Can Summer Enrollment Lead to More Equitable Outcomes? Early Summer College Enrollment and Four-Year Degree Attainment at a Young Research Institution

Abstract

Using institutional data from University of California, Merced (UC Merced), this dissertation explores the relationship between enrolling in academic units in the summer term immediately after the first year of college (first-summer) and four-year degree completion at a Hispanic- and Minority-Serving Institution, through the lenses of Academic Momentum research and the theory of student engagement in the Educational Interface. A number of variables are considered, including student demographic and academic characteristics, as well as student first-year academic success, which is defined using cumulative first-year GPA and unit accumulation. Specific populations of interest include First-generation, Pell-eligible, URM, and STEM students. Students who are First-generation or URM were found to be less likely to enroll in first-summer, while STEM students were more likely to enroll, as were students who experienced greater academic success in terms of GPA and unit accumulation in their first year of college. Overall, first-summer was associated with a statistically significant increased likelihood of four-year degree completion, especially for STEM students, but the association changed when controlling for varying levels of first-year academic success. The strongest associations between first-summer and four-year degree attainment were found with students in the lowest or highest first-year Academic Success Groups. The association of first-summer and four-year degree completion for students who earned at least a 2.0 first-year GPA but did not complete 30 academic units in the first year was positive but not statistically significant. However, further exploration of this group found first-summer to be positive and significant for STEM students and students who entered as an Undeclared major.

Leadership strategies employed in high poverty, high-performing small high schools A mixed-method inquiry

Abstract

Ever since the National Commission on Excellence in Education’s A Nation at Risk (1983) report, a collective movement toward raising student achievement for all students and closing the achievement gap within student subgroups has changed the role of the site principal from manager to instructional leader, as well as transformed how states fund schools and assess their accountability. In 2014, California created a funding process through a Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) that required collaborative decision-making and local supervision, and provided more funding to schools serving higher-poverty communities; raising the stakes of accountability also meant a greater focus on school leadership. As the principal of a small high school of 350 students, 19% of whom are living in poverty, this inquiry seeks to examine principal leadership in similar small high schools that are high-performing due to their principal’s leadership and their respective approach to accountability planning. All principals live on the front lines developing and implementing LCAP plans, while simultaneously juggling new mandates and all aspects of a school’s operations. Small school principals lead this transformational improvement in teaching and learning with less district support and fewer resources. Although every principal’s goal remains to ensure the high performance of students and faculty, I argue that over the last three decades, the unique challenges of small school principals have been underserved in California’s education system. Seen in this light, this study seeks to deepen the understanding of Fullan’s “Coherence Framework” and its application by school leaders in selected small high schools in Northern California. This study used a mixed-method approach that identified the goals, actions, and services outlined in the LCAP and, through interviews, explored systematic leadership approaches related to school improvement and outcomes for low-socioeconomic disadvantaged students (SES). By studying how principals in high-performing small schools view these components, how they translate them into action, and how they address the particular challenges and opportunities in small districts, this study will provide valuable information to other small school districts and principals with limited financial and human resources, on how to enhance student achievement. Keywords: principal, principal leadership, small high schools, CAASPP, LCFF, LCAP