This study sought to identify characteristics found within technical, cultural and political dimensions of the YES College Prep middle school model that typify the college-going culture of the organization. This qualitative study utilized grounded theory and ethnographic approaches in a three-phase research plan seeking to answer the question: How can the college-going culture of the YES Prep Middle School System be described, and what characteristics of the school model can be useful for building college-going cultures in mainstream schools? Teachers and administrators were the primary units of study, and data was collected in the form of documents, interviews and ethnographic field notes. Data from phases two and three built upon theories developed in phase one. Using Kirst, Venezia and Antonio’s typology of college-going cultures, YES College Prep schools fell under the category of schools with strong college-going cultures. Five dominant themes emerged as all three phases of research were synthesized: (a) student achievement, (b) quality teaching, (c) exposure and opportunities to learn, (d) college-going discourses, and (e) unified mission. Characteristics holding potential relevance for mainstream schools were the unified mission, academic rigor, the extended day and year, the Comprehensive Counseling Model, the Teacher Excellence Program and the people-oriented business model. This study adds to the body of research demarcating middle school as a critical point in the educational continuum. The YES College Prep model provides usefulness for researchers interested in such areas as organizational culture, educational pipeline models, and middle school reform models. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December, 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 143 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-94).

Thesis (Ed. D.)-- Boise State University, 2009. / Title from t.p. of PDF file (viewed June 22, 2010). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-84).

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-146).

Thesis (MEd (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / This study focuses on the cognitive preparation of National Curriculum Statement (NCS) (Grades 10 – 12) Accounting learners for studies at a University of Technology (UoT). The purpose was to determine to what extent NCS cognitively prepares Accounting learners for studies at a UoT, and whether there is a difference in the extent to which NCS (pre-2014) and CAPS (2014) cognitively prepare learners for the first-year National Higher Certificate in Accounting and Financial Information Systems at a selected University of Technology (UoT). This study is contextually situated within the curriculum theories developed by Basil Bernstein‘s ‘code theory’ in the sociology of education. The theoretical framework for this thesis draws on the work of David Conley’s redefining college readiness, in which he argues that Higher Education (HE) readiness is a multi-faceted concept comprising numerous variables. Cognitive preparation for HE Accounting studies is reviewed in terms of the educational objectives of the cognitive domain of Benjamin Bloom. A mixed method approach for the research design was employed. The quantitative approach entailed completion and analysis of questionnaires by first-year Accounting students at a selected UoT to ascertain learners’ levels of Accounting competence as envisioned by the NCS (Grades 10 – 12). Marks for the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination in Accounting were obtained so that these examination marks could be compared with students’ levels of Accounting competence and marks at the end of the first term (March). The qualitative approach entailed document analyses of the Accounting FET (Grades 10 – 12) curriculum, the curriculum of the National Higher Certificate, the NSC Accounting examination of 2014, and the National Higher Certificate in Accounting March 2015 assessment, as well as interviews with the Accounting 1 lecturers at a selected UoT. Data revealed that the NCS (Grades 10 – 12) Accounting curriculum (formal or intended curriculum) adequately prepares learners cognitively for studies at a UoT. There is little evidence that CAPS prepares learners better for tertiary studies than students not trained according to CAPS. There is a statistically significant relationship between the mark obtained in the NSC, the mark in the questionnaire and the formal assessment in March. There are, however, various other factors that contribute to academic success or failure and drop-out in HE. Findings from this study suggest that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and universities could work more closely together in various subject groups to ensure these challenges are met and that universities provide feedback to the DBE on whether the changes implemented are making a difference to the quality of first-year students who enter university.

Researchers have suggested that the number of adults holding advanced academic degrees across the population in the United States is falling behind those within the developed nations. Student retention is critical to U.S. colleges and universities’ retention. Retention of in-residence military high school graduates after they enter college is the research problem upon which this study was focused. Understanding the distinct perspective of in-residence military high school graduates can contribute to the improvement of persistence and retention programs for traditional college students; however, a search of the literature revealed an incomplete and unbalanced body of empirical research about this unique population. The purpose of the present study was to describe and evaluate the transition and retention experiences of high school alumni who graduated from an in-residence military school and subsequently attended a 4-year university as an undergraduate student. A qualitative method was implemented with a case study design to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and lived experiences of alumni of in-residence military schools who are freshmen through senior undergraduates attending a sample of diverse 4-year universities across the United States. Participants were alumni from in-residence military high schools and were currently enrolled in traditional 4-year university settings. Elements that enhanced or hindered the retention of military school graduates as they progress or fail in the university setting was explored as well as the role their previous high school experience had regarding their successes or challenges. A semi-structured interview protocol with open-ended questions was implemented to collect data through face-to-face interviews in person where possible or through media such as Skype. Interviews were audio recorded and results were transcribed. Qualitative data requires interpretation and organization into categories to enable construction of a picture by using open coding where themes, patterns, concepts, or similar features can be identified. Therefore, data was separated into categories to search for themes and patterns. Inductive reasoning facilitated the development of conclusions and generalizations.

This applied dissertation was designed to identify the characteristics of students enrolled in a GED® preparation program who transitioned to postsecondary programs at the same institution after passing the GED® test. The characteristics studied included age; gender; ethnicity; prematriculation scores in reading, language, and math in the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE); and hours spent preparing for the GED® test in an open-entry, open-exit remedial laboratory environment. Through the use of binary logistic regressions to answer the research questions, a prediction model was constructed. The variables that are able to predict an increased likelihood of transition to postsecondary programs were being between the ages of 16 and 24 at the time of enrollment in the GED® program and having an ethnicity category of Asian, White/Caucasian, Hispanic, or Black/African American as opposed to the category of No Report. The variables that significantly predicted a lessened likelihood of transition to postsecondary programs were a grade equivalent of less than 8.9 in the prematriculation TABE reading, language, and math scores. Spending less than 16 hours preparing for the GED® test was also found to lessen the likelihood of transition. The findings of this study are important to adult education practitioners, tutors, teachers, and administrators who are responsible for GED® programs. Through application of the prediction model in a similar environment, supportive and interventional mechanisms can be created to increase the number of GED® earners who transition to credit, college preparation, and vocational programs.

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