This qualitative multiple-case study explored the supports and barriers experienced by nine first-generation Hispanic male high school students who met the college entrance requirements for the University of California and California State University systems. Research indicates that Hispanic males lag behind other underrepresented populations when it comes to college readiness, application, and enrollment rates. Given that parent education level is a strong predictor of degree attainment and that Hispanics have some of the lowest parent education levels, it is essential to examine how first-generation college-bound Hispanic males experience supports that help mitigate the barriers they face when pursuing college enrollment. Particularly in California, where the Hispanic population continues to rise exponentially, it is important for educational practitioners to develop a better understanding of how to support first-generation Hispanic students. This study aims to contribute to the research on improving college access for underrepresented populations using resiliency theory as the lens through which to examine this issue. Rather than look through a deficit-oriented lens, resiliency theory focuses on the protective factors or supports that help mitigate risk factors or barriers. Using data collected through interviews and document analysis, the findings here showed the significant role of supports such as academic capital and college knowledge, a systematic focus on college readiness, college readiness and bridge programs, and a strong counseling program for these students. In addition, it was evident that the students’ familial connections to college had a significant impact on the level of academic capital of each of them, reinforcing the need to look beyond the label of “first-generation”.

One of the most problematic issues facing community colleges is developmental education. In the last decade, more research has been conducted examining developmental education. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of developmental math in a rural community college setting. Is developmental math an effective intervention? This study consisted of first time college students who took the COMPASS placement exam and scored 18-48. Students who scored 18-33 were placed in Math 098 (N=241) and received the developmental intervention. Math 098 is a semester-long course designed to prepare students for college-level math coursework, and it served as the intervention. Students who scored 34-48 were placed in Math 100 (N=469) and did not receive the developmental intervention. Because this represents a bandwidth close to a cut-score, these 2 groups are viewed as equivalent (Trochim, 2008). The initial intent of the study was to implement a regression-discontinuity design, but this failed to meet two necessary conditions. The researcher then executed an ANOVA, a series of chi-square goodnes-ofit procedures, and 2 binary logistic regressions in order to determine if any significant differences and/or relationship existed between treatment and control groups. Data were collected for this retrospective, quantitative research study from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at the selected site. The selected site represents a medium-sized, rural community college located in the South. The findings in this study illustrate that those students who received the develomental intervention reported a statistically significant higher cummulative college GPAs than those who did not. The findings also illustrated that a statistically significant difference existed in regards to grades. Therefore, there was a statistically significant difference in grade distribution between both groups. When withdrawals and grades were evaluated together, no statistically significant distribution was observed. Two binary logisitic regressions were also conducted. No relationships were statistically significant between groups regarding Math 100 pass/fail rates or Math 100 completion rates. The researcher concluded that the findings suggest that Math 098 is an effective treatment for student achievement. The researcher recommended execution of more studies that replicate this model and examine rural populations.

Developmental education students make up almost half of the community college population in the United States (Bettinger & Long, 2005). Approximately 42% of first-time freshmen at community colleges must enroll in at least one developmental education course in English, reading and/or math (NCES, 2010). Many developmental education students are unsuccessful in passing a developmental education course in their first and second attempts and retake the course sometimes five times before passing. There is substantial research on persistence among college students, but the research fails to link persistence to developmental education repeaters. My study sought to explore community college developmental education repeaters’ experiences with and stories about repetition in a reading course. My study was framed around developmental education and its students, course repeaters, and persistence. I used qualitative research methods with a narrative research design. Two methods of data collection included multiple one-on-one interviews and document collection. Four participants were selected from one community college in the New Orleans area, two who repeated and completed developmental reading upon their third attempt and two who were in the process of completing developmental reading a third time. Data analysis revealed six themes. The information gleaned from the inquiry may inform community college faculty practice with regard to not only reducing and preventing course repetition but also increasing persistence and retention of developmental education students.

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 used the inquiry science implementation scale survey and an ACT college readiness standards workbook to determine proportional associations between datasets. Descriptive statistics, one-sample t tests, and binomial tests were used to analyze Phase 1 data. Phase 2 interviews augmented Phase 1 data and were disassembled, reassembled, and interpreted for parallel viewpoints. Phase 1 data indicated that teachers use a slightly above average amount of inquiry and science ACT standards in the classroom; however, most science students did not test above the curriculum and there were inconsistencies in standards covered. Phase 2 data revealed teachers need time to collaborate and become skilled in inquiry methods to rectify the inconsistencies. The project was an evaluation report. This study will foster positive social change by giving the district a plan: adapt the science curriculum by integrating more ACT and inquiry standards and participate in more professional development that applies inquiry as a tool to increase science skill proficiency, thus generating locally competitive students for college and the workforce.

Concern about college and career readiness has been expressed in both the business and education arenas. Employers are calling for entry-level employees with basic academic skills and educators are being held accountable for student achievement in academic areas similar to those required by employers. In this environment, WorkKeys has emerged as a set of assessments that could respond to the needs of both employers and educators and serve as an indicator to test takers of their readiness for further education or a career. In Alaska, state policymakers selected WorkKeys for use with high school juniors in an effort to measure both college and career readiness, and statewide testing was implemented in the fall of 2010. While past studies involving WorkKeys have focused on assessment results related to workforce development, academic indicators, or demographic variables, the purpose of this study was to describe the college and career readiness perceptions of high school juniors related to the WorkKeys Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Mathematics assessments. A survey administered to 178 urban high school juniors at the time they received their WorkKeys results gathered student perceptions of the WorkKeys assessments in general as well as perceptions of college and career readiness. The key findings of this study were that student perceptions of college and career readiness were much higher than the results of the assessments indicated, and students found value in using WorkKeys results for college and career planning. This suggested the assessment results would be useful in career development interventions with students. This was the first year of mandatory WorkKeys assessments in the state and further study is recommended to gather rural student perceptions, further explore factors that students believe make the assessments useful, and determine the influence of the assessments and related interventions on academic self-efficacy. / Graduation date: 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics that influence Latino male students' enrollment in four-year colleges. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach and acquired information specifically pertaining to the high school Latino male population. Participants for the study included Latino male high school students in Grades 9-12, parents of Latino male high school students in Grades 9-12, and counselors of high school students in Grades 9-12. The study was conducted across two campuses. Data for student and parent participants were obtained through an online survey questionnaire and counselor data was obtained through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results of this study reveal that there are influential characteristics that contribute to Latino males' potential enrollment in college. Of the data obtained from student participants, 70.2% of participants on Campus 1 and 90.5% of participants on Campus 2 planned on attending college. Responses from parent surveys found that 85.8% of parents had expectations for their Latino male student to attend college. Through the semi-structured focus group interviews, it was found that the school district and campuses in which the study was conducted had several procedures or processes in place to positively encourage Latino male student enrollment in four-year colleges. Results of this study provide a better understanding and insight on characteristics that influence the high school Latino male student in Grades 9-12 to enroll in college.

This phenomenological study was implemented within a rural community in the southeastern area of the United States. The purpose of the study was to examine perceptions of prior graduates in order to identify specific effects of limited technology and Internet access in public schools. No related investigation has occurred within the research setting. To achieve this purpose, the researcher acquired perceptual data from 33 adults who attended the local high school during School Years 2003-2004 through 2012-2013. Data were collected through the administration of an anonymous questionnaire. Several primary findings were derived from the study. First, although participants did not perceive limited access to technology and Internet access while in high school, the collective perception was that technology was minimally integrated within high school instruction and that the high school experience insufficiently prepared students for the role of technology within the college setting. Second, technology was not fully utilized for acquiring information involving college or career selection. Third, participants reported the lack of availability or dependability of Internet service in the rural areas. Recommendations for educational practice, based on findings of the study, are to provide professional development for all teachers within the high school to increase the integration of technology within instruction and to provide professional development for teachers and school guidance counselors for the purpose of increasing the use of technology when assisting students in acquiring college and career information. Recommendations for future research, also based on findings, are (a) to determine how participants acquired a high level of technology skill for college with the limited use of technology in high school and the minimal Internet access within homes, (b) to engage in further research to assist school guidance counselors in acquiring the skills to recognize and provide initial treatment involving the onset of Internet addiction among students, and (c) for city council members and leaders within the private sector to research possible options for acquiring more dependable Internet service within the outlying rural areas so that all residents can enjoy the potential benefits of current technology.

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This study was a quantitative multiple regression investigation into the relationships between campus factors of high school students graduating in 2013 who immediately enrolled in first-year college freshman level remedial coursework at a large, Central Texas two-year postsecondary institution. The goal of this study was to determine which high school campus-level factors predicted enrollment into college remedial education coursework. The dependent variable was a continuous variable representing the percentage of students from Texas public high school campuses enrolled into at least one student credit hour of remedial education during their first semester as a first-year college student. Eight high school campus-level independent variables were included in the regression model at the campus-level: at risk percentage, economically disadvantaged percentage, limited English proficient percentage, advanced course/dual-enrollment percentage, college ready math percentage, college ready English percentage, ACT average, and SAT average. Pearson correlations and linear regression results were examined and interpreted to determine the level of relationship between the eight selected variables and first-year college student remedial coursework. The multiple regression model successfully explained 26.3% (F(8,286) = 12.74. p < 0.05, r2 = 0.263) of the variance between first-year college students enrolled into remedial coursework at a large, Central Texas two-year postsecondary institution and the campus-level variables from high schools from which they graduated and indicated campus-level economic disadvantaged percentage and campus-level SAT average to be statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level.