<p> While there is an abundant amount of research relative to coaching and mentoring programs, there is little understanding about the interaction between coaches/mentors and students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate student perceptions of their academic coaching and mentoring experiences at two Southern California community colleges. Alexander Astin's input-environment-output (I-E-O) model and theory of involvement was used alongside an interpretive model to help explain students' understanding of their experiences with coaches and mentors. One-on-one interviews and a focus group were conducted and provided data that led to the emergence of themes related to role models, empowerment, and motivation. In addition, the one-on-one interviews and the focus group also illustrated students' strong desires to pursue advance and professional degrees. In addition the findings highlighted the importance of race and ethnicity in the establishment of rapport and the need to validate individuals as college students with the abilities to peruse advance degrees in higher education. Lastly, the research identified role modeling, cultural connectedness, opportunities for mentoring, and the various institutional agents who may occupy the status of a mentor or coach as important factors in the mentoring and coaching experiences. </p>

<p> Commuter students, or students who do not live in institutionally owned or operated housing, have consistently struggled to persist to graduation. Since commuter students make up the collegiate majority, identifying ways to support this student population's academic success is imperative. Because of the positive association between social integration and student persistence, this study examined the relationship between student involvement in extracurricular activities and sense of belonging among commuter students at 4-year institutions set in urban areas. Student involvement and sense of belonging were measured using scales from the fourth edition of the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). A random sample of 712 was drawn from the 2012 administration of the CSEQ. Structural equation modeling, including latent means and multiple group analyses, was used to answer the study's research questions. The findings suggest that commuter student involvement mirrors Astin's theory of student involvement; sense of belonging is heavily influenced by meaningful relationships with faculty and administrators; there is a positive relationship between student involvement and sense of belonging; parental education, race, transfer status, and employment patterns are background characteristics that account for student subgroup differences; and employment patterns impact student involvement, sense of belonging, and the relationship between these variables. These findings can inform institutional practice and direct future research efforts in order to further support the commuter student population.</p>

<p> In this study, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of a social narrative on teaching appropriate social skills to three students with autism. Currently, guidelines for Social Story&trade;, as established by Carol Gray, have become very popular despite minimal scientific evidence to support their efficacy (Bellini, Peters, Benner, &amp; Hopf, 2007; Sansosti, Powell-Smith, &amp; Kincaid, 2004; Reynhout &amp; Carter, 2006). This study deliberately deviates from Gray's guidelines in an attempt to evaluate the contribution of the narrative to social literacy in students with autism.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between bullying others, perceived school connectedness, academic achievement, and selected demographics among female high school athletes. A purposive sample of all in-season (Fall 2012) female athletes enrolled in three schools located in an urban school district in Northeast Ohio was recruited to participate in this study. Subjects completed a 54-item instrument designed to assess their self-reported involvement in bullying others. Further, subjects were asked to provide responses about the construct of school connectedness. Data were obtained using a one-time anonymous paper/pencil instrument. Data were analyzed using the one-way and two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) techniques and Correlation analysis. </p><p> Findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between bullying others and race, and bullying others and current achievement. Also, the data revealed a statistically significant correlation between bullying others and perceived school connectedness. The results from this study support the current body of literature dedicated to this relationship between bullying others and perceived school connectedness. Interestingly, much less is known about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables used in this study as it occurs among female high school athletes. More research with athletes is recommended to better elucidate the effects of sports participation on these variables.</p>

<p> This case study focuses on the way a neighborhood association connects schools to broad change in an urban neighborhood of a large Midwestern city. The first section provides a review of the literature on community involvement in school and neighborhood reform. It reviews the historical origins of the current school-community relationship, the reasons behind the movement to increase community involvement, the diversity of understandings about the nature of community participation, the processes used to improve the capacity of both the school and the community to act as effective partners, and the different programs organizations use to participate in the school improvement process. The second section is a qualitative case study on the programs and processes the neighborhood association uses to revitalize one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Believing strongly in the need to think holistically about neighborhood improvement, the neighborhood association engages a diversity of stakeholders in creating a comprehensive plan to address social and physical conditions. The plan encompasses the areas of academic achievement, housing, healthy eating, commercial development, crime, health and wellness, jobs, and family and youth. Local schools are active participants in creating the holistic plan for broad revitalization. The neighborhood association considers schools an on-going partner in carrying out initiatives tied to academic achievement. Building a higher level school-community relationship challenges historical traditions of school resistance to meaningful involvement with community groups working to improve schools. The study focuses on the way the neighborhood association works to connect two public schools to the academic achievement piece of the comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plan. This study finds high levels of school participation in the process of plan creation, but patterns of school behavior and current demands on time continue to be obstacles to on-going participation in neighborhood association-led change. The study also finds that neighborhood association-led initiatives in areas outside the four walls of the school have improved surrounding conditions, but these improvements have not yet significantly impacted the performance of neighborhood public schools.</p>

<p> This qualitative case study utilized Swail's Integrated Model of Student Success to discover how the structures, practices, and discourses at an urban charter high school affected the college aspirations and decisions of students of color from low-income households who matriculated to four-year institutions immediately after high school. This discovery took place by exploring the influence of educational and familial resources and support on students' college choice process and how students experienced and used these resources and support to successfully navigate the transition to college. Data for this study included pre- and post-matriculation interviews with eight low-income students of color who graduated from an urban charter high school after four years of attendance and immediately enrolled in a four-year institution. Data also included interview transcripts from students' parents, six of their teachers, and their counselor and principal. </p><p> Findings from this study revealed that, for the most part, educational and familial resources and support were complementary and facilitated students' progression through the college choice continuum. The school's college-going culture reinforced students' predispositions toward postsecondary education. High quality instruction in rigorous college-preparatory classes and caring, supportive relationships with teachers and other school personnel helped students remain on track for four-year admissions. Students who were on track for four-year admissions were provided more extensive college planning resources that facilitated their college searches and choices. Parents encouraged their children to pursue postsecondary education at four-year institutions because of the financial benefits. The majority of parents were not high school graduates, but all were willing to provide whatever financial and emotional support they could to ensure that their children fulfilled their educational goals. These findings suggest the need for a national policy mandating a college preparatory curriculum for all students and for schools to provide college planning resources that complement those provided in the home so all students have an equal opportunity to reap the benefits of a four-year postsecondary education.</p>

In recent years Japanese has become an increasingly popular language choice among students in senior high school in Sweden, but very little research has been conducted as to why this trend has emerged. This study aims to investigate the variables affecting senior high school students’ choice to study Japanese and to proceed with it in institutions of higher education, as well as to delineate any gender-specific and socioeconomic discrepancies amongst them based on Bourdieu’s sociology of education. In addition, it strives to shed light on the students’ attitudes toward Japan and the Japanese culture. The empirical data of the study consists of a survey collection of 112 respondents from 4 senior high schools in Stockholm, Uppsala and Västerås. The results indicate that interest in Japanese popular culture, mainly anime and manga, is the main incentive for learning Japanese and that this interest is commenced many years prior to the instruction. The prospect of traveling, studying and working in Japan, as well as to engage further in their interest in the Japanese culture, appears to be what motivates further and higher education in Japanese. The attitudes toward Japan and the Japanese culture are generally positive and the negative opinions expressed mainly derive from cultural difference. The students in the study are predominantly female who carry a strong cultural capital that stems from a middle class family and household of higher education. Hopefully, this study will contribute to the research field of Japanese language learning and inspire others to broaden the discipline.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the transition to higher education for undocumented immigrant students as part of the social investment in human capital. Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students in the United States graduate from public schools and only a low percentage pursue higher education. The study conducted in Massachusetts presents evidence of social transformation as participants were also affiliated with SIM (Student Immigrant Movement), to advocate for higher education opportunities for undocumented students, and change social perceptions of undocumented population. The participants&rsquo; experiences are analyzed using social theories of transmission and transformation along with human capital theory. Data were analyzed using NVivo9 software and multiple readings of the interview transcripts, with guiding research question, how did the immigration status play a role in the pursuit of access to higher education? The analysis in this study is focused on the investment in human capital through education, considering that the individual and social return ought to be greater. The data gathered from the experiences of 20 formerly undocumented students of Latin American descent in this qualitative case study showed that possibilities of changing immigrant status, like the proposed DREAM Act, influenced the motivation to continue education beyond high school. The major themes among the participants&rsquo; descriptions of their educational experiences as students were related to (a) immigrant status, (b) motivation to continue their postsecondary education, (c) support they received to continue with their education, (d) social return on their educational investment, and (e) their plans for the future. Recommendations for leaders and policy makers are presented, and suggestions for further research are indicated.</p>

<p> Parent involvement has been shown to have positive effects on student achievement and engagement, yet the lack of necessary social and/or cultural capital prevents some parents from being involved. Applying a conceptual framework based on Bourdieu's concepts of social and cultural capital, this study examines the social and cultural capital that one parent advisory group possessed and the influence their involvement had on student engagement at an upper middle class high school. This qualitative study used a semi-structured interview protocol and narrative inquiry approach. Using NVivo software, 15 participants' interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes in the areas of social and cultural capital. Twelve themes emerged. Social capital themes included: Group memberships that provided a sense of empowerment and responsibility, social networks that highlighted the importance of the community and knowing the right people, and relationships that were purposeful, caring, supportive, and trusting. Cultural capital themes included: having privileged status, knowing how the system works, setting priorities for action and change, and having high expectations and values. Despite the fact that these parents had an extensive network of social and cultural capital, the findings from this study suggests caring relationships that instill a value in education, and that high expectations might be the most important form of capital parents need to be effectively involved. Implications and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.</p>

<p> This qualitative research study brings to light the need for a Critical Race Theory approach to early childhood education. Ten early childhood educators were interviewed and asked about how they teach about race and racism with their students. Four major findings are identified and described within the study, Devaluing Children's Ability; Ethnic Identity and Cultural Belonging; Critical Race Turning Points; and Challenges of Teaching About Race and Racism. Critical Race Turning Points is new, innovative conceptual tool and model that describes motivations of educators that work towards positive, social justice oriented change in their teaching. Conclusions recommended in this study include: the need to for a professional organization for early childhood educators working for racial and social justice, a mandate for more consistent education levels for early childhood educators, and inclusion of topics of race, racism, and social difference in early childhood education curriculum.</p>