Browsing by Subject "Low-income students"

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A case study of the perceptions of faculty, administrators, and staff regarding the development of a "culture of evidence" at two Texas community colleges
(2007-05) Peterson, Gregory F.; Roueche, John E.
In order to meet the educational and economic demands of the United States in the future, institutions of higher education must increase the number of students who persist to the completion of a certificate or degree program, especially low-income students and students of color (Carnivale and Desrochers, 2004). To increase the persistence and completion rates of these students at community colleges, national initiatives, such as the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative, have emphasized the importance of creating institutional environments in which planning and improvement efforts are data-driven (Achieving the Dream, 2005). This study explored the perceptions of faculty members, administrators, and staff directly involved in establishing this data-driven environment, also known as a “culture of evidence,” and the extent to which those perceptions had disseminated through the larger college community. Through the use of a case study and focus groups using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA) methods, the development of a “culture of evidence” at two Texas community colleges was examined as perceived by college constituents involved in its creation and by a group of college constituents indirectly influenced by their efforts. The emerging themes are discussed in their relation to promoting and maintaining a data- driven culture in the future.
Decentralization and equity : a phenomenological study of how district leaders experience site-based management and perceive it to impact low-income and minority youth
(2018-06-15) Cruz, Richard Anthony; Cantú, Norma V., 1954-; Olivarez, Ruben D; Pringle, Pat; Sharpe, Edwin R.
Nearly three decades after it became a leading reform effort in education, decentralization – broadly defined as the transfer of decision-making from central administrations to campuses – is still a prominent practice in school districts across the country. Studies have been conducted on its impact, particularly in the areas of student achievement and principal and teacher morale. However, there is a limited understanding of how senior district administrators experience decentralization and perceive it to impact on equity. The latter of these is especially important given that some of the districts where decentralization is still a defining practice have sizeable populations of economically disadvantaged students. Through a phenomenological approach, this study examines the experiences of a group of senior leaders in a large urban school district in the southern United States and impact they perceive decentralization to have on low-income and minority students.
The graduates : low-income central Texas students' transitions to college and work in the great recession
(2014-08) Cerna Ríos, Alejandra Teresa; Dorn, Edwin
This report explores the extent, trends, and consequences of academic undermatch, defined as students enrolling at an institution of relatively less selectivity than what their academic qualifications grant them access to, including non-enrollment. Using a sample of two cohorts of Central Texas high school graduates, this report finds that undermatch occurs among all students, but that it was more extensive for low-income students and among students with average qualification levels. Low-income students were found to undermatch at 65.1 percent and non low-income students at 53.9 percent of those who enroll. Between 2008 and 2009, undermatch increased among all students; among the highest qualified low-income students it increased by 10 percentage points. The majority of undermatched students were found to be enrolled at two-year over four-year institutions. A negative relationship between qualification level and annual earnings was found in the earnings of students who did not enroll. This report provides a set of recommendations to address undermatch and college access among low-income students in Central Texas.
School characteristics associated with the educational resilience of low-income and ethnic minority youth
(2010-12) Brooks, Jean Evelyn; Streeter, Calvin L.; Franklin, Cynthia; Greene, Roberta R.; Richardson, Frank C.; Springer, David W.
This study empirically tested Benard’s (1991, 2004) theory of resilience and youth development by examining the influence of caring relationships, high expectations and opportunities for participation and contribution within the schools on the mathematics achievement and timely graduation of public high school students. Additional analyses focused on subsamples of students who were at risk of academic failure and school dropout—students from the lowest socioeconomic quartile, African American and Hispanic students, and a generic at-risk sample that includes students from these three groups plus students who had nontraditional families, had a disability, or were retained a grade in school. The study used data from the Educational Longitudinal Study: 2002, which was designed to monitor young people as they transition from tenth grade to postsecondary education and/or employment. Hierarchical Linear Models and Hierarchical Generalized Linear Models were used for the analyses. Experiences within the schools that conveyed caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for participation and contribution were associated with higher senior year mathematics achievement scores and increased odds of timely graduation for the overall public school sample and for the at-risk groups. Suggestions are made for increasing caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for participation and contribution within the schools. The limitations of this study and directions for further research are also discussed.
The impact of menu composition on school lunch participation and entrée selection in elementary children : a multi-level model
(2015-08) Korinek, Elizabeth Victoria; Bartholomew, John B.; Pasch, Keryn; Cance, Jessica; Loukas, Alexandra; Hoelscher, Deanna
Nearly one-third of school-aged children are overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for negative health consequences during childhood and as adults. Modification of the food decision environment in the school setting is one potential mechanism to impact healthy eating in youth. This dissertation uses a multi-level model to determine if changes in menu composition will maintain participation in the school lunch program and nudge children towards selecting healthier choices at lunch. Individual lunch purchases for one school year (N=147 days) were collected from 10,134 students (grades 1-5) during August 2009-June 2010. The schools offered three entrées per day, and days were categorized according to the number of low-fat (LF) entrées offered (0, 1, 2) on a given day. Primary outcomes of interest included 1) student participation in the lunch program, and 2) selection of a LF entrée if he/she participated. Data were analyzed using separate two-level logistic hierarchical models that partitioned the variance in each outcome into one day-level predictor (number of LF entrées offered) and four child-level predictors (gender, age, ethnicity, and SES). The final model for participation demonstrated significant main effects for student SES (p<0.001) and ethnicity (p<0.001). The predicted probability of purchase was reduced by 0.17 when a student was classified as high SES, and this effect was constant across days offering 0, 1, or 2 LF entrées. White students were less likely to purchase school lunch compared to other, black, and Hispanic children across all types of days. The predicted probability of purchase was 0.10 lower for white students and this effect was irrespective of day score. In contrast, the final model for LF selection indicated that the difference in the probability of selection was entirely attributed to the number of LF options available to the student. The predicted probability of selection was 0.15 and 0.59 on days with one and two LF entrées, respectively, and these values were similar for all types of students. Strong support exists for the modification of the lunch menu to “nudge” children towards healthy food choice. Implications may be particularly potent for low-income and minority students.