The Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin launched the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) in 2011. The initial version of DCMP diversified developmental and college-level math course content, separating it into distinct pathways that better aligned with students' career interests. It also streamlined the developmental…

The United States is in the top ten out of 108 countries for the highest juvenile offender percentage (Harrendorf, Heiskanen, & Malby, 2010). Interaction with the juvenile court system has significant iatrogenic effects (Steinberg, Chung, & Little, 2004; Gatti, Tremblay, & Vitaro, 2009; McCord, 1992; Gatti, Tremblay, & Vitaro,…

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) contracted with three child welfare providers that operate transitional living (TLP) or independent living (ILO) programs (or both) to implement LifeSet, an intensive case management program developed by Youth Villages, for youth in care who are 17.5 to 21 years old. LifeSet helps…

Dyslexia is a neuro-sensory issue that makes reading challenging. However, Dyslexic Phonemic R[subscript 3] is a novel approach that improved the phonological development and resolved the reading challenges of dyslexia. The primary goal of the study was (1) to evaluate the current state of the phonemic and auditory symptoms of children with…

This study intended to analyze IUM Nkurenkuru student's perceptions on the use of e-learning during the COVID-19 lockdown. The study employed a quantitative methodology whose data was collected from a sample of 115 respondents, using the Google form which was sent to students via WhatsApp application. Probabilities value was used to analyze how…

First-generation college students may experience a mismatch between their cultural backgrounds, which tend to emphasize interdependent cultural norms (i.e., group achievements, connection with others, and taking actions that foster fitting in) and universities, which tend to emphasize independent cultural norms (i.e. individual achievements,…

This study sought to examine the academic impact of second language acquisition in ELL students when parents refuse bilingual services in comparison to students who remain in a bilingual education program until they are ready to exit. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data from only one assessment was utilized in this study. The study conducted was a…

This mixed methods study was a concurrent exploratory study to examine the differences in perceptions of career and technical education (CTE) among CTE and Non CTE (N-CTE) stakeholders based on their individual experiences. These stakeholders (i.e., teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, former students, and business and industry partners)…

Substance use in America remains a public health crisis, especially given the ongoing opioid epidemic and an alarming spike in overdose related deaths. Institutions of higher education have a unique opportunity to provide realistic measures of sustained substance use disorder (SUD) recovery through collegiate recovery programs (CRP) that employ…

This dissertation examined the relationship between participation in an academic coaching program and retention for community college students enrolled in developmental education courses. With low retention and completion rates for students beginning in developmental courses, support programs to improve student success are needed. This…

There are nearly 1.7 million single-mother students who make up a substantial portion of the undergraduate student population. Only 8% of single-mother students graduate with a degree or certificate within 6 years of enrollment. There are multiple factors identified in the literature that contribute to low success and persistence rates. Factors…

The research informs the public about the CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents In School) grant program and how it is improving the academic persistence of five single-mother college students. Besides offering affordable on-campus child care that is both convenient and high quality, the CCAMPIS grant also provided these five single-mother…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how elementary teachers view using classroom meetings to begin the school day as part of social-emotional learning instruction. The study was guided by the overarching research question: "What are the impacts of holding classroom meetings at the start of the school day from the…

Ninth grade students who attend Boundary High School (BHS) encounter a host of academic, social and emotional challenges commonly associated with the transition from middle school to high school. To the extent BHS ninth grade students navigate these challenges during this vulnerable time in their educational journey determines their overall…

This dissertation presents two essays on econometric methods for program evaluation and policy choice. In Chapter 1, I develop a statistically optimal way of using data to make policy decisions when the performance of counterfactual policies is only partially identified. Specifically, I consider a class of statistical decision problems in which…