Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership, and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

This study examined differences in retention, graduation, and dropout between students in grades 9-12 in special education and regular education in the state of Texas for school years 1992-93 through 1995-96. The purpose was to gather information regarding the possible adverse effects of increased academic standards and mandatory testing on students with disabilities. The results indicate that when compared to students in regular education, students with disabilities are significantly more likely to be retained and are not experiencing the same decline in dropout rates as regular students. There is no indication that students with disabilities have been adversely affected by school reform but the size of the school district may play a significant role in whether or not students with disabilities dropout of school.

Since the days of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, the argument has flourished relative to the value of vocational education for Black youth. This study, using data from the "High School and Beyond 1980 Sophomore Cohort Third Follow-Up (1986)" survey, investigated three basic areas, namely: (a) the demographic, personological, and educational profile of Black youth enrolled in vocational education, and the manner in which this profile varied in relation to their vocational concentration patterns, (b) the profile of these youth in terms of their employment outcomes, educational expectations, and civic and political participation > practices after completion of their secondary schooling, according to their concentration patterns, and (c) the changes over time among these youth within their vocational concentration patterns, with regard to aptitude, educational and vocational expectations, and employment status. Major findings of this study have been presented for the students by concentration patterns. Some of the major overall findings were: Students with greater concentration in vocational education course work tended to come from urban areas, the southern region of the United States, and the lowest socioeconomic status quartile. Both educational and occupational expectations were unrealistic in terms of Standardized test performance and grades. A large percentage waS not in the labor force and a very small percentage was participating in civic or political activities. Findings for outcome and change over time variables were presented for the three vocational participation patterns, Concentrators, Limited Concentrators, and Samplers. / Ed. D.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

No description available.

Low socio-economic status (SES) students are less likely to gain access to the gatekeeper mathematics courses necessary for high school graduation and entrance to college. This study examined the effects of a constructivist-based fraction intervention on mathematics achievement, self-efficacy beliefs, and Algebra One enrollment of mathematically at risk low SES sixth grade students. Students' fifth grade mathematics CST and sixth grade fraction benchmark scores served as covariates in each analysis. Achievement was measured by the students' scores on their seventh grade fraction benchmark and mathematics California Standards Test (CST). A Fraction Self-Efficacy Survey measured students' beliefs. The sixth grade fraction intervention was a one week, 35 hour program. The experiment included 45 students who attended the intervention and 43 matched students who served as the comparison group. Teacher effects were controlled. The scores of students in the treatment group were significantly higher on both their seventh grade fraction benchmark (p < 0.001) and mathematics CST (p < 0.001). Students in the treatment group scored higher in overall self-efficacy beliefs than students in the comparison group and, although there was a trend towards significance (p = 0.065), the difference was not statistically significant. Additionally, logistic regression was used to determine that students' self-efficacy beliefs partially mediated the relationship between participation in the fraction intervention and their enrollment in Algebra One. Students who attended the intervention were three times as likely to enroll in Algebra One as their matched peers.

<p>The primary objective of this research was to identify and<br />analyse the challenges faced by ethnic minority students<br />while studying and building an academic career in the higher<br />education system of Serbia. The secondary objective was to<br />analyse the unconscious and conscious gender biases towards<br />ethnic minority women, when building their academic careers<br />and in reaching decision-making position in academia. The<br />tertiary objective of was to raise awareness about the<br />increased demand for human resources in the technical fields<br />and that therefore more women should be steered towards the<br />studying engineering.<br />The research was conducted based on 2192 filled in<br />questionnaires and 45 semi-structured interviews. The<br />research results showed that language, intersecting with<br />gender, ethnicity and class result in a new inequality concept.<br />It was shown that women are under-represented in technical<br />fields, which has its roots in gender stereotypes. Finally, it<br />was shown that women are less motivated to reach higher<br />positions in the Serbian higher education system than men.<br />The author proposes a set of policy recommendations for<br />solving/mitigating the identified challenges, e.g. deconstruction<br />of gender stereotypes via improved teaching<br />aids in elementary and high schools, optimised Serbian<br />language teaching to eliminate the language difficulty faced<br />at the start of their higher education; as well as the founding<br />of an ethnic minority research centre, which would research<br />the challenges faced by ethnic minority communities.</p> / <p>Primarni cilj istraživanja je identifikacija i i analiza prepreka<br />u sistemu visokog obrazovanja tokom studiranja i izgradnje<br />karijere u akademskoj zajednici žena iz nacionalnih zajednica<br />sa posebnim osvrtom na žene iz mađarske nacionalne<br />zajednice. Sekundarni cilj je analiza nesvesne i svesne rodne<br />pristrasnosti prema ženama etničkih manjina u toku izgradnje<br />akademske karijere i pri dosezanju visokih pozicija unutar<br />akademije. Tercijarni cilj istraživanja je podizanje svesti o<br />tome, kako je potražnja za ljudskim resursima na trži&scaron;tu rada<br />u oblasti tehničkih nauka značajna i da je stoga potrebno<br />usmeriti veći broj žena ka tim oblastima. Istraživanje je<br />sprovedeno pomoću 2192 popunjena upitnika i 45 polustrukturirana<br />intervjua. Istraživanjem je utvrđeno da jezik,<br />koji je u intersekciji sa rodom, nacionalno&scaron;ću i klasom,<br />rezultira novim konceptom nejednakosti. Takođe je dokazano<br />da su žene nedovoljno zastupljene u tehničkim oblastima, &scaron;to<br />je najvećim delom moguće pripisati rodnim stereotipima.<br />Konačno, utvrđeno je da su žene manje motivisane da<br />dosegnu visoke pozicije od mu&scaron;karaca u sistemu visokog<br />&scaron;kolstva. Autorka predlaže skup mera za re&scaron;avanje i/ili<br />ublažavanje identifikovanih izazova, npr. dekonstrukcija<br />rodnih stereotipa pomoću unapređenih nastavnih materijala u<br />osnovnim i srednjim &scaron;kolama, prilađen program učenja<br />srpskog jezika za učenike iz etničkih manjina sa ciljem<br />izbegavanja jezičke barijere na početku studija; odnosno<br />osnivanje centra za istraživanje statusa i izazova zajednica<br />etničkih manjina.</p>

This research is an investigation into the factors that influence the decisions of grade 12 learners from Grahamstown East disadvantaged communities to pursue higher education. Research on learner aspirations has largely focused on access to higher education and little or no attention has been has been paid to the enabling or limiting factors and what can be done to increase the numbers of learners from disadvantaged communities who enrol at higher education institutions. This study aims to fill that gap. The research was a qualitative case study located in the interpretive paradigm. The data was gathered using questionnaires and focus group interviews for grade 12 learners. Individual interviews were conducted with the parents of the grade 12 research participants, educators and the school management team. Observation and documentary evidence from school documents were also used for data collection. The data were analysed using systematic patterning, were interpreted, and given meaning linking it to the literature surveyed. The main findings indicate that a number of enabling factors that influence grade 12 learners to pursue higher education co-exist with limiting factors. Recommendations arising from the main findings are presented and the limitations of the research are identified. Areas for possible further research in strengthening learner support so as to increase the numbers of learners who qualify for higher education and to enable the learners from disadvantaged communities to realise their aspirations, are suggested.

This investigation was a post-hoc, quantitative analysis of secondary academic performance and participation choices of Hispanic students. Three years of longitudinal student-level data was collected to examine the likelihood of college enrollment based on college and career readiness (CCR) factors. At the time of the study, CCR was defined as qualifying exam scores, credit for at least two advanced/dual enrollment courses, or enrollment in a career and technology education (CTE) coherent sequence of courses. Research participants (N = 803) consisted solely of Hispanic high school graduates from the 2014 cohort. Frequency statistics indicate 45.5% (n = 365) attended an institute of higher education (IHE) within 2 years of high school graduation. Findings reveal Hispanic females were more likely than Hispanic males to meet CCR indicators as well as postsecondary resiliency outcomes. Analysis of chi-square tests of independence suggests a moderately strong association exists between CCR indicators and postsecondary participation among high school graduates. Differences were found in terms of gender and postsecondary enrollment, x^2(6) = 24.538, p < .001. Differences were also found in terms of type of IHE and postsecondary resiliency, x^2(3) = 34.373, p < .001. More Hispanic CCR graduates enrolled at 2-year and 4-year IHE than expected by chance. While non-CCR graduates enrolled in IHE, they were less likely to meet postsecondary resiliency outcomes. CCR graduates who initially enrolled at 2-year IHE were also less likely to persist. Furthermore, the greatest contribution to differences in resiliency existed for Hispanic CCR graduates who enroll at 4-year IHE.