<p> This study examines college entry experiences (enrollment, orientation, assessment, and support services) and their contribution to the persistence of nontraditional students enrolled in community colleges. By reviewing the current retention research and models on academic integration, social integration, involvement, engagement and the construct of resilience, college entry experiences were identified and correlated to the work of Tinto, Astin, Kuh, and other researchers. Based on the findings of each of the four college entry experiences, this study provides insights and offers recommendations to community college presidents, deans, community college leaders, professors, student advisors, and enrollment specialists to establish innovative and highly effective intrusive advising support structures, nontraditional retention framework considerations, and cohort learning models to increase student engagement, reach optimal student persistence term to term, and produce cutting-edge degree completion rates. </p>

<p> This phenomenological study examines the impact of educator sexual misconduct on the secondary school community as seen through the lens of the principal. This study offers a greater understanding for school leaders who may face this challenging situation and provide insight into the impact educator sexual misconduct has on the school community. Through the open-ended interview protocol, participants reflected on their experiences of the events surrounding the accusation, investigation, loss of certification, and possible conviction and sentencing of a teacher on their staff who engaged in a sexual relationship with a student.</p>

<p> Parent involvement in children&rsquo;s education has long been accepted, as a positively linked variable in their children&rsquo;s educational achievement, and it has been part of general education law in the United States since 1965. Parent Involvement research in public, private, home and charter school often focuses on student outcomes as the primary effect of parental involvement, but little research exists on the effect the decision to transfer schools has on the family&rsquo;s social network or the effect of student mobility has on student outcomes (Fiel, Haskins, &amp; Turley, 2013). Using the lens of Epstein&rsquo;s Overlapping Spheres of Influence, this study sought to understand how parents see themselves in the role of education decision maker, the experiences that prompt them to transfer schools, and how their families relate to their communities during decision-making. Theories from Social Sciences disciplines were applied to provide depth to Epstein&rsquo;s Spheres: Hoover-Dempsey&rsquo;s Parent Role Construction, Blau&rsquo;s Exchange Theory, and Simon&rsquo;s Economic Theory of Bounded Rationality. Findings from this study suggest teachers, school administrators, and parents approach the education of children from priorities rooted in micro, macro, and meta ideals. Parents of middle and high school students find their need to release (launch is the term used in post-secondary education literature) their children to post high school life is often in conflict with secondary school policies that prioritize student self-advocacy over parental needs to provide, guide and rescue their children, when their children fail to negotiate on an adult level with school professionals. The study provides school leaders additional insight in to the dissonance where policies and practices may disconnect which may lead parents to pursue education channels outside of public education. The study findings also imply how school leaders and parents may find a way to work together with greater understanding or student needs, with attention to creating the best possible environments that support student learning.</p><p>

<p> The Davis Teachers Association has asserted that the Davis Joint Unified School District&rsquo;s (DJUSD&rsquo;s) beginning salary steps are lower than the starting salary steps of districts that the district competes against for the same pool of qualified teachers, and that, as a result, the DJUSD is unable to recruit high-quality teachers. Complicating this matter, the 2007&ndash;2012 recession significantly decreased the number of college graduates entering the teaching profession in California; the resulting teacher shortage makes the recruitment and retention of teachers very competitive among school districts. Viewing this issue within the context of starting salary and career earnings magnifies the need for districts to be creative in the way they advertise their salary schedules. </p><p> To assist school districts with the creative presentation of their salary schedules, this study develops the cumulative salary index (CSI). Simply defined, CSIs calculate total salary earnings for a specific block of time. Within that context, the aim of this study is to understand how beginning and ending salary differences between DJUSD and 12 other Sacramento-region school districts influence long-term earnings for teachers. From that standpoint, I ask two research questions. First, how do specific steps on the Davis teacher salary schedule compare to similar salary steps of 12 other Sacramento-region school districts that compete for the same beginning and veteran teachers, before and after integrating health benefits? Second, do districts that offer higher first and final salary steps have greater CSIs than those that offer lower first and final salary steps? I also examine the influence(s) that school site and district environmental conditions may have on teacher recruitment and retention. </p><p> I use a straightforward methodology to answer the research questions. To address the first research question, I compare specific salary steps for each of the 13 study districts, before and after the integration of health benefits. To answer the second research question, I develop educational pathway scenarios and five-year block scenarios to measure and compare the 13 districts&rsquo; various CSIs. The findings show that DJUSD&rsquo;s overall salary ranks pretty low across a variety of cells and CSIs in comparison to the other study districts. The findings also reveal that the integration of health benefits into the teacher salary schedule either positively or negatively influences how a district&rsquo;s salary ranks. Additionally, CSI comparisons between the 13 study districts reveal that just because a district has the lowest starting salary does not mean that its teachers will have the lowest career earnings. Finally, findings from this study provide additional evidence to the body of literature demonstrating that teachers are willing to compromise wages in exchange for favorable environmental conditions at school. </p><p> Based upon the observations made from this study, I recommend that school districts implement policies and practices that improve environmental conditions for teachers. As a way to provide a more comprehensive view of teacher salary, I also recommend that school districts create, promote, and utilize various CSIs when recruiting teachers.</p><p>

<p> As a local education agency, school districts play an important role in providing instructional support for teachers and school leaders, making instructional goals, and allocating financial and human capital resources in a rational way to promote overall students&rsquo; learning outcomes. Studies on school districts that look to find reasons or characteristics related to school district success are known as <i>district effectiveness research </i> (DER). Previous quantitative research in DER using longitudinal dataset has assumed that all school district effectiveness (SDE) changes in a common pattern through a traditional ordinary linear regression or a hierarchal linear model while ignoring the probability that there might exist distinct subgroups of school district effectiveness trajectories. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the existence of different SDE trajectories and how school district demographic variables and financial expenditures affect classification of SDE groups using a growth mixture model (GMM) with a national longitudinal dataset containing all public school districts in all 50 states and Washington D.C. from 2009 to 2015 (<i>n</i> = 11,185). The results indicated that (a) there are three different classes of school district effectiveness growth trajectories, which can be named as a constant SDE group (3.66%), a decreasing SDE group (34.16%), and an increasing SDE group (62.18%); (b) school district demographic characteristics such as a percentage of free lunch students and general administration expenditure per pupil are significantly associated with the probability of a school district being classified to a specific group; and (c) the longitudinal effects of school district demographic covariates and financial expenditures within each class such as school district locations (e.g., urban, suburban, etc.) are associated with the growth factors (intercept and slopes) in different ways. </p><p>

<p> Although Kreyol is the language spoken and understood by the majority of Haitians, French is the language used as the medium for instruction. The use of a foreign language as a means for students to acquire literacy is a practice that has led to an ineffective educational system in Haiti. The aim of the quasi-experimental research study is to study the effects of using Kreyol versus French as the instructional method in math and science classes. Participants were selected from a target population of 246 girls enrolled at Institution X, a private school in the Ouest Department. Students from this institution are part of the 29% of people who attend secondary schools in Haiti. The 139 students that were part of the sample were randomly divided into two groups per class (standard and Kreyol condition) and were given a pre-test followed by a lesson then a post-test. Students in the standard group were taught in French and those in experimental group in Kreyol. Data gathered from the intervention were analyzed and results indicated that pre-test scores of French condition and Kreyol condition groups were normally distributed. When ANCOVA was used as one of the data analysis tools, because it French conditions for pre-test values and allows for observation of post-test scores, results yielded confirmed a significant difference between the French condition and Kreyol condition groups. The results from this quasi-experimental study provided data that aligned with the literature review and demonstrated that there was in fact a significant difference in performance when Kreyol was used as a medium for instruction instead of French. The results further provide statistical data confirming the important role that Kreyol should play in the improvement of the Haitian education system.</p><p>

<p> In America, children from urban communities come to kindergarten lacking the basic skills in literacy to be successful learners in life (Jumpstart, 2009). Students are unprepared and parents are becoming less knowledgeable of the requirements for early education and diminished confidence in their ability to prepare and assist their children is occurring. Therefore, there is a need to understand the underlying drivers of parents&rsquo; low self-efficacy and what can be done to support them. The purpose of this case study was to develop an understanding of a means to support parents of early education students enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles, thereby improving parent&rsquo;s self- efficacy to increase parent involvement in their child&rsquo;s education. This study investigated the following research questions: (1) In what ways, if any, might parent self-efficacy be improved to enable parents to effectively assist their child in meeting the requirements for early education? (2) In what ways, if any, might parent involvement be encouraged to help them better assist their child with their education? A qualitative phenomenological single-case study design was used to explore the underlying drivers of parental self-efficacy and the best ways to support parents of early education students enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles. The population consisted of parents of children grades Tk-3rd grade enrolled in an urban learning center in the south bay area of Los Angeles. Data were collected through in-person semi structured interviews. This study found that that underlying drivers of parent&rsquo;s low self-efficacy are lack of time, knowledge, and resources. Parents would benefit from resources to support homework, resources to supplement their child&rsquo;s curriculum, and accommodations for working parents from schools. </p><p>

<p> Success through education for women was vastly limited before the passage of Title IX, which guarantees equal access to programs in higher education. Eliminating sexual discrimination through this legislation had the potential to open new worlds for America&rsquo;s women as opportunities blossomed at the collegiate level which led to a host of new career paths. Women successfully entered higher education and are represented in every field. </p><p> Unfortunately, the prevalence of sexual assault incidents in colleges proved to be a detriment to accessibility, and Title IX served as a tool to help create a safe learning environment for all students. The novelty of creating policies and procedures in this new arena led to many problems for colleges and universities as they sought to comply with Title IX mandates. As a result, the Office of Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague Letter in 2011 to explain sexual assault and provide resources to bridge the complex divide between old and new notions of discrimination. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Dear Colleague Letter of 2011 on the implementation of Title IX at community and technical colleges in Louisiana. Policy analysis was used to determine if the policy and procedures recommended were established at all twelve of the institutions. Title IX Coordinators were interviewed to provide a more in-depth picture of the implementation process and what challenges the institutions may have encountered. The findings indicate that Title IX Coordinators were knowledgeable about the Dear Colleague Letter of 2011, but the policies did not reflect this understanding. The implications resulting from this study can be used to inform and assist higher education leaders in maintaining compliance with Title IX.</p><p>

<p> To improve community college student success outcomes, accountability has shifted from the student to the institution. Institutions now must identify potential barriers to student success and take action to improve completion outcomes. One plausible way to begin an investigation of the factors that lead to student success is to examine the extent to which placement into developmental education impacts completion. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the extent to which students placed into developmental English or Math, succeeded in their developmental coursework within one year, progressed in college-level coursework within two years, and graduated within three years. </p><p> This study examined the records of 1478 students at a large multi-campus community college located in the Northeast. Frequencies were employed to ascertain whether students placed in developmental-level courses were successful in those courses within one year. Phi coefficient tests examined the relationship between success in developmental English or Math in one year, success in the college-level English or Math courses within two years, and success in developmental education and degree completion within three years. A supplemental analysis, utilizing binary logistic regressions, was conducted to determine whether success in developmental English or Math predicted of graduation within three years. </p><p> The results indicate that students in the program under review graduated at higher rates than the national average. Transfer data improved both institutional performance and student success outcomes by 8 percent. Success in developmental education within one year was an important indicator of success in a college-level (gatekeeper) course within two years and progress towards degree completion within three years. Students who were successful in developmental education were more likely to graduate than those who were not successful in developmental education. Finally, the binary logistic regression results showed that success in developmental English and Math were significant predictors of student graduation within three years.</p><p>

<p> This quantitative study sought to investigate the differences in the electoral outcomes of school bond elections in Missouri from 2009-2016 based on election timing. The researcher utilized election timing theory as a framework for the study. Data from Missouri school bond elections was compiled from online databases, the Missouri State Auditor&rsquo;s office, and archived newspaper reports. Results suggest that differences exist in electoral outcomes for school bond issues based on election timing. The study concludes with recommendations for Missouri school administrators, designed to aid in the successful passage of school bond issues.</p><p>