The U.S. education system continues to diversify, and educational leaders must foster an environment in which all students can thrive. At dominantly White institutions (DWIs), Black students have repeatedly had to overcome educational challenges, hostile campus climates, and prejudiced institutional structures because of their race (Harper, 2015;…

While it is typical for doctoral students in the sciences to have a faculty advisor, not all students can name a mentor for their doctoral journey. Noted as the most important factor in determining a student's success and satisfaction in graduate school, the student-advisor relationship is an important area for expanded study and analysis to fill…

The teacher-researcher spent eight weeks as a participant observer in and advanced high school mathematics class in a small town in the southeast. The process of problem-solving was introduced to all twenty students from a combined IB Math SL and AP Calculus AB class. After the pretest, three students were selected, from under-represented groups,…

Previous policy analysis of the Top Ten Percent Plan (TTPP) has focused on the outcomes of the policy (e.g., Card & Krueger, 2005; Kain & O'Brien, 2004; Long, 2004), answering questions such as whether the TTPP led to increased or decreased access for particular groups. Absent from the literature is an analysis of the policy-change process…

Black, Latine, and Indigenous students continue to face inequities in high school Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) outcomes in the United States (US). Racial disparities between teachers and students contribute to this issue, as teachers of color represent less than thirty percent of public-school educators, while most US…

Women and girls, particularly women and girls of color, remain underrepresented in STEM disciplines. This underrepresentation begins as early as late elementary school age. Educators, particularly those in informal STEM education, can help address gender inequity in STEM by understanding how research can be translated into actionable strategies.…

The disproportionate representation of students of color in special education is a serious concern that has lasted for forty years. Research suggests that students of color are too often not identified accurately for special education and that the programs they are placed in are frequently poor in quality. This trend contributes to a…

A comparison of population and employment projections shows the gap between teacher supply and demand growing through 2025. Alternative certification programs (ACPs) were created to increase teacher production, but research on who selects ACPs versus traditional preparation programs (TPPs) shows mixed results as does research on new teacher…

In the past several decades, women have made considerable progress toward gender equity in the USA, but women in general and women of color in particular continue to be underrepresented in some fields of STEM, notably engineering and computing. Women of color in these fields are also underrepresented in the STEM education research literature. In…

Concept maps were created as one of six measures to identify exceptionally talented students during the Cultivating Diverse Talent in STEM (CDTIS) project, with the goal of identifying and nurturing talents in students from groups traditionally underrepresented in special programs. New methods were compared with conventional methods to select…

In the last 20 years, Latina undergraduate college students have increased their enrollment and degree attainment. However, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines Latinas remain highly underrepresented. The study aims to gain more insight into the roles that peers, faculty, and family play in Latina students'…

The psychological construct of hope, characterized by goal-directed thinking rooted in personal agency and the ability to develop pathways to achieve goals, has long been demonstrated to predict academic success. A sample of 994 undergraduates participated in this study to better understand the role of hope and on-campus social support in…

This article examines interview responses from prominent education researchers who were asked to consider the role of major educational policies in the underrepresentation of Black teachers in public schools. Participants considered policies related to accountability and market reforms including testing, school choice and charter schools, and…

Traditionally underserved students (TUSs), including Black, Latinx, American Native, and low-socioeconomic (SES) students, have higher rates of departure from STEM undergraduate programs than their more privileged peers. These higher departure rates are associated with TUSs' lower performance in STEM gatekeeper courses compared to non-STEM courses…

Recent federal data shows disparities among school discipline by race. This has been a long running concern in many arenas. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides a positive aspirational approach to student discipline instead of taking a more penal-based approach. This paper reviews the implementation of PBIS and queries…