Underserved Student Populations Research Articles

Navigating Course-Sequencing Decisions and Community College Pathways for Historically Underserved Student Populations

ABSTRACT Course sequencing in higher education refers to the structured order of courses required for progressing toward a certificate or degree. Community college students, particularly those from historically underserved backgrounds, face a variety of challenges associated with meeting academic requirements and completing their degree. In this study, we draw from semi-structured interviews with 80 historically underserved students and 9 advisors from a high-enrollment community college to explore how historically underserved students and their advisors consider and implement course-sequencing strategies when building students’ academic schedules. Taken together, our emergent themes revealed that (1) historically underserved community college students were concerned primarily with fulfilling degree audit requirements, (2) the importance and difficulty of navigating the first semester of college, (3) the role and influence of non-curricular barriers to students’ academic success, and (4) the challenges and opportunities associated with taking online courses. Our findings suggest a potential need for institutional policies or requirements designed to ensure historically underserved students meet with their advisors at set intervals and receive evidence-based advising recommendations related to appropriate ordering and combinations of courses given their academic progress, degree program, and individual goals.

School and family partnership can reduce chronic absenteeism

Families are critical partners in addressing chronic absenteeism. Drawing from research, authors Thomas J. Capretta, Jingyang (Max) Zhang, and Barbara J. Boone present four throughlines and six strategies for schools to improve attendance by building trust and partnering with families. In view of chronic absenteeism’s association with negative academic and life outcomes and disproportionate impact on underserved student populations, addressing absenteeism with families as partners is essential in building shared expectations and identifying unique solutions to unique barriers. The authors outline practical, accessible, and research-informed guidance for schools to tackle the persistent challenge of student attendance in education through high-quality partnerships with parents and community members.

Adaptive Learning Models for Diverse Classrooms: Enhancing Educational Equity

This review paper explores the transformative potential of adaptive learning models in promoting educational equity. Adaptive learning systems leverage advanced algorithms and digital tools to provide personalized instruction tailored to individual student needs, enhancing academic outcomes and fostering greater engagement and confidence. The theoretical foundation of adaptive learning aligns with constructivist and socio-cultural theories, emphasizing the importance of personalized and differentiated instruction. Evidence suggests adaptive learning improves academic performance among diverse and underserved student populations. However, significant barriers to implementation persist, including technological, financial, and pedagogical challenges, as well as ethical considerations related to data privacy and algorithmic fairness. The paper highlights the implications of these findings for educational policy and classroom practice, advocating for equitable access to adaptive learning technologies and comprehensive professional development for educators. The evolution of adaptive learning, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, promises further educational equity and inclusivity advancements. Keywords: Adaptive Learning, Educational Equity, Personalized Instruction, Digital Tools

Leadership perspectives on diverse student needs at three urban community colleges in the south

AbstractUrban community colleges provide access to postsecondary education's most diverse and underserved student populations. Students enrolled in these institutions often face academic, financial, and social challenges that shrink their odds of success. Leaders from three urban community colleges in the Southern United States shared the importance of addressing these students’ unique needs to improve student outcomes. Relationship building, reimagining institutional efforts, and seeking campus‐wide commitments were cited as ways that administrative leaders can remove both tangible and intangible barriers thwarting underserved students’ success.

Exploring the pedagogical practices of seasoned elementary mathematics teachers and connections with their content knowledge and beliefs

AbstractThis inquiry examined the pedagogical practices in mathematics of elementary teachers (N = 27) who had been identified as experienced and successful and were working in an urban school district with underserved student populations. Also investigated were relationships between their instructional practices and other elements of proficient teaching of mathematics, including specialized content knowledge and beliefs. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a knowledge assessment, belief surveys, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The findings related to learner‐centered, equitable mathematics instruction reveal a mixed picture of understanding and enactment by the participants, illuminating variability and complexity, especially within the context of a standardized model for instructional delivery. Participants expressed constraints in implementing learner‐centered, equitable mathematics instruction, particularly: prescribed, scripted lesson plans; teaching roles that involved instruction of many students thus contributing to lack of familiarity; and a mix of learners who were in‐class and remote due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The results also demonstrate that pedagogical practices were shaped by participants’ specialized content knowledge and to a more limited extent their beliefs. These data further reveal mixed endorsements of the different belief constructs. Considerations for teacher development are discussed.

Using Motivation Theory to Design Equity-Focused Learning Analytics Dashboards

Learning Analytics applications, and their associated dashboards, are frequently used in post-secondary settings; yet, there has been limited work exploring the motivational implications of their deployment, especially for under-served student populations that are more susceptible to (perceived) negative messages about their academic performance. In this paper, I argue that Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) is well-positioned to serve as a useful lens when developing and evaluating learning analytics dashboard designs and their future development. Used in this way, SEVT can help the learning analytics community to ensure that student experiences with learning analytics are adaptively motivating, both in general and for underserved student populations more specifically.

Assessing Impact of Study Abroad on Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students

Assessing Impact of Study Abroad on Graduation Rates of Underrepresented Students Tory L. Brundage (bio), Gayle Christensen (bio), Anne K. Althauser (bio), and Sudha Sharma (bio) EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Fueled by globalization, technological advances, and more accessible travel, the role of international education on college and university campuses has had a period of immense growth. According to the Institute of International Education's 2019 Open Doors report, just over 340,000 US students participated in a study abroad program for credit during the 2017–2018 academic year. The number of students choosing to study abroad has steadily increased over the past 25 years. Immediately prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, 10.9% of all undergraduates in the US studied abroad at some point while pursuing their degree. This rapid expansion has largely been welcomed on college campuses due to globalization and the sense that such opportunities can be transformational for students. Consequently, there is interest among administrators, scholars, instructors, and policymakers to better understand the effects of study abroad on student learning and outcomes. Though the COVID-19 global pandemic caused an unprecedented decrease in international education, the enduring forces of globalization will likely yield a strong return to study abroad programming when permitted and safe (Marginson, 2020). As such, it remains important to understand and assess outcomes related to study abroad participation at an institutional level. ASSESSING STUDY ABROAD The student success literature has evolved a substantial interest in understanding and implementing high-impact practices, aspects of the college student experience that positively influence college persistence and completion rates (Kuh, 2008). A promising supposition of Kuh's 2008 work was the notion that high-impact practices would not only increase student engagement and degree completion but that the effect would also be evident among historically underserved student populations. Additionally, the existing racial and ethnic disparities in higher education have led some to call for a more targeted focus on graduation rates across racial and ethnic student populations to identify the most impactful practices (Johnson & Stage, 2018; Stohs & Schutte, 2019). While multiple studies have examined the effect of studying abroad on graduation rates (Haupt et al. 2018), few have explored [End Page 239] how that effect may vary across student populations (Bell et al. 2021). Given that students of color have been consistently underrepresented in study abroad programs (International Institute of Education, 2019), there is a gap in the literature assessing study abroad for students of color as a high-impact practice. This inquiry aimed to (a) advance a common research model proposed in the literature for assessing study abroad and (b) use this model specifically to measure the impact of studying abroad on graduation rates for historically underserved student populations. METHODS This analysis used the Leveraging Education Abroad Participation for Graduation (GRAD LEAP) model (Haupt et al., 2018), which calls for a common approach to data analysis when exploring questions about the impact of education abroad on college student graduation rates. Study Setting and Participants This was a retrospective analysis of deidentified data accessed through an internal student database at a large, public research institution on the West Coast of the US. The campus has a formal Office of Study Abroad that supports students with selecting and participating in a wide range of international education programs offered by the institution. Additionally, the office has an adviser focused on equity and access, as well as a needs-based scholarship program for studying abroad. Furthermore, and relevant to this study, there are TRIO programs and Educational Opportunity Program offices that support students of color through a wide range of efforts, as well as race-conscious pipeline programs available in many academic pathways. The program offerings are similar to those offered at many large public institutions in the US. The study included enrollment and student academic records from first-time, first-year, and fully matriculated undergraduate enrollees during the 2012, 2013, and 2014 academic years. International students, defined as those studying on an F1 student visa, as well as students admitted through the transfer or post-baccalaureate application processes, were excluded. Using these criteria, a total of 15,620 unique records were included in the analysis. Within this overall population, 2...

The NSF Graduate Fellowship Program: An Analysis of Awards in the Ocean Sciences by Gender and Career Stage, 1996–2021

The information published annually by the National Science Foundation on its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awardees was used to create an Awardees in Ocean Sciences (AOS) data set. This data set shows that women have been successful in receiving the fellowship award in the ocean sciences, receiving an overall 69% of the awards from 1996 through 2021 (458 women among 659 awardees). Women comprised at least 50% of awardees in the six ocean sciences disciplines listed as GRFP subfields of study. The highest percentages of awards to women (72%) were in biological oceanography and marine geology/geophysics, followed by marine biology and chemical oceanography (69%), physical oceanography (67%), and ocean engineering (61%). Women were successful both as undergraduate applicants (69% of undergraduate awardees) and as graduate applicants (71% of graduate awardees). We estimate that GRFP women awardees made up 17.8% of the women obtaining doctoral degrees in oceanography from 2017 to 2021, compared with GRFP men awardees comprising 8.5% of the male doctoral recipients for the same period. Our analysis suggests future directions for study of GRFP awardees and highlights the need for data that would help inform community outreach to underserved student populations.

Using epistemic instructional activities to support secondary science teachers’ social construction of knowledge of anthropogenic climate change during a professional learning experience

This article describes an innovative intervention used within a professional learning experience (PLE) for early-career high school science teachers. The intervention aimed to develop participants’ conceptual understanding of climate change while supporting engagement in learning via scientific practices through use of epistemic instructional activities. Participants were 18 teachers from 16 different public schools across the US, all serving historically underserved student populations. The intervention consisted of a sequence of three learning experiences, each of which engaged participants in learning through a unique epistemic tool or activity. We describe each activity and offer examples of our developed materials. Additionally, we use qualitative coding to analyze teacher-produced artifacts to evaluate the intervention. Results show: 1) a data analysis epistemic activity supported learner attention to variation in climate data; 2) an explanation-focused epistemic activity supported integration of several concepts within social constructions of mechanistic explanations; and 3) a claims evaluation epistemic activity supported participants’ linking of concepts about variation to mechanistic explanations of climate change, as well as their understanding of argumentation in general. We suggest that other educators could benefit from adapting our intervention to meet the needs of their contexts. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.1986785 .

Perspectives of three Black students attending a predominantly white summer music camp in the United States

ABSTRACT The purpose of this case study was to examine the perspectives of three Black instrumental music students related to their experiences attending a predominantly white summer music camp for high school students in the United States. Analysed through a conceptual model of culturally responsive teaching in music, data sources included semi-structured interviews with individual participants, a focus group session with all participants, and researcher field notes. Participant stories revealed contrasting home and summer camp environments, racial identity development, and a desire for broader experiences beyond the European classical tradition. Findings explore a variety of barriers and supports for music learning for underserved student populations that may be transferable to similar high school music camp settings.

Inclusion in neuroscience through high impact courses

Recognizing that STEM disciplines, including neuroscience, have a long way to go to attract and retain diverse talent, educators can take action by being more intentional about their departmental curricula, course design, and pedagogical strategies. A deep body of research suggests that one way we can promote inclusion is through the use of high impact practices (HIPs). These active learning teaching practices promote deep learning and student engagement and have been shown to have a positive differential impact on historically underserved student populations. Here we describe the characteristics of two different types of HIP courses, makerspace classes, and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). In addition, we provide ideas for how these courses can be structured to help all students engage and learn. With experience overseeing a large campus-wide program introducing these course types to the curriculum, we also provide insights about faculty experiences and assessment. We propose that including these types of courses in a curriculum can engage a more diverse group of students to choose neuroscience as a major and as a career.

Recent Trends in the Characteristics of New Teachers, the Schools in Which They Teach, and Their Turnover Rates

BackgroundOver the past couple of decades, new teachers have become a pronounced focus of policy makers. This attention is a result of demographic shifts in the teacher labor market, increased attention to the quality of teachers assigned to historically underserved student populations, and high rates of new teacher turnover.PurposeOur goal is to understand how the characteristics of new teachers and the schools in which they teach have changed over time, including changes in the characteristics of teachers in schools that enroll a majority of economically disadvantaged and minority students. We examine how these broad changes relate to new teacher turnover, as well as the induction supports that may improve retention.Research DesignWe draw on nationally representative data from all seven waves of the Schools and Staffing Survey from the 1987–1988 to 2011–2012 school years to better understand the extent to which the characteristics of beginning teachers, the schools in which they teach, and their turnover rates have changed over time. We draw on data regarding teachers’ demographic characteristics, education and credentials, and school characteristics and working conditions, and turnover.Data AnalysisWe first describe how characteristics of new teachers and the schools in which they teach have changed. We then examine how these characteristics vary systematically across schools that enroll a majority of students who identify as racial/ethnic minorities and schools with fewer racial/ethnic minorities. We examine the extent to which new teachers are more likely than more experienced teachers to turn over from underserved schools and how organizational supports such as administrative support and induction programs predict lower rates of turnover.FindingsBeginning teachers are now more likely to be certified, to have earned a graduate degree, and to have graduated from a selective college. They are also much more likely to begin their careers in schools that enroll more racially diverse students than in previous decades. Teachers are more likely to turn over from schools where the majority of students identify as racial/ethnic minorities, although the presence of supportive colleagues and administrators and induction supports are associated with lower turnover rates.ConclusionsThat the majority of new teachers now begin their careers in schools serving a majority of economically disadvantaged and minority students has implications for the preparation and induction of new teachers. Our results point to the continued importance of the provision of supports that integrate teachers into the social and professional culture of a school.

Capitalizing on Differences: Keys to Unlocking the Academic Achievement Gap

Abstract Closing the U.S. academic achievement gap is as complex as it is comprehensive due to the disproportion of instructional opportunities available to underserved student populations. Underserved student populations are defined as minority and/or students of color from low-socioeconomic families and communities, English language learners and recent immigrants (Wolniak, Flores, & Kemple, 2016). Raising the academic achievement of culturally, racially and ethnically diverse students from high poverty and/or high-risk communities will require more than national and/or state policies and mandates. It necessitates a transformative view of the teacher as a change agent with the ability to alter the culture, climate and level of student achievement in a classroom. This capacity-based method extends beyond what is readily identifiable by acknowledging the variances in approaches to teaching all students through research-based best practices to capitalize on differences. The approach presented allows for the focus on student variation in an inclusive setting to enhance academic achievement.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Factors Associated with Higher Education Success

Abstract Introduction: Student success in institutions of higher education is of mounting importance as the link between education, health, and well-being grows. This study investigates adverse childhood experiences (ACE) that may confer resilience or may negatively impact a student’s educational success independent of other known factors for educational achievement. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted using the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to investigate a large representative US Population of 25-35-year-olds (n=2,543) that were surveyed on ACE measures. Univariate and weighted multivariable logistic regression models focused on educational success in those with and without ACE factors are presented. All data management and analyses were conducted using SAS® 9.4. Results: Each single level increase of ACE reporting indicated an unadjusted 5% decrease in odds for obtaining some college or a college degree. Adjusting for other ACEs, demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and health factors, parental depression and mental illness in childhood was associated with college success, while those who experienced parental drug use, prison time, divorce, and being physically hurt at home as a child had statistically significantly lower odds of college success. Other significant predictors of academic success included being female, normal weight, never smoking, never being married, reporting good/excellent health, and exercising with a c-statistic of .88 indicating a strong prediction model. Conclusions: Higher education success and the myriad of associated public health benefit requires significant student and institutional interaction to be flexible enough to engage traditional as well as adult, non-traditional, and underserved student populations. Understanding the modifiable and non-modifiable constellation of health and well-being factors will better allow a more population-based student-centered approach to higher education. Keywords: education; public health; learning; Resilience

Equity-Focused K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development: A Review of the Literature 2001–2017

ABSTRACTProviders of K-12 in-service teacher science professional development programs (PDPs) in the United States are moving to address recent and unprecedented policymaker calls to close achievement gaps in K-12 science learning. Our systematic review of primary, peer-reviewed equity-focused PDP studies is intended to inform this movement. We structured our review around the themes of selected studies’PDP context, research design and methods, and outcomes. PDP context and research design and methods were evaluated against relevant effective practices for equity-focused K-12 in-service science teacher PDPs. The theme of PDP outcomes was structured around reported teacher and student outcomes. We use these themes to present a coherent picture of previous equity-focused PDP efforts. This picture informs discussion and selection of strategies for effective implementation of PDPsdesigned to target the needs of specific traditionally underserved student populations. It also highlights potentially promising lines of inquiry for PDP developers and researchers to pursue.

Access for Whom? The Impact of Dual Enrollment on College Matriculation among Underserved Student Populations in Texas

ABSTRACT In an effort to increase college access and success rates, the state of Texas has expanded dual enrollment programs and Early College High Schools (ECHS) that provide students with the opportunity to begin their collegiate careers while still in high school. More recently, these dual enrollment and ECHS programs have tried to broaden inclusion among at-risk high school students and student dropouts. Using institutional data from a high school district and a community college located within a suburban region of Texas, this study aimed to determine which students benefited most from these early college access initiatives. Collective results from the descriptive and logistic regression analysis revealed equity gaps in participation among Black and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. While dual enrollment participation was associated with higher odds of postsecondary matriculation, ECHS students matriculated at markedly lower rates. Based upon these findings, the paper offers recommendations for policy changes and institutional practices that can increase college access among traditionally underserved student populations.

USING OSJ PUBLISHING AND TEAM PEER REVIEWS TO EXPAND SCHOLARLY WORKS FROM A DIVERSIFIED AND INCLUSIVE PERSPECTIVE

While Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) are often more teaching than research focused, promotion and tenure heavily rest on the success of being published. It is challenging to publish with high teaching loads and limited research time. A viable alternative is to publish the scholarship of teaching/learning work conducted within MSI classrooms. Open Source Journals (OSJ) assists with the publication needs of MSI faculty and can bring a more diversified andragogic practice out to the public sphere. It also allows for the publishing of more peer-reviewed journals, thus allowing for a greater expansion of diversity in the editorial process. This presentation will focus on a newly created OSJ, which focuses on MSI faculty and innovative teaching. A discussion of a team peer review process is included which focuses on the ability to be inclusive in publishing scholarly works from MSI faculty and those who work with historically underserved student populations.

Range of Meanings: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study of How English Language Learners Encounter Assessment Items on Descriptive Statistics

ABSTRACTEnglish language learners are a growing demographic in secondary, two-year, four-year and research institutions where many students encounter their first course in statistics. In the statistics education literature, recent calls have been made to improve statistical education for underserved student populations, including English Language Learners (ELLs). Some have investigated how ELLs interpret instructional material and classroom practices in the statistics classroom. This study uses a sequential mixed methods approach to investigate how Spanish-speaking ELLs may respond differently to assessment items about measures of center and variation. Comprehensive analyses of this type are essential in order to identify bias and ensure fair comparisons across participant populations. Findings indicate that ELLs do not comprehend context or understand some statistical terms in the same way as non-ELLs. Study limitations, implications, and recommendations are discussed.

Undergraduate Conferences as High Impact Practices with an Impact on Gender Parity

There has been a recent explosion of undergraduate philosophy conferences across the United States. In this paper, we explore undergraduate conferences along three lines. First, we argue that, as a well-designed learning activity, undergraduate conferences can serve to increase gender parity in philosophical spaces—a widely accepted and important goal for our discipline. Second, we argue that this increase in parity (and other beneficial learning outcomes) is due, at least in part, to the proper design of undergraduate conferences as High-Impact Practices. Our empirical work on our own undergraduate conference demonstrates that properly designing the conference as a High-Impact learning activity does, as expected, benefit underserved student populations, including women. Additionally, the study also revealed unexpected opportunities to intervene on student learning. Third, we argue, also in line with our data, that undergraduate conferences occupy a previously taxonomically unrecognized grouping (Culminating Events) among recognized High-Impact Practices.

Building an ethical digital humanities community: Librarian, faculty, and student collaboration

ABSTRACTThis article examines work building a digital humanities community at Salem State University's Berry Library. The initiatives are comprised of a three-pronged approach: laying groundwork to build a DH center, building the DH project Digital Salem as a place-based locus for digital scholarship, and launching an undergraduate internship program to explore ethical ways of creating innovative research experiences for undergraduate students. Together, these initiatives constitute an important move toward putting libraries at the center of creating DH opportunities for underserved student populations and a model for building DH at regional comprehensive universities.