This study examined the correlation between student achievement, the financial health of a diverse sample of public Illinois elementary school districts, and their local wealth. Research suggested that the wealth of the district within itself does not affect student performance. Specific possible associated factors included instructional methods,…

English Language Learners (ELLs) are students that speak a primary language other than English. The number of ELLs continues to grow in the United States with the current majority having Spanish as their base language (Ortiz & Pagan, 2009). Since the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001, schools are held accountable for…

This research compares the academic performance of two groups of students at the community college level of higher education. These two groups are dual credit students and non-dual credit students. The academic records of these students were examined from the years 2010-2014. Students in both groups had completed their formal high school education…

Texas House Bill 505 expanded dual credit programs to include high school freshmen and sophomores. This study examined the relationship of high school student characteristics and academic success in first attempt dual credit courses. Characteristics refer to year in high school, gender, and high school size. Success is passing scores in English,…

American higher education is at a unique point in its history. Current calls for accountability, transparency, cost control and results through gainful employment permeate the industry. Additionally, the movement known as the Completion Agenda has gained momentum and forced institutions of higher education to turn their attention from enrollment…

This research examined the experiences and attitudes of community college students toward using collaboration in online courses, as guided by four research questions: 1) What do community college students report as their experiences with collaboration in online courses regarding types and frequency of collaboration tools used? 2) What is the level…

Rates of student success--four-year transfer, degree, and certificate completion--are frequently discussed. Less frequent, however, are opportunities to reflect on how these outcomes are measured. In this paper, I reflect on how rates of success--specifically for men of color--are calculated based on two California institutional accountability…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effect that course format had on student success rates and withdrawal rates at an Alabama community college from 2012 to 2014. The goal was to determine if students who were enrolled in online, hybrid, or face-to-face developmental courses were more or less likely to withdraw from those…

Presented in this article is a case study of Black students' enrollment, persistence, and graduation at Cityville University, an urban commuter institution. We combine quantitative data from the University's Office of Institutional Research and the U.S. Department of Education with qualitative insights gathered in interviews with students,…

The pathway for community college students to transfer vertically into four-year institutions to complete a bachelor's degree was designed nearly a century ago, yet it remains plagued by the same structural problems, such as confusing admissions processes, lack of transparent advising resources, and unrealistic time-to-degree demands without…

The purpose of this study was to assess stress levels in community college students and their beliefs of meditation. Community college students tend to report high levels of stress due to demographic factors, such low economic status, need to work at least part time, and need for remedial classes. Many of these demographic factors are particularly…

Two-year colleges enroll many students every year that are not prepared for college level work. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to students needing to take remediation as well as what factors lead to successfully exiting developmental education. This study looked at students who began postsecondary education in…

We examined two aspects of college students' (N = 385) sense of belonging and its relations with three indicators of self-regulated learning. We also tested the mediating role of achievement goals in these relations. One aspect, sense of belonging to school, functioned as a significant predictor of self-reported metacognitive and academic time…

Two-year college transfer education has been promoted as a cost-effective path for achieving the baccalaureate, but increased time-to-degree could nullify this assumption. The Montana University System (MUS) recently expanded the mission for its two-year college system by adding the transfer function. This non-experimental quantitative research…

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students taking a computer applications class in one of two instructional methods, traditional face-to-face and online, at a Southeastern community college. The research questions examined more than 3,000 samples from the summer of 2012 through the spring semester of 2016. There were…