Community college students begin their higher education studies with the goal of completing an associate’s degree, a certificate, transferring, or improving/obtaining employment skills. Students do not begin higher education thinking they will depart . . .

Student support services, such as academic advising, promote college student retention and increased graduation rates. As educational institutions continue to face budgetary uncertainties, academic advising services are facing cuts that threaten their . . .

This dissertation consists of three linked papers that examine and amplify teachers’ voice during Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation. Using the framework of narrative inquiry, the first paper explores my own sense of agency and voice ov . . .

Mindfulness is a contemplative practice and mode of awareness that has been shown to promote adaptive psychological skills and provide therapeutic benefit. There is currently a burgeoning movement to incorporate mindfulness in diverse educational sett . . .

This study set out to understand how the federal work-study (FWS) program currently plays a role at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in supporting college students, particularly students of color, toward college completion and in their career dec . . .

Students with Pacific Islander (PI) heritage have among the lowest bachelor attainment rates with four-year degrees at only 15%. This study seeks to identify the strengths of Pacific Islanders (PI) by examining their experiences at Asian American and . . .

The growth and popularity of undergraduate asynchronous online courses within the California State University (CSU) system including at San Francisco State University (SF State) has provided students with more opportunities for learning. However, rese . . .

This phenomenological study explored the growing concerns, meanings, and implications of no confidence vote sanctions against presidents in California’s community colleges. Using in-depth interviews, this study attempted to contribute in-depth knowled . . .

This study consists of a comprehensive analysis of Afrocentricity and African Centered Education and the value and viability of these paradigms as alternatives to the current Eurocentric educational system in the United States. It will seek to critica . . .

The purpose of this review is to provide insight to urban educators and policy makers about measures that can be taken to improve teacher retention in urban schools. An to establish context for current educational discourse regarding issues of teacher . . .

This study focuses on California’s controversial “double dose” intervention program mandated for schools placed in Program Improvement. Meant to accelerate student achievement, the “double dose” intervention program presents an unique opportunity to s . . .

This comparative case study utilized oral histories to illuminate the life stories of three Black men who grew up impacted by the crack epidemic and the attendant traumas. The goal of the study was to better understand how they navigated education and . . .

This qualitative study explores pedagogical practices and student responses in three community college learning communities targeting African American students. Using classroom observations, instructor and student interviews, and student focus groups, . . .

This mixed methods dissertation explores the application of critical media literacy pedagogy in higher education. A review of the scholarly literature found that there are five hypothesized outcomes of a critical media literacy education: student enga . . .

The central focus of this study explores the transition of students with learning disabilities from high school to community college. Although students with learning disabilities are entitled to transition services as highlighted in ADA, OCR, and IDEA . . .

California community colleges make higher education accessible for all; however, nearly half its students fail to achieve their goal of degree completion. Based upon the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force, the California legislature pas . . .

One way districts and schools improve the academic achievement of students is to increase teacher quality — a key contributor a student’s academic success (Darling- Hammond, 2000; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005). This quantitative study employed logis . . .

All Latin@ students do not learn the same. The socioeconomic factors which impact the personal, cultural, civic, and academic development of Latin@ students varies significantly based upon the geographic region, the local community dynamic, and their . . .

The aim of this thesis is to critique how the perception of the culture of social institutions (i.e. public education) has led to failure of pure democracy as conceptualized in Western experience due to groundless focus on individual accountability fo . . .

This qualitative case study followed one school’s journey through a professional development series based on the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. The study focused on the transformation of fourteen teachers in a small urban elementary school wh . . .