The university president's role can be complicated and ambiguous. The pathway to the presidency remains a mystery as traditional and non-traditional presidents approach the position with various experiences, and 75% of those hired arrive as first-time presidents (Gagliardi et al., 2017). New and aspiring university presidents would benefit from…

There is a growing perception in society that people are losing faith in the value of a college education (Craig, 2015; Hart Research Associates, 2018). Declining enrollments at higher education institutions for more than a decade support this assertion (NCH Research Center, 2021). To remain relevant as an industry, higher education institutions…

P-16/P-20 Regional Councils are civic structures that exist to meet the goals of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) higher education plan. P-16/P-20 councils have been identified as an important vehicle to drive the success of future graduates from pre-kindergarten to postsecondary education. (Texas Higher Education Coordinating…

This study investigates the effectiveness of alternative routes to teacher certification in urban school districts within Texas. The need for teachers across the United States has increased because current teachers are leaving the profession at high rates. This research analyzes the programs regarding teacher preparation routes, teacher…

The purpose of this causal-comparative non-experimental quantitative study was to examine first-year elementary teachers' ratings of their sense of preparedness, compare their ratings based on their ethnicity, and compare teachers' ratings of their preparedness to principals' ratings of first-year teachers' preparedness based on six Texas teaching…

In 2020, nearly half of Texas's 385,000 public high school graduates were unprepared for college-level reading or math. Limited research reveals K-12 faculty perceive limited roles and responsibilities in the college process, relying heavily on guidance counselors and college admissions counselors for preparing students for college and careers.…

This autoethnography analyzes how my life experiences both as a student and as an educator in this community influenced my principalship and my efforts to open a new elementary school focused on college and career readiness. The aim of this dissertation was to utilize an autoethnographic method to examine the process of opening a new elementary…

This study examined the relationship between leadership style (transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant) and self-perceived career readiness (basic skills, thinking skills, personal qualities, and interpersonal skills) in technical college students. Participants in this study included students enrolled in any technical program at any…

Student employability after college graduation is much debated, as new hires are having trouble not only obtaining a job but maintaining one. Research indicates (e.g., Baird & Parayitam, 2019; Bear & Skorton, 2019) that employers across industries want and need access to a workforce comprised of candidates with a shared knowledge of hard…

The purpose of this study was to understand how student affairs educators make meaning of the concept of career readiness among undergraduate students they directly advise or supervise at a public, research institution in Texas. This study was driven by the increased pressure of higher education as a whole to highlight college graduates'…

This study was designed to add to the body of work around specialized campuses in the state of Texas. These campuses are becoming increasingly popular across the nation and there is little data to support whether they or traditional campuses are more successful when it comes to student outcomes. This research aims to determine if specialized…

This study examined science teachers' perceptions and determined their level of STEM awareness and support. Survey, interview, and demographic data were collected from a purposeful sample of 124 high school science teachers across eight high schools in a large suburban school district in southeast Texas. For purposes of this study, the school…

This quantitative study examined factors that determined if economically disadvantaged and English language learner students graduating from traditional or early college high school were college and career ready. Effective data was collected from campuses in the Region One educational service center in South Texas. The study was guided by the…

This study is a structural analysis of Texas law and policy processes relating to college and career readiness with emphasis on Hispanics and implications for educators. The study is presented in two separate, but related articles. The first article (chapter two) reports on the structural limitations of crafting Texas statutes that created college…

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the 4-H Life Skills program on participants' noncognitive college and career readiness levels, utilizing the ACT Engage 6-9 instrument (formerly known as the Student Readiness Inventory--Middle School) to evaluate quantitatively the noncognitive (psychosocial) college and career readiness…