Originating in the 1970s, Competency-Based Education (CBE) deviated from traditional time-based benchmarks, emphasizing mastery of specific skills and competencies. Its initial adoption is mainly attributed to a response to a more traditional educational system that was heavily reliant on time-based (credit hour) benchmarks of success to indicate…

Institutions of higher education have been consistently offering more virtual classes over the past decade. The need to understand the implications of these increased virtual class offerings has become essential in recent years. The purpose of this study was to explore virtual classes within a college of agriculture and the impact on student…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the demographic characteristics of middle school students on their mathematics performance on the STAAR examination. More specifically, this study examined the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and at-risk status, separate and collectively, on the four mathematics components…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the relationship between federal Pell Grant status, campus diversity statistics, and their influence on graduation rates within higher education. This study focuses on higher education institutions in the state of Texas and adopts a quantitative design that utilizes a regression analysis to…

Improving educational outcomes and school conditions for historically marginalized students has been a primary goal since the school accountability movement began in the 1960s. However, despite decades of legislation, policy, and enactment designed to achieve this purpose, historically marginalized students continue to suffer from disparate…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of selected demographic factors on the academic achievement of high school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the effects of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores in Mathematics,…

Extensive research has been conducted regarding vocational training for adults with disabilities, but less is known about comprehensive programs that prepare young adults for all aspects of life. Since the law requires transition planning and preparation for all students with intellectual disabilities, ages 16-21, research about effective and…

This study utilized a survey research design to examine how school superintendents use concepts found in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with district leadership teams to improve professional capital in members of the leadership team. The research sought the correlation between the factors identified through factor analysis, as well as…

Mathematical proficiency during the early years is directly linked to later success in life, both regarding academics and economics. First grade educators must have the knowledge and skills to integrate the West Virginia Mathematical Habits of Mind (WV MHM) into their existing classroom instructional practices to help establish strong foundations…

Teach For America is the largest supplier of novice educators in the United States as well as the largest postgraduate employment provider in the country. It is renowned for its unorthodox approach to teacher education, with the Summer Institute at the heart of its training model. The five-week, accelerated program is designed to prepare new…

To determine if demography impacted the success of graduate students in the online learning environment, this non-experimental study used age, gender, ethnicity, enrollment status, financial dependency, employment status, program (master's or doctoral), and marital status as the independent variables to determine their impact on four dependent…

This dissertation focuses on microeconomic topics in the fields of public, labor and education. Particularly, this dissertation evaluates state policies in higher education and develops a global measure for job quality. Chapter 1 studies how state merit aid programs affect undergraduate degrees earned in Science, Technology, Engineering and…

This study presents a mixed methods explanatory analysis of the influence of Stafford loan debtload on persistence among undergraduate students attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in the Southwest of the United States. Using data from cohort 2010, fall to fall persistence was examined to assess if debtload was related to persistence for all…

In this study, I sought to discover factors that contributed to candidate success in gaining admission to the San Jose State University Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) Training Program. Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that the interplay between an individual's personal characteristics and life experiences lead to self-efficacy…

With state legislatures across the nation decreasing funding in higher education, many higher education administrators are seeking new and creative ways to increase funding and decrease waste in colleges and universities. Since the Great Recession, very little research has been conducted toward the Alabama Legislature and its important link to…