The first set of Democratic presidential debates in June brought to the spotlight issues of school diversity and equity, as Senator Kamala Harris asserted the importance of school integration, based on her own experience growing up in Berkeley, California, and criticized Vice President Biden for his anti-busing positions (and collaborations) in…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate why African American female students are being "pushed out" of learning environments in public schools. This study attempted to answer the central question: "According to the "lived experiences" of African - American female students in Arkansas, what are the…

Historically, African American and other underserved students encounter academic challenges in pursuit of a college degree--one of which is their performance on standardized tests. This paper analyzes College Grade Point Averages (CGPAs), ACT Composite (ACTC), and SAT Total (SATT) scores of students who participated in the Health Sciences and…

Storytelling can help youth, families, and communities make sense of their experiences, allowing them to process the past and plan their futures (Bruner; Flores; Jones). The authors argue that the practice of storytelling in biographical learning can be especially powerful when working with youth of color and Indigenous youth--children whose…

This study examines the relationship between faculty racial/ethnic diversity and graduation rates of undergraduate students, in particular those from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations. Using IPEDS data, the researchers calculated a Diversity Score for each institution. Findings suggest U.S. faculty diversity is lower than in…

In Afrocentric circles in the United States, ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) scientist Imhotep is considered the Black father of medicine. In this article, I use his name in the title as an allusion to highlight the lack of Black males matriculating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs or fields in the United States. The…

Performance funding is an increasingly prevalent policy state officials use to allocate a portion of state funds to public colleges and universities. Researchers have begun to evaluate the effect of these policies, finding bleak evidence of their effectiveness in yielding intended outputs and suggesting the policies may even result in limited…

The underidentification of students with autism is a well-documented phenomenon that implies minority children are less likely to receive autism-specific interventions and services vital for better outcomes. Previous research has found that minority children are less likely to be identified as having autism, but recent changes in federal reporting…

The homogeneity of the teaching profession is an international, as well as national, phenomenon. In an era of significant demographic change in schools and education policy development in Ireland and across Europe, the lack of solid data about the backgrounds of teachers and initial teacher education (ITE) applicants and entrants has hindered…

Despite its emphasis on social justice, social work in the United States has not always attended to issues of diversity in doctoral education. This article examines the state of the discipline's research on traditionally underrepresented students in U.S. doctoral social work programs. An analysis of relevant peer-reviewed articles from social work…

In Canada, women are a minority in university mathematics programmes, and this situation has not improved in the past several years. To examine this situation, research was conducted to investigate the experiences of women who might be considered "success stories" in mathematics--those who persevered beyond their initial years of…

Attending a selective college or university has a notable impact on the likelihood of graduation, graduate school attendance, social networks, and career earnings. Given these short-term and long-term benefits, surprisingly little research has directly explored the factors that might promote or detract from equitable admissions decisions at these…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the phenomenon of the underrepresentation of African American students in gifted education programs. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, the purpose was to explore the perspectives secondary school teachers have towards African American students regarding how secondary middle school…

The underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is a growing concern in colleges and universities. This problem is especially evident across four-year degree granting institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This qualitative Delphi study examined the specific problem of the underrepresentation of…

Structural barriers are systemic challenges embedded in culture, economy, and institutions that cause inequality. Produced by systems of power, they require large-scale investment and policy solutions to achieve meaningful change. In 2017, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) conducted focus groups with young women of color to learn what…