Student retention in higher education is currently one area most colleges are looking to improve and build upon (Baer & Norris, 2016). Higher education institutions in the United States have been under increased scrutiny from lawmakers and accrediting agencies to provide an affordable education for a diverse population for jobs in a highly…

First-generation students, who represent more than 40% of entering college freshmen, have lower academic achievement and struggle to persist compared to their continuing-generation peers. Although previous studies have repeatedly shown a deficit model for first-generation students, there is still a lack of clear understanding about the…

The most significant factor that influences student achievement is the quality and commitment of the teachers who are providing rigorous instruction. As efforts to recruit more individuals into the teaching profession have been successful, determining how to keep highly qualified teachers who provide meaningful and effective instruction remains a…

This study addressed the increasing attrition and migration of teachers from middle school classrooms. The study also sought to determine to what extent specific research-based factors motivated teachers to remain in the middle school classroom. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used in this study. The first portion of the study…

The data above provide insight into the range of student outcomes for colleges participating in the American Association of Community Colleges's (AACC's) Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA), a national system of metrics designed by community colleges for community colleges to better describe the outcomes of their students. As the data…

This quantitative study investigated the ability of the noncognitive characteristic of grit to predict community college student success and persistence. Grit levels were measured using the eight-item Grit-S scale that was administered to students in classes of a large suburban community college. Individual-level institutional data also were…

The purpose of the research was to explore the relationship between the K-12 experienced classroom teacher attrition and work environments. Due to the myriad of factors that influenced teacher attrition, the researcher conducted the study with the focus on three variables related to work environments: (a) professional supports at administration…

Latinx students are enrolling in four-year higher education institutions at a rapidly increasing rate. However, an alarming low number complete their degrees. Institutional barriers such as racism, language discrimination, cultural conflict, privilege of citizenship, and lack of role models present challenges to degree completion for Latinx…

Retention rates at many community colleges across America are low, because students withdraw prior to graduation, and financial aid rules known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) may compound the issue for the least advantaged students who have no financial or social safety nets. Some students find themselves cut off financial aid within…

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of teacher retention by researching factors that influence veteran teachers to remain in Missouri's K-8 school districts. School districts all across the nation face the daunting task of improving student achievement in the face of teacher shortages, especially in rural areas and in…

This qualitative descriptive study explored what human resource leaders understood to be high-impact practices in the acquisition, development, and retention of quality teaching talent for nonurban public school districts in Texas. This study answered three research questions that included what human resource leaders identify as high-impact…

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) has conducted several studies on the relationship between prior learning assessment (PLA) and adult student outcomes. Do Methods Matter? PLA, Portfolio Assessment, and the Road to Completion and Persistence presents the findings from a study that examines the relationship between PLA and…

Launched in 2009, the college completion agenda aims to significantly increase the number of community college graduates by 2020. While the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) (2012) believes that the goals of the completion agenda can be achieved without institutions sacrificing their mission or reducing student services, little is…

This Appreciative Inquiry (AI) study was conducted to create the framework for the Differentiated Support Model (DSM). The DSM is a framework of individualized support for first year teachers that can be applied in any school district alongside a mentoring program or without a mentoring program. The DSM was designed to be implemented by an…

We study a teacher incentive policy in Washington State that awards a financial bonus to National Board certified teachers in high poverty schools. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that the bonus policy increased the proportion of certified teachers in bonus-eligible schools by improving hiring, increasing certification rates of…