Educational Sociology Commons^™

Using Aptitude Testing To Diversify Higher Education Intake – An Australian Case Study, Daniel Edwards, Hamish Coates, Tim Friedman

Dr Tim Friedman

Australian higher education is currently entering a new phase of growth. Within the remit of this expansion is an express commitment to widen participation in higher education among under-represented groups – in particular those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This paper argues that one key mechanism for achieving this goal should be the re-evaluation of university selection processes. The paper explores outcomes of an aptitude test pilot study, focusing on issues of access and equity in selection to university. The results show that, in general, those who gain access to university on the basis of results in the aptitude test have …

Rape Culture Ruined My Favorite 80s Movie, Stephanie K. Adamczak

SURGE

I will admit that I wish my best friend was Duckie, I want to attend just one Saturday detention with Emilio Estevez, and I listen to an unhealthy amount of music from the Smiths and the Psychedelic Furs. Yes, I am a child of the nineties, but I spent many high school nights watching John Hughes films and attempting to dye my hair the perfect shade of Molly Ringwald red. [excerpt]

Fearless: The Class Of 2013, Center For Public Service

SURGE

This week Surge wants to recognize all of the Gettysburg College graduates who will use what they learned and experienced over the past four years to fearlessly promote change, seek justice, and challenge inequality after leaving Gettysburg College. The following list contains the names of all of the members of the class of 2013 who have been recognized by other members of the campus community as leaders of change, and we are proud to claim these fearless and inspirational students as our own. [excerpt]

The Brutal Reality Of Bringing Kids Up To Level: Are Critical Thinking And Creativity Lost In The World Of Standardized Testing?, Jamie M. Carroll

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, the output of education has been measured through student achievement on standardized tests. School ratings, student graduation, teacher jobs and school charters are all tied to these tests. This study analyzes the extent to which math and science public high school teachers in New Orleans focus on critical thinking and creativity, skills needed to be successful in the future. Through a framework of Richard Paul’s model of critical thinking and Theresa Amabile’s social psychology of creativity, this study evaluates support for critical thinking and creativity through classroom observations, analysis of instructional materials …

An Open Letter To The Class Of 2013, Center For Public Service

SURGE

Upon graduation I will have received no honors. After four years of college, thirty-seven courses, ten labs, two sets of major requirements and several almost complete minors, I have won the ultimate consolation prize: a diploma. I know that not everyone has the privilege of going to college and I also know that those who start college do not always make it to the end, some not even through the first week. However, in the world of academia, students are pushed to strive for the best grades. Even at Gettysburg College where global awareness, critical thinking and an integration of …

An Equal Opportunity Rejection, Katherine M. Patterson

SURGE

Let’s talk about applications. We’ve all been there. You write your application, work on draft after draft and then you send it all off to the college or job of your dreams. And you wait…and wait…and wait. You wait for some sort of letter or phone call that says something along the lines of, “We love you! You’re awesome, and smart and special, and we think you’d be a great asset!” And maybe you’re lucky and you do get that letter, but let’s be real - that doesn’t always happen. It can be frustrating to receive a rejection letter (or …

Academic Success Of African American Males In The Blount County, Tennessee: Perceptions Of The Community, Keri Charnelle Prigmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate factors that contribute to the academic success of African American males in the Blount County Area. More specifically, the study was focused on the perception of the participants concerning noncognitive, demographic, and institutional variables associated with the academic success of African-American males. The participants for this study were attendees of four local churches: Mount Pleasant A.M.E. Zion, Rest Haven Missionary Baptist Church, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church. Each of the four churches is located in Blount County, Tennessee. Participants were male and female adults of …

Mentor Principals’ Perceptions About A Mentoring Program For Aspiring Principals, Steven Nicholas Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of principals who serve as mentors for an internship program for aspiring principals at East Tennessee State University. Each mentor was interviewed to gather information about the internship program, the benefits of mentoring in the program, and what the mentors may have learned about their tacit knowledge as a result of the experience. Mentors and the professors in the Educational Leadership Policy Analysis department at ETSU may benefit from the findings as the design of the school leadership program continues to advance.

Mentoring is an important component of training for …

Who Do You Think You Are?, Elizabeth A. Rupert

SURGE

Now, I understand that labels are a natural part of our society. We’ve even posted recently about our editor’s tendency to label other people based off of their clothes or attitudes.

But which labels do we get to choose for ourselves? Ideally, I’d like to say that I can label myself any way that I want to. Don’t you think that in a society like ours we should be at liberty to choose our own identity? [excerpt]

Fearless: Diversity Peer Educators, Center For Public Service

SURGE

The Diversity Peer Educators was started in the Fall of 2012 with the vision of starting conversations about and advocating for diversity issues and inclusion on this campus. Right off the bat, twelve students (of all different class years) were trained in how to facilitate those conversations and lead activities that make those conversations a little easier. Now, there are seventeen DPEs fearlessly making change at Gettysburg College. [excerpt]

A Mixed Methods Case Study: Understanding The Experience Of Nebraska 4-H Participants Relative To Their Transition And Adaptation To College, Jill Walahoski

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This mixed methods case study was designed to assess the preparedness of former Nebraska 4-H participants to successfully transition and adjust to college. The study also sought to understand the way that students’ experiences in Nebraska 4-H may have influenced their readiness to transition to college. The initial quantitative stage of this case study administered the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire to former 4-H participants who were recent high school graduates. Latter qualitative stages included interviews with staff regarding the practices and strategies they employed related to preparing young people for college and interviews with former 4-H participants selected from …

Who We Are: Incarcerated Students And The New Prison Literature, 1995-2010, Reilly Hannah N. Lorastein

Honors Projects

This project focuses on American prison writings from the late 1990s to the 2000s. Much has been written about American prison intellectuals such as Malcolm X, George Jackson, Eldridge Cleaver, and Angela Davis, who wrote as active participants in black and brown freedom movements in the United States. However the new prison literature that has emerged over the past two decades through higher education programs within prisons has received little to no attention. This study provides a more nuanced view of the steadily growing silent population in the United States through close readings of Openline, an inter-disciplinary journal featuring …

Race And Ethnic Differences In Parent Time Spent On Children's Education, Zurishaddai A. Garcia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Academic success including high school completion is greatly important for today’s youth. Greater opportunities, such as college and work acceptance, are available to youth who graduate high school. For this reason, the differences that exist in high school completion rate across race and ethnicity as a nation are a major concern.

Research shows an association between parents being involved in their children’s education and students’ improved academic achievement. Parents can play a role in their children’s education and setting aside time to do so is a good place to start.

The present study used the American Time Use Survey to …

Is Higher Education The Key To Unlock The Door Of Fortune? A Study Of Students' Occupational Aspirations, Daiyue Sun

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study focuses on the relationship between students' social backgrounds and their occupational aspirations (in terms of becoming an authority, financial success and recognition in the workplace). By applying the status attainment theory and segmented assimilation theory, this study examines the significance of parental socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and social capital in predicting college freshmen's occupational aspirations using multivariate analysis. Interaction effects between the main predictors as well as control variables such as immigrant status, gender, school performance, motivations and skills are tested in the analysis. Results suggest that socioeconomic status is not statistical significance in predicting individuals' occupational aspirations in …

Cooking Up A Course: Food Education At Pomona College, Christina A. Cyr

Pomona Senior Theses

Cooking skills are important but declining, with significant health, social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental implications. Food and cooking education can begin to address some of the negative effects of the cooking skills decline. This thesis makes the case for cooking classes in the education system, especially in higher education. The paper begins with a history of cooking education and skills, outlines the implications of the decline in skills, and discusses the potential for cooking education in higher education. The second part consists of a course syllabus, designed for Pomona College. The third section includes a discussion of the implementation …

Resources And Relationships: Food Insecurity And Social Capital Among Middle School Students, Don Edward Willis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between food insecurity and Social capital among 5th-7th graders attending an intermediate school in Northwest Arkansas where nearly 70 percent of students participate in the free or reduced lunch program. The central research questions are: Does Social capital have a direct impact on children's food insecurity? And, does Social capital mediate the influence of negative circumstances on children's food insecurity? This study finds that Social capital does have a significant association with food insecurity, even when controlling for multiple demographic and circumstantial factors. However, there appears to be no mediation of circumstance by Social capital. …

African American Teachers And State Licensing Examinations In Metropolitan Atlanta: A Case Study, Michael Leroy Taylor

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act legislation has had a profound effect on teacher rolls, especially African-American teachers. More than any other racial or ethnic group, African-American teachers disproportionately fail state teacher licensure examinations. This results in removing them from the classroom, while simultaneously preventing new teachers from entering it. The problem shows no signs of relenting under the current mandates, so as the diversity of the nation's study body continues to increase, the diversity of the teaching staff continues to shrink. This combined, multi-case study addressed the unexplained reduction in the numbers of African-American teachers due to …

November Uri Community Diversity Project 2010, Joseph A. Santiago Mr, Riley Davis Ms, Richard V. Travisano Mr

Richard Travisano

November is National Novel Writing Month. For the first time at the University of Rhode Island November was a month for the URI community to share their stories, poems, art, and photos with the world. The Writing to Model Diversity project intends to connect individuals across cultural boundaries and borders by sharing the stories and experiences that challenge our everyday experiences and the dreams of the future. Built on the efforts of the World Voice series, URI presents a book that shares the stories and culture of the students, faculty, staff, and community members who embrace the idea of becoming …

Classified: The North Face Files, Riccardo M. Purita

SURGE

“You’re going to need to buy nicer clothes,” my dad told me during our first visit to Gettysburg College. I laughed, thinking it was a typical “dad” thing to say and something I would promptly ignore, but after four years I now see that maybe he wasn’t joking.

Let me be honest. I had never considered just how expensive the clothing name brands could be until this year. I do not own an iPhone, an iPad, or an iPod. In fact, you’re more likely to see me on campus with my #VaginaProblems t-shirt and a pair of jeans …

Accommodating Students Of Poverty In Middle Schools, Yansy Galdamez, Chakeithia Brown, Alyssa Phillips

Undergraduate Research Conference

Poverty is an epidemic that is affecting millions of students in the United States. This literature review reports on issues pertaining to middle level students and how these students are affected by poverty. We examined 10 resources, including education books and empirical articles in academic journals, to report on findings and make recommendations for middle level educators about how to improve a child’s chances of rising above poverty.