There is a significant degree of controversy surrounding the transfer mission of community colleges. Specifically, many researchers have suggested that these institutions divert the educational attainments, and thus social mobility, of disadvantaged groups (Brint & Karabel, 1989; Dougherty, 1987, 1992, 1994; Karabel, 1972). Others suggest that community colleges provide disadvantaged individuals, who would have otherwise failed to consider a postsecondary education, with a viable path by which to attain a four-year degree (Cohen & Brawer, 1996; Hilmer, 1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). This study sought to determine whether the path to social mobility, via educational attainment, differed for bachelor's degree aspirants who commenced their postsecondary education at a community college, versus a four-year institution, in terms of enrollment outcomes three-years later (i.e., at a four-year institution, a selective or highly-selective four-year institution, and/or a privately-controlled four-year institution). Specifically, hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether the effect of initial enrollment location on the odds of year-four enrollment outcomes depended on student characteristics (i.e., race/ethnicity, generational status, family income, prior academic achievements, and/or psychosocial factors) among a large representative sample of students who started their postsecondary education at either a community college or a four-year institution in the fall semester of 2003. Results suggest that student characteristics do not detrimentally modify the effect of initial community college enrollment on students' odds of later enrollment outcomes. In addition, the results suggest that after accounting for the effects of initial enrollment location and other predictors, the effect of standardized test scores appears to significantly increase the odds of being enrolled at a selective or highly selective four-year institution for students who initially matriculated to a community college rather than a four-year institution. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for consumers of higher education, vocational psychologists, as well as postsecondary institutions and educational policy.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2006. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Feb. 14, 2007). Thesis advisor: John W. Haas . Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The general aim of this thesis was to extend knowledge of the interplay between self-regulation (SR) skills during childhood in relation to academic achievement and later adult educational and occupational attainment. Previous research has shown that cool SR (i.e., cognitive) is more closely linked to academic achievement than hot SR (i.e., motivational/emotional). However, studies investigating both cool and hot SR in relation to academic achievement have been restricted to young children. Therefore, Study I assessed cool and hot SR in relation to academic achievement over a longer time period. The results showed that cool SR at age 3 was related to achievement already at age 6. Hot SR at age 3 did not predict achievement until later on in elementary school. Study II investigated the contribution of interference control and attention skills at age 6 to concurrent and later academic achievement at age 10. As the learning material becomes increasingly more complex throughout elementary school and teachers may give less support, interference control was expected to have a delayed effect on academic achievement relative to attention skills. Results showed that attention skills were related to academic achievement at age 6, whereas interference control only predicted academic achievement at age 10. Study III investigated task persistence in young adolescence in relation to academic achievement later in school and educational and occupational attainment in midlife. Results showed that task persistence contributed to change in grades between ages 13 and 16. Further, task persistence predicted later educational and occupational attainment (men only). Importantly, individual differences in intelligence, motivation, social background, and later educational attainment did not account for these effects. The findings point to a fundamental role of self-regulation in childhood for successful academic achievement and later attainment in adulthood. / At the time of doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 2: Manuscript.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in the inadequate labor force sector of Taiwan before and after the coming Knowledge-Based Economic Time, which is considered as important to this study. The inadequate labor force sector mentioned above consists of inadequate working hours, low paid and mismatches between educational attainment and occupation. The raw data been used was from Manpower Surveys and Manpower Utilization Surveys Taiwan area, Republic of China by Census Bureau in both year 1991 and 2003. The study reveals the following findings. 1.In the inadequate working hours portion Workers who are male, age 35 to 44, married or cohabited, highest educational attainment is primary school or below, private-sector employed, working in north area of Taiwan and taking the roles as agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry & fishing and craft & related trades workers are significantly easier to fall into the inadequate working hours sector. 2. In the low paid portion Workers who are male, married or cohabited, highest educational attainment is primary school or below, own-account workers, workplace is located in middle area of Taiwan, agricultural, animal husbandry, forestry & fishing workers are significantly easier to fall into the low paid sector. 3. In the portion of mismatches between educational attainment and occupation Workers who are male, age 25 to 34, married or cohabited, highest educational attainment is senior high school & vocational school or above, private-sector employed and working in north area of Taiwan are significantly easier to fall into this sector. Especially, workers who take the roles as prod., machine operators and related workers, plant & machine operators & assemblers , and manufacturing share a large proportion. According to the conclusions above, this study provides typical suggestions for government polices toward utilization of labor force. The given comments will be helpful to the relative researchers in the further.

The transition to motherhood requires adjustments to new roles and growing demands on time and financial resources. Consequently, this transition can be a time of emotional upheaval and can often lead to increased levels of maternal stress. Research on parenting stress has identified social support as an important resource for coping with the demands of parenting, but, empirical studies also show that access to social support is likely to differ based on one’s socioeconomic status. Consequently, levels and effects of support may differ by maternal educational level. The primary purpose of the current study is to investigate the associations between four types of perceived support, maternal educational attainment and maternal parenting stress. The study sample is drawn from the first year follow-up wave of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being dataset (n=2412) and includes only mothers who were involved with the father of the child at the time of the child’s birth. Fragile Families is a nationally based, longitudinal birth cohort study of approximately 4,800 mothers and their children. Data were analyzed using multivariate regression modeling to investigate direct effects of perceived support and education on maternal stress as well as testing a moderating effect of education on the association between perceived support and maternal stress. The results showed that perceived support from one’s partner significantly lowers maternal stress regardless of the level or type of support (emotional, mothering or instrumental) that the partner provides. Expected support from kin or friends does not have an effect on maternal stress. The effect of perceived support differs by education level for two types of partner support: support of mothering practices and instrumental support. Increased symptoms of depression and fussy child temperament each increase maternal stress levels. Investigation of the direct effect of various types of perceived support on maternal stress indicate that partner support is critical during the first year of motherhood. Results reveal that not all types of perceived support affect maternal stress with the same magnitude. Thus, special attention should be given to the context within a mother is functioning. / text

This thesis examines the problem of low educational attainment rates of Portuguese- Canadian students in the areas of “Little Portugal” and West Toronto. Interviews were conducted with former students, teachers, administrators, and community leaders who have all experienced or are linked to the public education system in those areas of Toronto. The question, “why has there been a low educational attainment rate among Portuguese-Canadian students in Toronto?” was asked of the interviewees. The first three chapters provide background information regarding the struggles of the Portuguese in their homeland as well as Portuguese immigrants in Toronto in order to contextualize the information garnered through the interviews. The final two chapters present the thoughts of the interviewees, regarding the subject matter, which were collected during the study.

This thesis examines the problem of low educational attainment rates of Portuguese- Canadian students in the areas of “Little Portugal” and West Toronto. Interviews were conducted with former students, teachers, administrators, and community leaders who have all experienced or are linked to the public education system in those areas of Toronto. The question, “why has there been a low educational attainment rate among Portuguese-Canadian students in Toronto?” was asked of the interviewees. The first three chapters provide background information regarding the struggles of the Portuguese in their homeland as well as Portuguese immigrants in Toronto in order to contextualize the information garnered through the interviews. The final two chapters present the thoughts of the interviewees, regarding the subject matter, which were collected during the study.

Public higher education is a large enterprise in the United States. Total state expenditures for higher education totaled nearly $152 billion dollars in FY2008, accounting for over ten percent of total state expenditures and representing the single largest category of discretionary spending in most states (NASBO, 2009). The last three decades have witnessed the introduction of hundreds of pieces of legislation across states which make structural changes to state higher education governance systems (Marcus, 1997; McLendon, Deaton, and Hearn, 2007). Despite the ubiquity of state higher education governance change much remains unknown, both in terms of why states choose to enact reforms as well as the implications of state governance arrangements for institutional performance. This dissertation attempts to fill these critical gaps in knowledge. First, it surveys the historical development of state higher education governance structures and reviews the limited empirical literature regarding the antecedents and impacts of various state approaches to higher education management. Drawing on this literature, the first empirical chapter, utilizing hazard modeling, seeks to uncover the factors associated with state enactment of legislation decentralizing higher education governance. It finds that state fiscal characteristics emerge as strong predictors of decentralization. Specifically, states with greater tax efforts are much less likely to decentralize, while states experiencing real dollar declines in tax revenues are much more likely to decentralize, all else constant. The second empirical chapter explores the implications of state management of public higher education for institutional degree completion rates. Utilizing a unique, institutional-level dataset comprising 518 public, four-year institutions of higher education in the United States, it finds that, controlling for relevant institutional-level characteristics such as institutional selectivity, mission, and per-FTE student expenditures, inter-institutional competition emerges as a powerful predictor of student degree completion. Institutions operating in more competitive environments—defined as states with less concentrated undergraduate enrollments and states with weaker higher education governance structures—graduate students at higher rates than institutions operating in less competitive environments. The dissertation concludes by discussing the implications for these empirical findings for policy makers seeking to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public higher education.

This Study examined issues related to persistence in higher education among African American students, using the prominent model proposed by Vincent Tinto. The intentions were to examine the growing gender gap among African American students. The study examines factors from the Tinto model such as high school GPA, College GPA, college social integration and academic integration to try and explain the effects of gender among African American students. This research also attempts to elaborate the Tinto model by considering high school extracurricular activities as a pre-entry attribute that has an effect on persistence in higher education. Use of the Tinto model, even in an elaborated state, did not explain the effects of gender among African American students. This research suggests that other factors not included in the model have some effect on student persistence; one such factor could be gender socialization which can lead to different patterns in educational achievement.

Career opportunities for women were limited until the 1970s. Teaching is a profession women have long pursued. The purpose of the study was to determine if differences exist in Kentucky women teachers’ demographic characteristics and career choice outcomes by age cohort/era. The population consisted of women who lived in the state of Kentucky and the teacher sample consisted of 110 females, ranging in age from 25-74. Findings from this study were examined through the Social Cognitive Career Theory’s (SCCT) three constructs: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals. Five key influences were reviewed from literature: age, resources, educational attainment, teaching responsibilities, and motherhood. The educational level of all women in this sample consisted of respondents earning a bachelor’s degree or higher, with the majority having obtained a master’s degree. It was found that the teacher sample of the Kentucky Women’s Educational Attainment Study was highly influenced by their educational and occupational decisions. They were influenced by their personal values and family in their marriage and parenting decisions. Personal goals, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy were being met for these teachers by accomplishing their education and career goals while balancing their parenting choices.