This is an applied research study, designed to understand the college readiness skills and protective factors (i.e. non-cognitive skills) of rural high school students, who participated in different types of federal college preparedness programs. This investigation compares the college readiness experiences of three groups of twelfth graders, which are as follows: those who did not participate in any college preparedness program; those who participated in Federal TRIO programs, which are designed to assist low-income and potential first-generation college students with college enrollment; and lastly, those who participated in the school’s dual enrollment program, and completed college courses. This research is significant because rural students have lower college enrollment rates compared to other non-rural students nationally. Rural students are behind because they are typically minorities, from low-income households, who attend low performing schools. This study is framed by resiliency theory, which was used to understand how academic resiliency occurs for research participants in the study, in spite of the aforementioned drawbacks. An online survey and focus group interviews were the research methods used, which led to evidence that the rural students in this study had lower academic outcomes compared to the national statistics for college readiness indicators, such as ACT and SAT scores, grade point average, completed college applications, and knowledge of Federal student aid. Additionally, rural students in this study had very low non-cognitive skills (i.e. protective factors), which are predictors for success in college. Lastly, this study also provides practical steps that can be implemented to create a college readiness culture within the research setting. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Spring Semester 2018. / March 22, 2018. / College Readiness, First-generation College Students, Noncognitive skills, Rural students, TRIO programs, Workforce Development / Includes bibliographical references. / Linda B. Schrader, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Robert Schwartz, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Jeannine Turner, University Representative; Patrice Iatarola, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_653395 |
| Contributors | Corley, Angela J. (author), Schrader, Linda B. (professor co-directing dissertation), Schwartz, Robert A. (professor co-directing dissertation), Turner, Jeannine E (university representative), Iatarola, Patrice (committee member), Park, Toby J. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (162 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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