This dissertation consists of three quantitative studies analyzing educational policies and programs that help to improve college readiness, college success, as well as the transition from college to the labor market. The first chapter studies the impact of raising the bar for high school math on college readiness and success. The chapter examines the causal effects of recent state-level reforms increasing the high school graduation math requirement on high school graduation and college outcomes. Using nationally-representative survey data, the study exploits variation in the reform timing across states in a staggered difference-in-difference framework. Findings indicate that raising the high school graduation requirement in math coursework is a potentially effective policy tool to prepare students better for college, but highlight racial disparities in the effectiveness of the math reforms. The second chapter discusses experiential learning through work-based courses at 2-year and 4-year colleges. Experiential learning is a critical component for a smooth transition from higher education to the workforce. In this chapter, I apply an innovative text mining technique to identify and analyze work-based courses from transcript data. The study examines patterns and post-degree labor market outcomes of taking work-based courses at college, and has important implications for colleges and policymakers to better support students on gaining from the courses. The third chapter estimates heterogeneity in labor market returns to Master’s degrees. Using an individual fixed effects model with rich administrative data, the study provides up-to-date causal evidence on labor market returns to Master’s degrees, and examines heterogeneity in the returns by field area, student characteristics, and the macroeconomic condition in which students graduate and enter the labor market. Findings show that obtaining a Master’s degree increases quarterly earnings, but the return varies widely by field of study. And economic downturns appear to reduce but not eliminate the positive return to a Master’s degree.

Since its beginning well over a quarter of a century ago, the Vocational Agriculture program has become an integral part of the American school system. The legislative groundwork for Vocational Agriculture, as well as all other vocational programs, was set in 1917 with the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act. Further related legislation was passed in 1929 and 1934, but the program received its greatest federal boost with the passing of the George-Deen Act in 1936 and the George-Barden Act in 1946, both of which provided for the annual expenditure of federal funds in support of vocational education. The George-Barden Law, although it includes appropriations from the former bill, provides a total of approximately $29,000,000 for the support of vocational education. This is the maximum. allowance, however, am all of it will not be expended unless an actual need exists. With the $7,200,000 appropriated under the original Smith-Hughes Law, the total authorization available now reaches approximately $36,050,000 with agriculture being allocated $13,000,000 of this amount. This includes only the federal provisions. In agriculture alone the total expenditures from federal, state, and local sources increased from $21,293,343 in 1946 to $47,490,397 in 1953. (3, p. 10)

As a group, youth who have spent time in foster care are far behind the general population in postsecondary educational attainment. Nevertheless, most do hold aspirations for higher education. For those who make it to college, foster care alumni face a variety of obstacles related to successful postsecondary completion. However, it is unclear whether the factors that affect postsecondary success in this population are similar to those identified for other college students or more unique to the distinctive experience of being in foster care. Furthermore, while there is general consensus that higher education is beneficial to foster care alumni in overcoming adversity, no study has examined how foster care alumni who graduate from college actually fare in their adult lives compared with the general population of college graduates, or with those in the general population who did not graduate college. The study aims first to identify the predictors of postsecondary retention and success using survey data from a cross-sectional sample of foster care alumni who received Casey Family Scholarship Program or Orphan Foundation of America Foster Care to Success postsecondary scholarships. Second, the study compares adult outcomes of foster care alumni graduates with general population graduates and general population non-graduates to explore the role higher education plays in these youths' lives. Results are interpreted in relation to Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, theories of educational persistence and motivation, trauma theory, and theories related to other difficulties of being in foster care. Analyses include bivariate examinations of postsecondary factors and their relation to college disengagement; discrete-time survival analysis of general college retention factors and factors more unique to the foster care population in predicting college graduation; and multivariate comparisons (ANOVA's, ANCOVA's, and chi-squares) of foster youth graduates and non-foster youth graduates and non-graduates in relation to their post-college life circumstances. In bivariate comparisons of general population factors related to retention, five of the nine factors (academic-related skills, institutional commitment, social support, social involvement, and institutional financial support) had at least one indicator with a significant or trend-level relationship with college disengagement. In bivariate comparisons of foster care-specific factors related to retention, four out of the seven factors (maltreatment/ trauma/PTSD, other mental health problems, independent living stability, tangible support) had at least one item with a significant or trend-level relationship with college disengagement. Comparing the two separate factor models, the general population factor group modeled the data slightly better in predicting college graduation than the foster care-specific factor model. No model improvement was found when foster care-specific factors were added into the general population factor model. Both general population and foster care alumni graduates fared more positively than general population non-graduates for three post-college factors: individual income, financial satisfaction, and happiness. Only the general population graduates were found to be faring better than general population non-graduates on a variety of other factors. Foster youth graduates fared less positively than general population graduates on a variety of post-college outcomes. Results have implications for policy and practice regarding the most effective means of supporting postsecondary aspirations of youth with foster care experience.

A report on a research study presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirements For the degree Master of Arts in Social Development March, 2019 / The increasing number of unemployed graduates is of great concern worldwide. In countries, such as Zimbabwe, the economic crisis is so persistent that many Zimbabwean students migrate to South Africa to complete degrees in the hope of securing employment soon after completing their degrees. However, they too are currently facing challenges related to unemployment. In order to explore this phenomenon, the research design was explorative in nature. A phenomenological study was thus conducted to explore the experiences of unemployed Zimbabwean graduates. The theoretical framework underpinning the study were the social exclusion theory and capability theory. The sampling method utilized in the study was non-probability, purposive sampling. The sample of participants in this study consisted of twelve unemployed Zimbabwean graduates. The research instrument used was an interview guide. Individual interviews were conducted with participants to gather data. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings indicated that unemployed Zimbabwean graduates face many challenges in the South African context which disempower them from reaching the goal of obtaining job-satisfying employment. Based on conclusions reached, recommendations are made related to addressing the problem-situation constructively. In relation to social development, the study contributes to the current debates on migration and unemployment, especially addressing issues including policy recommendations on the intervention strategies to be provided to address issues of unemployment amongst graduates. / MT 2020

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Purpose:                            To explore how firms attract and develop newly graduated business students and review the different marketing strategies that firms use to promote different career paths to newly graduated business students. Additionally, the paper aims to examine the soft skills that hiring firms consider important and explore the perceptions of recent business graduates regarding soft skills and employability. Method:                             The research takes on a deductive approach to explore the two research questions and uses qualitative primary data in the form of interviews as the main data collection method. Other complementary methods included looking at job descriptions to identify the most desirable soft skills and also the use of secondary data sources. The sampling methods included convenience, purposive and snowball sampling. The method of analysis was implemented using thematic analysis by colour coding based on the different themes presented in the theoretical framework.  Conclusion:                       The firms attract talent by refining their job descriptions (e.g., using neutral language), campus recruitment, attending career fairs, employing those with similar values, etc. They also offer a variety of career development opportunities, and each person’s career path depends more on their interest and drive. Regarding the soft skills important for employment, achievement orientation and communication skills were among those mainly emphasised by both firms and graduates.

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Every new nursing graduate is challenged to successfully transition from student to professional nurse. The stress involved in that transition can manifest itself as performance anxiety, a type of anxiety occurring when someone is the focus of attention and is fearful of interactions or of being humiliated or embarrassed. It occurs only in specific situations. The new graduate's performance is the focus of attention and evaluation. Further, the need to interact with other professionals, patients, and families can create anxiety about performance. No studies have examined performance anxiety in graduate nurses. Use of cognitive behavioral therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and reflective journaling has demonstrated reduction of performance anxiety in musicians and actors. There have been no studies evaluating these interventions in new graduate nurses or in combination to reduce performance anxiety in any population. Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations suggests that relationships play a significant role in mediating anxiety. Because most graduate nurses work with a registered nurse preceptor, it is likely that relationships with preceptors and the level of perceived support from those preceptors could influence the success of transition as well as new graduates' anxiety. Using a quasi-experimental, mixed method design, the sample was drawn from 2 classes of new graduates participating in a 6-month nurse residency program. Participants self-administered instruments measuring performance anxiety, preceptor relationships, and perceptions of preceptor social support, and were asked to journal weekly. Open-ended questions indicated their feelings about the intervention and its usefulness. This study verified the presence and level of performance anxiety in the sample. Results revealed a decrease in performance anxiety in both treatment and control groups but no significant influence of preceptor relationship or perceived preceptor support. Analysis of qualitative data revealed that the majority of participants were not engaged in the intervention and did not value it. Performance anxiety did not appear to negatively impact new graduate transition. No additional insight was gained about the preceptor and newgraduate relationship because the majority of participants' interactions remained at the initial level identified in Peplau's theory.