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This paper provides a history of the standardized testing and accountability movement, the curriculum standards attached to the accountability movement, and the attempted shift to common core. Student poverty and its impact on student achievement the focus of this paper. Recognizing the impact of poverty on student achievement as measured by standardized tests the authors question the explicit practices of teacher preparation programs in preparing teacher candidates to work with students of poverty.

Purpose: Given that a relatively large percentage of college students entering historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are first-generation students and considering the low completion rate among this group in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discipline, the purpose of this preliminary meta-synthesis study is intended to facilitate a greater understanding of the academic and social adjustment among college students, particularly first-generation college students enrolled in STEM disciplines at HBCUs. Therefore, this meta-synthesis will shed light and offer important recommendations for university administrators and faculty members in supporting the academic and social adjustment of these students in STEM fields at HBCUs. Design/methodology/approach: This review of literature was conducted using a meta-synthesis approach (also referred to as integrative review). A meta-synthesis is based on a process by which findings across multiple studies are organized and presented (Turner et al., 2008; Wood, 2010). This approach is used to provide insight into academicians and practitioners alike on the status of research on a given phenomenon (Bland et al., 1995; Patterson et al., 2001; Wood, 2010). This technique is similar to a meta-analysis and meta-ethnography, where findings from quantitative and qualitative studies are synthesized. In contrast, a meta-synthesis presents thematic findings from studies that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature (Bair and Haworth, 2004). The authors were engaged in a cyclical process of collecting, annotating and synthesizing research over a 45-year time-frame (1970-2015). Findings: Factors present in the literature that affect students enrolled in a STEM program at an HBCU are grouped into three contexts: (a) first-generation academic and social characteristics, (b) first-generation college dropout and transition and (c) first-generation STEM retention. Within these general groupings, four interrelated themes emerged from the literature: prior academic adjustment and STEM discipline, college adjustment and STEM discipline, social integration and STEM discipline and academic integration and STEM discipline. Originality/value: This information may help professors and university professionals in the STEM fields to be more aware of the challenges faced by incoming college students. More empirical work is needed in this area in a way that is useful for understanding and enhancing professors’ and university professionals’ knowledge. To this end, research that carefully describes what HBCU professors and university professionals know or their ideas about teaching college students, especially first-generation students enrolled in the STEM discipline, is needed.

This study employed the Qualitative Narrative Policy Framework (Q-NPF) and content analysis as methodological approaches in order to analyze the differences between the province of British Columbia’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and the British Columbia (BC) Liberal Party’s policy strategies towards the issues of poverty reduction and homelessness in BC. The Q-NPF is a theoretically deductive approach used to analyze narratives in public policy, and it's defining purpose is to “empirically understand the role of policy narratives in shaping public policy” (Gray & Jones, 2016, p. 22). Analyzing the policy recommendations and implementations by these political parties revealed how the parties framed poverty and homelessness issues. Three research questions guided this study: (i) Does the characterization of these issues within policy differ between the BC NDP and the BC Liberals, and if so, how? (ii) What narrative strategies did each political party use to promote their policy positions on poverty and homelessness, and how did these differ? (iii) Are there policy-related reasons for the continuation of poverty and homelessness in BC? The results of this study demonstrated that the characterization of poverty and homelessness within policy does indeed differ, which was demonstrated in the narrative strategies of both parties. While the NDP focused on their innovative, ‘landmark’ policies and programs, discredited and criticized past government efforts, and utilized themes of togetherness and community, the Liberal party’s two most dominant narrative strategies consisted of promoting past successes and strengthening economic prosperity. Finally, in regard to the third research question, assumptions were able to be made that pointed towards the notion that there are policy-related reasons for the continuation of poverty and homelessness in BC. However, evidence to sufficiently answer this question was found to be more nuanced and requires further research. / Graduate / 2021-08-17

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During the last decade, there has been growing international interest in generating new knowledge regarding understanding, developing and evaluating mechanisms that support the use of research evidence by policymakers as a strategy to strengthen health systems in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This thesis contributes to this knowledge through three original scientific contributions that employ a mixed methods approach, with the goal of supporting the use of research evidence in the Colombian health system. Specifically, in the chapters I present: 1) the development of an analytical schema that explains the conceptualization of the Colombian government, research funder and universities of an evidence-informed health system; 2) two case studies that explain whether and how political factors influenced the role of research evidence in the agenda-setting and policy-development stages of two past health policy decisions in Colombia; and 3) a protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention in increasing the utilization of an evidence service and the intention to use synthesized research evidence by policy advisors and analysts at the Colombian Ministry of Health. As a whole, the chapters presented in this thesis provide substantive, methodological and disciplinary contributions to the field of health systems research and particularly to the study of efforts that aim to support evidence-informed policy in LMICs. They also help to provide insights that can be utilized to support a more nuanced approach to the use of research evidence in LMICs that takes into account the many factors that can influence health system policymaking. Ideally, this will help those engaged in developing mechanisms to support the use of research evidence in the policy process, and contribute to stronger health systems across the world. / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy

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In July 2022, the University of California (UC) permanently eliminated the standardized tests requirement for its freshman admissions in order to alleviate the severed socioeconomic gap and college access barriers that were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical policy analysis research explored the immediate effects of UC’s policy reform on higher education equity. All 14 participants were underrepresented minority (URM) students who applied to at least one UC campus for fall 2022’s freshman admissions and were enrolled in four-year universities at the time of this study. From demographic surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, I applied critical race theory (CRT) tenets and internalized oppression theory to explore, interpret, and provide counter-narratives of URM students’ college planning and application experiences after the policy reform. From analyzing these students’ perceptions of the elimination of the standardized tests requirement and UC’s admissions equity, I identified the following four findings: 1. Insidiousness of Higher Education Racism: The Role of Standardized Testing in Admissions 2. Enduring Internalized Oppression: The Lingering Effects of the Legitimization of Standardized test requirement 3. Intersectionality of Race, Income, First-Generation College Students’ Status, and Pandemic Impacts 4. Increased Trust in the Higher Education Admissions System After application and identification, I critically discussed the research findings and provided implications for future policies, practices, and research directions for higher education admissions equity based on the four findings. In conclusion and alignment with the CRT tenet of interest convergence, UC’s policy has increased opportunities for all students and has benefited both White and underrepresented minority URM students in terms of their acceptance into highly selective, four-year universities.