experiences (Collins, 1999; James & Busia, 1993) within the labor market. The objectives of the study were achieved through a) an examination of participants' employment sector and earning profiles; b) comparative analysis of participants' career paths defined by the sequence of employment sectors in which workers have jobs between 2003-2010; c) modeling of participants salaries in 2010 when taking …


The Influences Of The Texas Accountability Ratings On Local Practices In A Suburban Elementary School: A Case Study Approach, Courtney Elise Hart Jan 2015

The Influences Of The Texas Accountability Ratings On Local Practices In A Suburban Elementary School: A Case Study Approach, Courtney Elise Hart

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This case study explores the perspectives of stakeholders at a diverse, suburban elementary school regarding the Texas Educational Accountability Rating system. Specifically, it seeks to understand how they perceive the campus rating of Met Standard to have influenced the daily practices and campus culture of their school, and to understand what factors seem to have influenced the formation of these perceptions. Using the organizational theory of loose coupling as a lens, interviews with 15 participants provide a narrative that demonstrates how the campus rating negatively affects teacher stress levels and teacher morale. Realtor ratings are identified as a primary catalyst …


Academic Experiences Of Former Avid Hispanic Students In Higher Education, Erin Fogleman Jan 2015

Academic Experiences Of Former Avid Hispanic Students In Higher Education, Erin Fogleman

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

As a response to the underrepresentation of Hispanic students within four-year higher education institutions (Boden, 2011; Tinto, 2012), this study sought to better understand a) how first-year Hispanic students managed and maintained success and b) how strategies learned in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) impacted that success. AVID is a college-readiness system that aims to close the educational achievement gap through improving the college access and academic skills among underrepresented students. Results gleaned from this in-depth, qualitative examination of four male and four female Hispanic participants reveal five attributes to a successful first-year. Those attributes are 1) participate in rigorous …


Ideological And Legal Determinants Of U.S. Supreme Court Justices' Voting In Establishment Clause Cases In K-12 Education: 1947-2014, Chad Riley Jan 2015

Ideological And Legal Determinants Of U.S. Supreme Court Justices' Voting In Establishment Clause Cases In K-12 Education: 1947-2014, Chad Riley

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the influence of: (1) justices' political ideology; (2) justices' religious affiliation; (3) justices' qualifications; and (4) legal precedent on voting at the United States Supreme Court in Establishment Clause decisions and other such decisions impacting K-12 education rendered between 1947 and 2014, using binary logistic regression as its main statistical tool. The principal findings for this group of K-12 decisions are:(1) Ideology as measured by party-of- the-appointing president and Segal-Cover scale measures were significant predictors of conservative voting in the Establishment Clause decisions examined;(2) Higher Segal-Cover qualification scores, indicating higher levels of qualifications, were correlated to less …


The Schooling Of African American Students In Junior High: Exploring The Preparation And Pedagogy Of Effective Teachers, Asha Gibson-Bell Jan 2015

The Schooling Of African American Students In Junior High: Exploring The Preparation And Pedagogy Of Effective Teachers, Asha Gibson-Bell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Today, ethnically diverse learners represent the majority student population enrolled in the U.S. public school system. However, the teacher workforce remains predominately middle-class, female, and White. As ethnically diverse learners, particularly African American students continue to endure gaps in academic achievement, the gaze has shifted to teacher education's abilities to produce effective teachers of this population. While the achievement gap is widely known, the literature concurrently documents a racial discipline gap, as African American students are suspended and expelled more than any other racial ethnicity. Though disparities in achievement and discipline significantly converge in the middle grades (6th-8th), gaps in …


Redefining The No Child Left Behind Act's Highly Qualified Teacher, Jacqueline S. Gill Jan 2015

Redefining The No Child Left Behind Act's Highly Qualified Teacher, Jacqueline S. Gill

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study shares the perspectives of eight, current Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) and provides some insight into the points of view of these teachers who are directly affected by the decisions and policies handed down from lawmakers. There is value in deeply understanding the impact of the requirements set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001's (NCLB) definition of the Highly Qualified Teacher as it can help shape future policies to better serve the students it is intended to assist. For this study, participants engaged in an in-depth semi-structured interview and provided demographic data and classroom artifacts. …


Spirituality And Religion Among Black Men In College: A Potential Mechanism For Achieving Student Success, Brian L. English Jan 2015

Spirituality And Religion Among Black Men In College: A Potential Mechanism For Achieving Student Success, Brian L. English

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

As Black men continually face challenges while seeking to graduate from college, researchers and educational leaders have continuously sought ways to understand and remedy the issues. Spirituality and religion have been found to have positive influences on Black students' success in college. This study was designed to explore the role of spirituality and religion in the lives of Black men at a large and research-oriented Predominately White Hispanic Serving Institution in Texas. A general qualitative approach was used to examine how spirituality and religion among Black undergraduate men influenced their ability to persist and graduate. Interviews were conducted with 10 …


Experiencing Technology Integration In The Collegiate Classroom: From The Perspectives Of Itinerant Adjunct Language Instructors, Emmanuel Garcia Jan 2015

Experiencing Technology Integration In The Collegiate Classroom: From The Perspectives Of Itinerant Adjunct Language Instructors, Emmanuel Garcia

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

In the last 40 years, the adjunct instructor population has become the largest group in higher education. Despite their numbers, they continue to be largely ignored and, most importantly, untrained. Their itinerancy forces them to constantly adapt to different levels of classroom technology. Through the lens of social constructivism (Creswell, 2009), the purpose of this case study was to describe the experiences and adaptive methods that one foreign language adjunct faculty used to manage technology-related issues on its campus. The study focuses on exploring the variables of reality, knowledge, and learning in ten instructors who work through this challenge on …


Success Is Required: The Experiences Of High-Achieving Black Male Football Players At Predominantly White Division 1 Institutions In The South, Brandon William Jones Jan 2015

Success Is Required: The Experiences Of High-Achieving Black Male Football Players At Predominantly White Division 1 Institutions In The South, Brandon William Jones

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of high-achieving Black male football players at predominantly White Division I institutions in the South. A qualitative research design was utilized. Participants were five Black male football players who were starters or important reserve players, had a 3.0 or higher GPA, and were at their respective institutions for at least a year prior to interviewing. Data were obtained through five individual, semi-structured, and face-to-face interviews at two sites-Eastern Valley State University (EVSU) and Coastal Plains University (CPU). Transcripts were then professionally transcribed, read through (line by line) for a …


A Multigenerational Approach: Critical Accounts Of The Postsecondary Experiences And Success Of African American Men, Michelle B. Amrine Jan 2015

A Multigenerational Approach: Critical Accounts Of The Postsecondary Experiences And Success Of African American Men, Michelle B. Amrine

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This phenomenological study examined significant factors that influenced the degree completion rates (i.e. graduation) of ten African American men who graduated from U.S. accredited 4-year Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) between the 1960s and 2000s. Critical Race Theory in Education (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995) was the theoretical framework used for this study. The primary means of data collection was two semi-structured interviews to learn about the participants' personal, precollege, college and post college experiences, as well as their recommendations for improving postsecondary access and success for African American males. Themes that emerged from the …


Graduate School Experiences And Post-Graduation Plans Of International Science And Engineering Doctoral Students At A Public University, Dorothy N. Ugwu Jan 2014

Graduate School Experiences And Post-Graduation Plans Of International Science And Engineering Doctoral Students At A Public University, Dorothy N. Ugwu

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This quantitative study examines the graduate school experiences of international science and engineering doctoral students at a public University and aims at understanding to what extent graduate school experience influences their post-graduation plans. It highlights problems international doctoral students go through such as adapting to a new culture, struggling with English language difficulties, experiencing cultural, social, and academic adjustment problems. Recommendations include development of institutional initiatives to provide socio-cultural and academic support and also changes in immigration policies that can sustain the retention of more international doctoral students in science and engineering fields upon the completion of their studies. Finally, …


Teacher Self-Efficacy In A Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Classroom, Thomas Edward Cyprian Jan 2014

Teacher Self-Efficacy In A Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Classroom, Thomas Edward Cyprian

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Preparing students, in the K-12 pipeline and in higher education institutions, will require new skills, soft skills, to ensure success in a 21st century workforce (Wagner, 2008). Soft skills, defined as being able to communicate effectively, to collaborate with others, to think creatively, and to have strong ethics, are challenging for teachers to address in a traditional classroom setting. While traditional instruction systems focus primarily on quantifiable results, project-based learning (PBL) is a proven instructional delivery system in which teachers facilitate instruction to assist in the acquisition of soft skills. Through the lens of teacher self-efficacy, a tenet of academic …


Single-Gender School Settings And Student Achievement: A Study Of One Texas Girls' Academy, Rebecca Raemayhugh Navarre Jan 2014

Single-Gender School Settings And Student Achievement: A Study Of One Texas Girls' Academy, Rebecca Raemayhugh Navarre

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic success of female students selected to enter the single-gender school and female students' eligible but not selected to the single-gender school setting. Since single-gender settings are reported to narrow the academic achievement gap of underprivileged students, especially minority inner-city students, this population received additional review. Proponents of single-gender education have argued that boys and girls have different learning styles and need to be educated separately for maximum academic success (Sax, 2010). Single-gender education advocates believe in an equal but separate educational system based on the idea that males and females …


Non-Legal Factors And Judging In K-12 Race Discrimination Cases At United States Supreme Court: 1954-2013, Ryan Mccoy Jan 2014

Non-Legal Factors And Judging In K-12 Race Discrimination Cases At United States Supreme Court: 1954-2013, Ryan Mccoy

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the influence of political ideology, appointment era, decisional era, and religious affiliation on voting at the United States Supreme Court in K-12 race discrimination cases using binary logistic regression as its main statistical tool. The principal findings for this group of K-12 decisions covering the period 1954-2013 are: (1) justices appointed by Republican presidents voted significantly more often in a conservative pro-school district direction in K-12 race discrimination disputes than justices appointed by Democratic presidents; (2) justices appointed in 1981 and later [the Reagan and later appointees voted significantly more often in a conservative pro-school district direction …


Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In United States Courts Of Appeal In Higher Education Sex Discrimination In Employment Cases, Leanne Marie Hutson Jan 2014

Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In United States Courts Of Appeal In Higher Education Sex Discrimination In Employment Cases, Leanne Marie Hutson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Despite the general increase of women in the workforce, there has been an increase in sex discrimination law suits brought in the U. S. every year (Beiner, 2005). Plaintiffs alleging gender-based workplace discrimination use three principal grounds for their claims - the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A. § 2000 ), and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.A. § 1681-1863). This study examines the important area of employment gender discrimination cases involving higher education institutions rendered in the United …


Superintendent's Practical Intelligence Across High And Low Performing School Districts, Sandra Brigette Whaley Jan 2014

Superintendent's Practical Intelligence Across High And Low Performing School Districts, Sandra Brigette Whaley

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to compare the practical intelligence scores of Texas superintendents in high performing and low performing school districts. The Tacit Knowledge Inventory for Superintendents used in this study was developed by Dr. Christian Mueller with demographic questions added by the researcher. Responses to the tacit knowledge inventory scenario items were rated using a Likert scale. Superintendents in exemplary and academically unacceptable school districts were invited to participate in this research. Independent-samples t-tests were conducted and examined for differences in the superintendents' mean scores in the tacit knowledge categories. There were no statistically significant differences in …


Non-Legal Influences On Individual Voting And Decisional Outcomes In K-12 Sex Discrimination In Employment Claims In United States Courts Of Appeal: 1964-2013, Rachel Holloway Roberts Jan 2014

Non-Legal Influences On Individual Voting And Decisional Outcomes In K-12 Sex Discrimination In Employment Claims In United States Courts Of Appeal: 1964-2013, Rachel Holloway Roberts

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This investigation examined K-12 gender discrimination education in the workplace and litigations arising through the United States Court of Appeals between the years of 1964 and 2013 through Equal Protection, Title VII and Title IX claims. This investigation consisted of judges individual voting decisions and panel effects on the United States Court of Appeals and their relationship to judge level characteristics (party affiliation, judge gender, plaintiff gender, decision date and appointment era), and panel composition in cases brought pursuant to Equal Protection, Title VII and Title IX K-12 gender discrimination decisions during the years of 1964-2013. This study attempts to …


The Strategies, Tools, And Visual Media Used By K-12 Curriculum Directors, Instructional Coaches, Specialists, And Writers To Teach Reading: A Delphi Study, Alexander Nghiem Frasier Jan 2014

The Strategies, Tools, And Visual Media Used By K-12 Curriculum Directors, Instructional Coaches, Specialists, And Writers To Teach Reading: A Delphi Study, Alexander Nghiem Frasier

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategies, tools, and visual media used by K-12 curriculum directors, instructional coaches, specialists, and writers to teach reading in Texas. Also, the study examined what strategies, tools, and visual media were encouraged to use during professional development courses among participants. Specifically, the potential of using visual media such as graphic novels, comic books, and Japanese manga were investigated. The study incorporated the Delphi Method. An expert panel composed of 35 participants took part in the study. Participants came to consensus on 21 important items composed of 2 strategies, 10 tools, and …


An Empirical Analysis Of Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In Student-Initiated Sex Discrimination Suits In Higher Education, Lynn Cope Jan 2014

An Empirical Analysis Of Non-Legal Factors Influencing Judging In Student-Initiated Sex Discrimination Suits In Higher Education, Lynn Cope

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The sexual interaction among students and educators has become a significant social issue in higher education, resulting in claims being brought to the U.S. courts by students and parents alleging sex discrimination and sexual harassment. These claims have been based on three principal legal theories: 1) the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, (2) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A. §2000), and (3) Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.A. §1681-1863). During its first phase, this study examined U.S. Courts of Appeal and U.S. District Court …


Academic Trajectories Of Community College Students: A Comparative Study Of Ged Recipients And Traditional High School Graduates, Karen Leigh Blue Jan 2014

Academic Trajectories Of Community College Students: A Comparative Study Of Ged Recipients And Traditional High School Graduates, Karen Leigh Blue

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of secondary education credential on the academic trajectories of community college students enrolled in courses and programs at a large urban community college in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The study is based on the assumption that academic capital acquired at college level, and evident in student outcomes, is built on pre-college academic preparedness and affected by one's college trajectory, being qualified by student's demographic characteristics. The results indicate that GED recipients required more remedial coursework than high school graduates, especially in mathematics. In addition, the GED recipients were less likely …


Do Teachers' Backgrounds Matter? Examining Teachers With Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds' Perceptions Of Teaching Economically Disadvantaged Students, Demetrus Liggins Jan 2014

Do Teachers' Backgrounds Matter? Examining Teachers With Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds' Perceptions Of Teaching Economically Disadvantaged Students, Demetrus Liggins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This qualitative study explored how teachers from low-income backgrounds perceived their roles as teachers of economically disadvantaged students. The specific setting was Pinewood Park Elementary School in North Texas (a pseudonym), which was a Title I, low-income, elementary school campus with 96.2% economically, disadvantaged students that earned an "Exemplary" rating for the 2010-2011 academic year and a rating of "Recognized" for 2011-2012. Seven third - fifth grade teachers of varied ethnic groups and varying years of teaching experience, who all identified as having low-income backgrounds during grade school participated in one-on-one interviews. They were selected, because the students in their …


Investigating Student Engagement In Mathematical Conversation: Teacher Questions Eliciting Student Responses, Glenda L. Mitchell Jan 2014

Investigating Student Engagement In Mathematical Conversation: Teacher Questions Eliciting Student Responses, Glenda L. Mitchell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Mathematics educators advocate that K-12 teachers should create classrooms where students are engaged in conversation about mathematical ideas. However to achieve these goals, it is important that teachers understand how to engage students in discussion. The purpose of this study was to identify teacher questions and student responses in a problem solving environment and examine how teachers used questioning to engage students in conversation. The findings provide descriptions of the dialogue that transpires between teachers and student as mathematical ideas are developing in the learning process. This study contributes to the mathematical research of constructivist learning theory by providing information …


Beyond Delay: A Qualitative Examination Of The Successful Delay Of Postsecondary Education Of Latter-Day Saint Returned Missionaries, Jared A. Jepson Jan 2014

Beyond Delay: A Qualitative Examination Of The Successful Delay Of Postsecondary Education Of Latter-Day Saint Returned Missionaries, Jared A. Jepson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This qualitative study fills a void in the research on postsecondary education delayers by examining the postsecondary experiences of six male Latter-day Saint Return Missionaries from the North Texas area who delayed enrolling in college in favor of serving two year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a group, Latter-day Saints have shown to be successful at attaining bachelor's degrees despite the risks of delay. But until this study, little has been understood about their experiences. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris's (2006) Bioecological Model of Human Development as a conceptual framework for the coding and analysis …


Important Factors Impacting Grade Placement Committee Decisions: Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers, David Trimble Jan 2014

Important Factors Impacting Grade Placement Committee Decisions: Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers, David Trimble

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The Student Success Initiative was designed and implemented to make sure students in the state of Texas were academically prepared before moving to the next grade. If a student in the state of Texas does not pass the reading and or mathematics portion of the STAAR test in the fifth and eighth grade, that student is automatically retained. Parents have the right to appeal this retention and that appeal is conducted through a Grade Placement Committee. Grade Placement Committees are made up of school administrators, teachers, and parents. The decision of the Grade Placement Committee must be unanimous or the …


Nuestra Realidad: Illumnating The Lived Experiences Of Middle-Class Hispanic Parents In Predominanty White Texas Public Schools, Olga Martinez Hickman Jan 2014

Nuestra Realidad: Illumnating The Lived Experiences Of Middle-Class Hispanic Parents In Predominanty White Texas Public Schools, Olga Martinez Hickman

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

As the student population across the nation becomes increasingly diverse, educators are constantly met with challenges that go beyond teaching. While the Latino population continues to grow, and the projection of the U.S. becoming a majority-minority nation is fulfilled, it is important to pay close attention to the educational inequities and challenges that continue to exist for students of color. Parents of color , which is defined in this study as Hispanic parents of Mexican origin, have been urged to actively participate in schools in an effort to increase student achievement. However, the literature seldom distinguishes between the experiences of …


The North Texas Aerospace Manufacturing And Aviation Industries: An Explanatory Case Study Of School-To-Work Collaborative Networks, Cynthia Ann Miller Jan 2014

The North Texas Aerospace Manufacturing And Aviation Industries: An Explanatory Case Study Of School-To-Work Collaborative Networks, Cynthia Ann Miller

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study is to explore how educators, business partners and facilitators developed ties or networks to initiate a school-to-work collaboration to prepare students for jobs and careers in the aerospace manufacturing and aviation industries. There is growing concern about preparing a future workforce supply in these industries in North Texas. Workforce projections call for 8000 additional jobs between 2010 and 2020 (North Central Texas Council of Governments, 2013). Collaboration is recognized as a valuable asset to connect disjointed segments within the K-16 trajectory. This study explores the contradiction between the stated need for collaborative strategies and the …


Exit Exam Requirements And High School Graduation: A Texas Perspective, Kelvin Stroy Sr. Jan 2014

Exit Exam Requirements And High School Graduation: A Texas Perspective, Kelvin Stroy Sr.

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The movement towards exit exams requirements prior to a student graduating from high school is one of the most prominent developments on the education policy landscape nationwide. Previous research on the impact of exit exams on students' graduation status has presented conflicting results. Some research finds that exit exams have no significant impact on a state's graduation rate, increase the likelihood of high school graduation and that teachers and students have risen to the challenge of higher accountability. But much of the existing literature found evidence that exit exams were associated with increased dropout rates, decreased completion rates, increase enrollment …


Perceived Educator Knowledge Of Response To Intervention (Rti), Lilly Moreno Jan 2014

Perceived Educator Knowledge Of Response To Intervention (Rti), Lilly Moreno

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study examined the perceived knowledge level of the Response to Intervention (RTI) practices among general education teachers, special education teachers, and principals in three school districts located in Northeast Texas. An on-line survey assessed the participants' perceived knowledge of the four major components needed to implement RTI. Additionally, this study allowed respondents to determine if there was a need for additional RTI staff development opportunities for effective RTI implementation. Furthermore, this study allowed respondents to determine if there was a need to incorporate at least one RTI course in higher education institutions. A total of 98 respondents participated in …


Predicting High School Student Success From Extracurricular Activity Participation: A Logistic Regression Analysis, Jennifer Mason Klaerner Jan 2014

Predicting High School Student Success From Extracurricular Activity Participation: A Logistic Regression Analysis, Jennifer Mason Klaerner

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

There is a large number of students who do not finish high school, and there is an even larger number of students who do not go on to college (Chapman, Laird, Ifill, Kewal Ramani, 2011). School officials are challenged with the task of implementing programs to help at risk students stay in school. Although there are many factors that are out of our control, school districts play a role in creating a supportive environment that promotes successful high school completion and college readiness. It is imperative that school officials make meaningful changes to current systems in order to better meet …