The lack of minority teachers in the United States is an ongoing problem, and the underrepresentation of minority teachers in the United States has been recognized as a symptom and a cause of racial injustice. The general problem is that minority K-12 teachers are under-represented in the United States. The specific problem that justifies the need…

The National Math + Science Initiative's (NMSI's) College Readiness Program (CRP) is an established program whose goal is to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in high schools to improve students' readiness for college. The program provides teacher, student, and school supports to promote high school students'…

This dissertation is a semi-longitudinal investigation of the design, application and evaluation of a novel abstraction of two learning theories---William Demmert, Culture-Based Education and Seymour Papert, Constructionism, to form "Cultural Constructionism." This study was driven by an interest to explore the linkage between cultural…

Linked Learning is an approach for transforming high schools to prepare all students for college, career, and life. Rejecting the outmoded and usually inequitable separation of students into vocational and academic tracks, Linked Learning works through career-themed pathways that integrate college preparatory academics, rigorous technical…

This conversation explores emerging debates concerning teaching to and about marginalized populations often left out of "representative" data sets. Based on our experiences studying, teaching, and belonging to some of these unrepresented populations, we outline some strategies sociologists may use to transform the limitations of data…

In concert with policy trends, theory and research on the ways in which school context affects student outcomes have focused almost exclusively on academic achievement in recent years. Given the fundamental role that schools should play in civic education, and the potential for schools to affect civic equality, more empirical and theoretical…

Students enrolled in world language classes experience many positive academic and developmental outcomes, and world language classes are often gateways to institutions of higher education in the United States. However, not all learners have access to world language classes. Differences in language class availability exist not only between school…

Current research places an emphasis on outcomes, rather than the processes, that lead to disproportionality in special education. In most instances, referrals for special education are based on teacher perception, rather than data. Using a norm-referenced self-report instrument to assess behavioral and emotional risk, this study compared those…

The Acquiring Common and Collaborative Educational Systems and Strategies (ACCESS) is a design dissertation which provides a professional learning experience for teachers that builds awareness of how the deficit mindset of students of color lead to inequitable practices. The learning model is based on using instructional coaches to facilitate…

As certain groups--low income, ethnic minority, and/or first generation college students--continue to be underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields, interest in improving outcomes for these students has grown. In order to understand what pedagogy students experience when they begin course work in a STEM major, we…

Surveys often spend substantial money on multiple mailings and telephone calls to ensure high overall response rates and adequate representation of hard-to-reach demographic subgroups. We examine the extent to which an additional mailing and additional sets of telephone calls are effective in attaining these goals across a variety of subgroups in…

Social attitudes about male participation in the upbringing of children have changed considerably over the past few decades. Men are now seen as important for children's development and learning. Research from many countries worldwide shows that in early childhood care and education (ECEC), male workers are welcomed by female colleagues and…

Since the inception of special education, scholars and practitioners have been concerned about the disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds among students identified with disabilities. Professional efforts to address this disproportionality have encompassed a range of targets, but scholars…

Full inclusion of women into the academics remains a daunting challenge in the United States. The situation is particularly acute within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields where the underrepresentation of women and their career disadvantages attract a great deal of attention. Based on a dataset combining a survey of…

The population of English language learners (ELLs) in general education classrooms has been increasing over the last few decades. However, ELLs are still underrepresented in gifted programs, and teachers struggle to provide these students with adequate educational experiences. What do teachers need to know about high-potential ELLs? What…