Minority representation among police personnel, relative to the communities they serve, has long been advanced as an explanatory factor for the prevalence of negative police--public interactions as well as police agency responsiveness to public concerns, particularly with regard to the use of force. But minority representation has rarely been…

Across the United States, civic leaders from all sectors are working avidly to identify education and workforce strategies that can bolster regional economic development. One notable success story is found in Louisville, Kentucky, where a broad coalition of local leaders identified powerful educational improvement strategies and then successfully…

In the fall of 2008, the authors contacted a representative sample of over 3,600 high schools in the U.S., both public and private, to determine whether or not physics was taught there. They received responses from over 99% of the schools. For the schools which indicated they were offering physics, they obtained contact information for the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 (IDEA) was reauthorized to include accountability targets to address disproportionality in special education categories. While socioeconomic disadvantaged students were not identified as a target subgroup by IDEA, the goal of closing the achievement gap for all students has been at the forefront in…

For years, scores on IQ tests and standardized achievement tests were the principal means for determining whether or not persons were gifted. Early literature often referred to them as fluent, flexible, original, and elaborate thinkers; as persons who were extremely curious, sensitive, attracted to aesthetic values; and as individuals who could…

The influence of institutional grant aid on the enrollment behavior of college students has been the focal point of several empirical studies during the past decade. Yet, the extent to which this multibillion dollar per year grant-allocation process influences the matriculation choices of students deciding between multiple institutions remains…

During a time when most institutions of higher education are in search of underrepresented student participation, Georgia State University (GSU), a majority White institution, has observed a lack of involvement of White students in co-curricular activities. The purpose of the research study was to critically examine White students' (dis)…

The low representation of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains a concern for the U.S. economy. Although America is still positioned with a disproportionate share of the world's finest universities--particularly research universities--the reputation of the United States as having the most-prepared…

Few students (particularly few girls) currently choose to take their Final School Examination (FSE) in advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics, a combination of subjects that is the best preparation for a science-oriented study in higher education. Are these subjects attainable by more students than is currently the case? This study examined…

This study documents the system of funded interventions employed at three public universities to support minority students studying science and examines targeted students' career paths to discern the general efficacy of these interventions and other factors influencing success toward earning Ph.D.s. Interventions, including supplemental…

Becoming a culturally responsive educator has been at the forefront of the movement to reduce inappropriate referrals to special education and disproportionate representation of students of color within special education. However, for many educators, working with a diverse student population can be more difficult when the student comes from a…

This article describes and assesses two learning modules designed to make students aware of gender and racial inequalities present in their own intended careers. Students identify their intended occupation in respect to the Standard Occupational Classification system and then use that code to determine the composition and earnings in that…

The United States' economy depends greatly on a citizenry that possesses scientific and technical skills within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for economic growth. In the past few decades, technological advancement has created a demand for a highly skilled workforce possessing scientific and mathematical…

Discipline practices in schools affect the social quality of each educational environment, and the ability of children to achieve the academic and social gains essential for success in a 21st century society. We review the documented patterns of office discipline referrals in 364 elementary and middle schools during the 2005-2006 academic year.…

The study of the identity processes of women of color in science-based fields helps us (a) find ways to support similar women, and (b) study the dynamics of inequity, within and beyond science. Participants in this study (a Black woman, a Latina, and an American Indian woman) survived inadequate high schools and discouraging college science…