The dismal national statistics of academic achievement by Native American students in the Anglo-American educational system has long been a source of federal and academic concern. Studies and literature suggest that Native American culture and language highly influence academic achievement. This thesis investigates this influence by analyzing Hopi Indian experiences within the Anglo-American educational system to understand the larger processes of how federal Indian policy has impacted Indian people. Parents and teachers in Hopi Reservation schools were interviewed about their personal educational experiences and perceptions of present Hopi education. The interviews focused on the unique educational situation Hopi students are placed in as a result of their culture and language. The findings confirm the influential role of culture, yet it continues to be tragically undermined and overshadowed by how the bureaucratic processes of the educational system and institutions continue to operate in educating Hopi and other Indian children.

This is an analysis of the relationship between whole language, critical theory, and Milton Meltzer's documentary social histories, biographies, and one historical novel written for adolescent readers. Exemplified in my analysis are Meltzer's works on Christopher Columbus, the African-American experience, American history from the Colonial Era to the present, and the root causes of poverty, crime and social inequity. My premise is that Meltzer's works, as part of the oppositional tradition in children's literature, foster a counterhegemonic social analysis of history. The synergistic effect of Meltzer's works, critical theory, and whole language has the potential to create a new radical transformative educational paradigm. This paradigm will lead to the actualization of critical democracy in classrooms, schools, and society.

<p> This exploratory study examines the individual and family effects on intergenerational educational attainment mobility giving focus to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, a small, newly-independent nation in the Caribbean region. </p><p> This study used a quantitative approach to provide an educational attainment profile of The Bahamas and to examine the effects of individual and family factors on the transmission of education from parent to child. The principal data sources used were the last three census reports produced in The Bahamas and the Bahamas Living Conditions Survey (BLCS) 2001dataset. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were engaged. Transitional matrices, calculated using various soico-demographic variables, enabled the intergenerational mobility regarding education to be determined. Logistic regression, using a range of explanatory variables, allowed for the measurement of individual and family effects on three states of intergenerational educational attainment mobility (IEM). </p><p> Findings revealed that while the majority of Bahamians have an 'intermediate' level of education, over the last two decades the percentage of persons with only a 'basic' education declined while the percentage of those with an 'advanced' education increased. Additionally, the Prais-Shorrock Mobility Index suggests that, from an educational attainment point of view, children are fairly independent of their parents. However, some socio-demographic groupings, such as the younger birth cohorts, urban dwellers and those entering school after the establishment of the Ministry of Education in 1964 are more educationally mobile than others. </p><p> When measuring the effects of parental education, individual and family factors on the three states of IEM, the following conclusions were drawn. Regarding parents' education, the educational attainment of the father appears to be more of a predictor of IEM than the education of the mother. Nationality, as an individual explanatory variable, seems rather predictable. The other three individual factors, while having some predictive value, seem far less consistent as predictors of IEM. Finally, parental occupational status is the only family factor that has demonstrated any effect on IEM.</p>

<p> This study confirmed the prediction of Coleman and Hoffer (1987) that a school actively supported by one employer and nested within the parents' workplace could replicate the functional communities surrounding Catholic Schools that raised the academic outcomes of disadvantaged urban youth. Rather than a single `something new' suggested by Smrekar (1990), this small sample suggested that a whole spectrum of school communities had emerged around workplace neighborhood schools sponsored by commercial real estate developers in cooperation with providers from franchisor-operated and national chains of workplace neighborhood schools. It was found that rather than being created in school communities, social capital had become a commodity in the "education marketplace" that was donated, purchased, and bartered. Working parents indicated that schools with high levels of parental involvement made their personal involvement more manageable. Gatekeepers and school cultures that marginalized parents impaired the flow of high quality social capital into school communities. Longitudinal data surfaced that suggested charitable social capital that marginalized the families of disadvantaged urban children had a negative impact on the professional career trajectories of "scholarship kids" in their adult lives. Finally, it was also noted that interracial marriages appeared to promote interracial informal familial bonding among co-workers and within school communities. </p>

<p> To live in contemporary Korean society as a Highly Educated Woman has multiple meanings. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the HEKW's identity and explore their identity construction process from a holistic perspective. </p><p> Data were collected through in-depth interviews, which gave participants voice by allowing the opportunity to tell their stories. The study revealed that HEKW discover and confirm their identity by balancing and harmonizing actualization of their Personal Aspiration (PA) and fulfillment of Social Expectations (SE). </p><p> When society's needs harmonize with the "real me," HEKW experience well-being and security in their identity. Moreover, this dynamic identity construction process continues until reaching the "transformed-contribution stage," in which HEKW actualize their PA by contributing to society's well-being. Nevertheless, this is not the end. HEKW's identity continues to develop as they engage in their context of choice. </p><p> Based on the research findings this study's implications touched on: (a) Adult identity construction, (b) Koreans' global role, (c) Education and identity, (d) Character development education&mdash;from feminine virtues (care, relatedness) to universal virtues, (e) The need for community, (f) Life-long learning, and (g) Social participation. </p><p> Recommended topics for further research included: (a) the role of marital status in identity construction, (b) the effect of socio-cultural context on identity construction, and (c) the role of religion in gendered identity construction and confirmation.</p>

<p>The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore salient nonacademic factors related to social, economic, and cultural aspects together with traditional academic factors that influenced college retention. The study design employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory method design, collecting quantitative data for correlation and regression analyses with qualitative data for content analysis. The sample included students with various SES backgrounds who graduated from North Philadelphia secondary schools since 2009. A predictor equation explained 60% of the variance college retention using 13 predictors: household income, college preparatory curriculum, competency based instruction, academic self-confidence and commitment, academic skills, academic integration, social integration, parents&rsquo; educational attainment, parents&rsquo; occupation, high school GPA, undergraduate GPA, and SAT scores. The predictors were found to be independently associated with college retention and interrelated with low SES variables, which may reduce the chances of earning a college degree. The qualitative findings indicated lack of skills, levels of academic engagement, and time allocation as major themes. Future research should explore underlying psychological processes driving the college retention relationship, using a cohort research method. A recommendation for practice was to identify students with skill deficiencies at the ninth and tenth grade levels to provide remediation of requisite skills to ensure college readiness and retention. Despite limitations, this study offered reasons low SES variables may influence college retention. </p>

<p> No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, was the signature education legislation of the George W. Bush administration. NCLB was but the latest evolution of at least two previous reauthorizations of the ESEA. In 1988 continued receipt of Title I funds to schools was first linked to increased student achievement scores (LeTendre, 1991). The1994 ESEA reauthorization under Bill Clinton saw the federal government go further by tying Title I funds to standards-based curriculum reform (DeBray, 2005). What has made NCLB so different was the punitive approach it took toward Title I schools. The law guaranteed that parents would have the option of opting out of schools that were deemed failing under the law. Failing was defined as a school that had not reached its annual yearly progress goals or, AYP, for two consecutive years. </p><p> This study compared two sets of Title I middle school students: students who remained in their home school, and a matching group of students who chose to opt out of their Title I school and into another school that was not under federal sanctions. Results indicated that students who chose to opt out of their home school did show academic growth. However that growth was similar to their peers who remained in their home school with regard to reading. However, growth was significantly less than their peers with regard to mathematics; thus casting doubt as whether the federal mandate of using school choice as means of improving student achievement was having its intended effect. Implications for future research and practice will also be provided.</p>

<p> The College Union is a campus facility that is part of the campus ecology. It provides a place where all can feel a sense of inclusion, safety, involvement, and community. Through a comparative research approach I will present how both students and professional staff perceive the College Union, the programs that are part of the facility, and how it impacts the retention of students. This investigation draws upon psychology, behavioral sciences and the liberal arts disciplines as they relate to learning spaces, campus ecology, and the building of community through involvement. </p><p> This study is a two phased mixed method research design with the primary data collection conducted electronically using web-based survey tools for both professional staff (N=562) with a response of 113 individuals, and 50 student respondents (N=1,971). Follow-up interviews were conducted with two participants at schools that were randomly selected from the survey participants who completed a construction or renovation project in their College Union in the past five years (N=21). </p><p> There is a synergy that became evident between Boyer's 6 Principles of Community (1990), the ACUI Core Competencies (2005), and common themes that came out of my literature review, survey results, and the interviews conducted as a follow-up to the surveys. Through the application of a grounded theory approach, this study presents the Six Principles of College Union Efficacy that support retention on college campuses. Tierno's 6 Principles of College Union Efficacy The College Union: 1. Supports the academic mission of the institution 2. Enhances communication of community values 3. Is a diverse space on campus 4. Is a Community Center 5. Is a Welcoming Place 6. Celebrates Traditions (Tierno, 2013)</p>

<p>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 all models. African Americans and Asians have the highest level of occupational aspirations, while Native Americans have the lowest level of occupational aspirations without introducing interactions into the model. All three social capital variables are positively related to students' occupational aspirations, especially the effects for mentors/role models. Strong interaction effects between parental socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity variables have been found in the study as well. Results of interaction effects indicate that although Native Americans have the lowest levels of occupational aspirations at lower levels of parental SES, their levels of occupational aspiration increase radically with the increase of their parental SES levels. However, groups such as African Americans and Asians experience a decrease in their occupational aspirations with an increase of parental SES. The interactions between parental SES and social capital variables are weak. The interaction effects between race/ethnicity and social capital variables suggest that Asian students' occupational aspirations are benefited from their parents' expectations, while other races and other Latino students' occupational aspirations are promoted by studying with peers. </p>

<p> Most schools are not safe environments for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students or for individuals who are questioning their sexual orientation. Harassment and victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) students is pervasive. The harassment and victimization result in these students having higher rates of absenteeism and lower academic achievements than their peers. To date, most research has focused on primarily high school lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. Very few studies have included students questioning their sexual orientation. This quantitative descriptive study utilized an anonymous survey to gather information about middle school LGBQ students' experiences with harassment. The study included 208 middle school students. The results were compiled into three groups (lesbian/gay/bisexual, questioning, and straight) and compared. Findings indicated that LGBQ students experience significantly more harassment than straight students and questioning students are more likely to experience victimization than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight students. The findings support the need for middle school administrators and staff members to take steps to create more inclusive school climates for LGBQ students.</p>