Hispanic literacy development in the Southwestern US is examined through standardized assessment data derived from recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR). This longitudinal study focuses on significant variables across a spectrum of grade levels for Hispanics of Mexican descent.…

How government delivers public services can have broad societal effects, beyond the impact on programmatic outcomes. Such societal effects are particularly likely in the delivery of public education, as educational concerns drive residential and school choices, and public schools are the second largest public employer in the United States. My…

Objective: Substance use peaks in emerging adulthood, with evidence suggesting that college-attending emerging adults have a higher rate of substance use than their non-college attending peers. More insight into the factors that might contribute to substance use among college-attending emerging adults is needed. The current study examined the…

Research on the question of creative benefit accompanying dyslexia has produced conflicting findings. In this meta-analysis, we determined summary effects of mean and variance differences in creativity between groups with and without dyslexia. Twenty studies were included (n = 770 individuals with dyslexia, n = 1,671 controls). A random-effects…

Background: Given the relatively low graduation and retention rate in undergraduate engineering programs in the United States, the factors that influence student success outcomes need to be examined. However, limited research systematically studied both student- and school-level factors and how they influenced undergraduate engineering student…

We investigated changes in students' reported sense of community in the context of a one-semester first-year seminar course using the Community and School Community Inventory (CSCI) research instrument across two years with differing instructional formats. We report a statistically significant increase in students' sense of perceived classroom…

As students pursue undergraduate degrees, many are challenged with paying for college. Costs include direct charges for tuition, fees, books, room and board, and meal plans, as well as indirect costs such as transportation, utilities, insurance, cell phone, internet, and more. Many students borrow loans to cover these costs, but their…

The problem that was addressed through this study is that the credential completion rate for transfer-in students (TIS) is lower than for first-time, full-time students (FTFT) at Peninsula Community College (PCC, a pseudonym). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the completion input (gender, race/ethnicity, age) and…

This case study investigated whether and how urban/rural differences may impact environmental knowledge, attitude, and action levels of the youth to better understand the linkage between place and environmental behavior. A nation-wide survey was conducted in Saint Lucia, targeting secondary school students. A total of 1,349 self-reported…

This systematic review aimed to understand the effects of self-esteem on risky sexual behavior (RSB) among adolescents and young adults. We followed the procedures outlined in the Cooper's five-step approach, and used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 reporting requirements. Published studies were…

In a southern state, 22% of alternatively certified teachers enrolled in the State Alternative Certification Program (STACP) leave the teaching profession within the first 3 years. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of demographic, career, personal/family, and school satisfaction factors that influenced STACP candidates to…

There is clear evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant negative effects on the learning and development of school-age children in the United States, with disproportionate impacts on children from racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically marginalized groups. There is less consistent evidence on the extent to which the pandemic…

Background/rationale: There is clear evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant negative effects on the learning and development of school-age children in the United States, with disproportionate impacts on children from racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically marginalized groups (Irwin et al., 2022). There is less consistent evidence…

This article presents an analysis of qualitative data collected from general and special education teachers (n = 36) participating in a four-module professional development training focused on preventing bullying among students with disabilities. Analysis was driven by Braun and Clarke (Qualitative Research in Psychology 3:77-101, 2006) six step…

Background: Technically sound measures are necessary for accurately identifying youth at risk for depression, but many studies rely on classical test theory metrics or adult samples to evaluate measures. This study examined the use of the PHQ-8, a common and freely available pediatric depression screener, in an adolescent sample using item…