<p> The purpose of this study was to examine various services offered to former and current foster youth and the effect on their educational attainment. Secondary Data from the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) was used to look at these services. Chi-Square analysis was used to examine significant relationship between educational attainment and the variables collected. This study examined the following services: academic support; post-secondary education support; educational financial assistance; room and board financial assistance; other financial assistance; career preparation; employment programs or vocational training; independent living needs assessment; budget and financial management; housing and education and home management; supervised independent living; and mentoring. The study found all variables to be statistically significant when compared to educational attainment.</p>

<p> Research regarding homeschooled students and their transition to college has been focused on two distinct areas: their academic performance and success integrating into a university community. The purpose of this study was to analyze the transition experiences of students who were homeschooled prior to attendance at a residential university campus compared to students who were conventionally educated and attending the same university. My research uses a sociological framework and a qualitative comparative research design to focus on the ability of students from different educational backgrounds to garner social capital, network with peers, manage "rite of passage" experiences (such as dating and exposure to substance use) and nurture friendships. I interviewed 50 students: 25 students who had been homeschooled prior to college entrance and 25 conventionally educated students who attended the same university. Interview data were supplemented by focus group data from 13 homeschooled students. Using social capital, socialization, college student adjustment as theoretical frameworks, my findings challenge assumptions that homeschooled students' lack of formal school-related social exposure prior to attending college typically leads to adjustment problems in the university environment. There were some differences in assimilation experiences and the strategies used in the transition when comparing homeschooled versus conventionally educated students. However, the homeschooled students who transitioned to the university environment were socially engaged with others, both in the residential community and in co-curricular activities, on par with their conventionally educated peers. My findings suggest that, despite receiving their earlier education outside of formal settings that characterize conventional education, many homeschooled students have the skill development, social exposure and capacity to transition successfully to a residential university setting. Homeschooled students' ability to develop social capital, nurture social networks and assimilate into a collective community challenges the position of homeschooling opponents, who assume negative impacts due to insular relationships, lack of routine experience with age peers and limited access to conventional social opportunities. These empirical findings have implications for sociological research, homeschooling families, and critics and proponents of home-based education. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> homeschool, transition, social capital development, socialization, college student adjustment, student engagement.</p>

<p> This project examined the college-going culture at David Starr Jordan High School, an urban high school in North Long Beach, California. Drawing from two conceptual frameworks, Joyce Epstein's six elements of school-family-community partnerships and Patricia McDonough's nine elements of a college:.going culture, a new conceptual framework was developed: school-family-community partnership collegegoing culture. This new conceptual framework emphasizes the three C's: (a) communication, (b) college-information, and (c) collaboration, bridging schoolfamily- community partnerships and college-going culture. </p><p> To increase the college-going rate at David Starr Jordan High School, two community events were implemented at the school utilizing this new conceptual framework-providing a link between theory and practice. As a result, the project helped build school-family-community alliance, disseminated college information to students and families to debunk myths about college-related options, and promoted David Starr Jordan High School as a safe and caring high school. </p>

<p> Over the past several decades, there has been a great deal of discussion on the creation and maintenance of affirmative action programs for under-represented students in higher education. There is ample literature of the development of these programs, the role of state and federal agencies, and the ultimate resulting diversification of American institutions of higher education. This exploratory study seeks to improve our understanding of how access to higher education is perceived and experienced by African American students attending college in the 21^st century. </p><p> The exploratory study is a case study with a phenomenological perspective involving students entering college, K-12 and higher education administrators, and experts in the field of higher education. The researcher utilized individual interviews, group interviews, reflections, and a review of archival data and relevant theories. The study demonstrates how African American students (a) perceive and experience higher education, (b) develop a sense of agency and identity that impacts how they believe themselves to be perceived by their community, and (c) utilize that sense of agency and identity to influence college selection, as well as (d) how their academic and social transition to college is influenced by education officials and community. </p><p> Students in this study had a challenging transition to higher education. They had attended a predominantly African American high school that was highly focused on supporting student access to college. However, the students were not prepared to experience a diverse campus for the first time without the individualized attention they had received in their high school. </p><p> This study demonstrates that access and persistence within higher education is highly influenced by the support students received within their academic, social, and familial communities. It also indicates the significant financial pressure of affording higher education, a stressor throughout the college experience of these students.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-05, Section: A, page: 1746. Adviser: Rob Toutkoushian. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed Jan. 12, 2008)."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Syracuse University, 2007. / "Publication number AAT 3266327."

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems Technology, 2007.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Sociology, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 14, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: A, page: 4635. Adviser: Maurice Garnier.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1988. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1758.