As exposure to college becomes increasingly integral to individual growth and societal economic vitality, the delay of postsecondary enrollment may be undertaken at a cost to both the individual and society. In addition, this delay represents a rupture in an ideally seamless P-16 educational continuum. Using a combined model of college choice adjusted to account for immediate versus delayed enrollment as well as persistence and graduation, this study addressed whether a student’s postsecondary enrollment delay may contribute to his or her persistence or inability to persist once enrolled in college. To this end, a unique dataset was constructed to reflect student profiles from high school through college and was used to analyze the college-going behaviors of the 2004 cohort of Texas public high school graduates, as well as their participation in the workforce. Descriptive statistics were assembled to characterize immediate enrollers in contrast to delayed enrollers, especially in regard to demographic characteristics and academic preparation. The role of delay in college persistence was measured through the undertaking of eight logistic regression models that accounted for the role of demographic characteristics, academic preparation, and higher education institutional choice, along with the delay factor, on persistence. Findings revealed that students considered at-risk and who are from minority groups are likely to delay enrollment. As well, students who are less academically prepared are overrepresented among delayers. The results of the logistic regression models reveal, moreover, that whatever disadvantage these particular groups experienced in regard to enrolling in postsecondary education, it may have been exacerbated by their delayed enrollment: delayers, in all models, were less likely to persist in college once they enrolled. For the policymaker, educator, or P-16 administrator, this study underscores the need to ensure that students’ academic careers receive early and frequent intervention, in case they decide they wish to enroll in college after graduation. Groups that lack certain types of social capital that facilitate access to postsecondary education ought to be provided appropriate counseling. Above all, the study highlights that access to college is simply not enough if college completion is as important as college enrollment. / text

abstract: Both theoretical and empirical research has recognized the importance of contextual factors for Mexican-origin youths' educational outcomes. The roles of parents, teachers, and peers have been predictive of Mexican-origin youths' academic achievement, educational expectations, and decision to enroll in postsecondary education. However, few studies have examined the interdependence among sociocultural context characteristics in predicting Mexican-origin youths' educational outcomes. In this dissertation, two studies address this limitation by using a person-centered analytical approach. The first study identified profiles of Mexican-origin youth using culturally relevant family characteristics. The second study identified profiles of Mexican-origin youth using culturally relevant school characteristics. The links between profiles and youths' academic achievement, educational expectations, and postsecondary enrollment were examined in both studies. Overall, this dissertation contributes to the growing body of literature that aims to understand risk and protective processes related to Mexican-origin youths' academic achievement, educational expectations, and postsecondary enrollment. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Family and Human Development 2017

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Participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and success on associated exams has become the standard bearer for post-secondary admission. While AP began as a mechanism to support the academic needs of the most advanced students, today it is offered to a diverse range of students. Increasing AP participation and improving AP performance for traditionally underrepresented populations to include Blacks, Hispanics, students with disabilities, and those from lower socioeconomic families has been an ambition of American school districts for the past several decades. This study used AP participation and performance data to investigate the progress one school district has made regarding Black and Hispanic students for the eight school years between 2011-19. Progress was measured by increases in percentages of Black and Hispanic students enrolled in AP courses who sat for an associated AP exam and the percentage of each cohort who earned scores of three or higher on those exams. Significance was determined using Pearson's chi-square and one-way ANOVA tests. Study results show that, among other findings, there was no significant relationship in AP participation for either Black or Hispanic students and that both Black and Hispanic students demonstrated significant improvement in AP performance between school years. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to identify what change, if any, has occurred in Black and Hispanic AP participation and performance on AP, ACT, SAT, and state mandated reading and writing exams. A quantitative review of Black and Hispanic AP student participation and performance data was conducted to identify areas of significant growth. Participants were identified as Black and Hispanic AP students who sat for an associated exam. Performance data collected and reviewed included Black and Hispanic AP, ACT, SAT, and state mandated reading and writing exam results. Data were collected over an eight-year period and the sample includes all high schools in the school district. The data collected and analyzed for this study identified six findings and six implications. The study was limited by the small sample size of students who fit the profile of having taken and AP course and sitting for an associated exam. Of the nearly thirty-one thousand students considered, less than ten percent were eligible for the study. Considerations for further study includes expanding eligibility to all Black and Hispanic participants regardless of their participation in associated AP exams.

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.

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