MINORITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO TRANSFER TO FOUR‐YEAR COLLEGES: A STUDY OF A MATCHED SAMPLE OF B.A. RECIPIENTS AND NON‐RECIPIENTS

In order to study the factors promoting and inhibiting transfer and the attainment of the bachelors degree, we conducted telephone interviews with 48 minority students who had received Ford Foundation Upper Division Scholarships between 1971 and 1975 and who had transferred from a two‐year to a four‐year college. Each of the 24 pairs consisted of one bachelors degree recipient and one non‐recipient who were matched according to the following criteria: gender, race/ethnicity, age, parents education and occupation and initial community college major. In high school, the bachelors degree recipients had stronger academic backgrounds than the non‐recipients. In community colleges, the bachelors degree recipients were more likely to see their instructors and counselors as “helpful” and to be members of a campus organization than non‐recipients. In four‐year colleges, the bachelors degree recipients were less likely to have lost credits when they transferred and more likely to belong to student organizations and to see their classmates as “helpful” than non‐recipients. We relate these findings to previous research on the importance of social integration into college life.

     

Developing research capacity among graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment

A critical review of research to date suggests a need to explore the development of graduate student research capacity from the standpoint of graduate students. Six members of an interdisciplinary graduate student colloquium at the Centre for Youth and Society (Victoria, Canada) offer their perspective. Our research involved four phases, each illustrating the processes that refined our understanding of the components that contributed to the development of our graduate student research capacity. First, we engaged in several round-table discussions and created a conceptual map depicting components that were meaningful in developing our research capacity. Second, we examined previous work on graduate student research capacity development and compared this data to the conceptual map. Third, we conducted a thematic analysis of secondary data of graduated students with similar interdisciplinary training and involvement in the Centre. Finally, the data analysis was used to refine the conceptual map that may benefit educators and future graduate students. From the standpoint of students themselves, we discuss those components perceived as best contributing to the development of graduate student research capacity and highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary context and writing process.     

Examining Faculty Member Changes in an Innovative Educational Doctorate Program

Recent criticisms of the Educational Doctorate (Ed.D.) have challenged faculty members to create or reform such programs. In response to these concerns, faculty members at a particular institution designed and implemented a new Ed.D. program focused on leadership and innovation. We conducted this action research study in order to examine the changes faculty members experienced as they implemented the program along with the factors to which they attributed these changes. Data were gathered with an online survey; and results indicated changes had occurred in perceptions of research, teaching, and students as well as professional identities. Participants attributed these changes to collaborative teaching, a community of practice, and strong leadership. Findings will guide program leaders and faculty members in the coming years and may provide insights to leaders of similar programs and to those guiding innovative efforts.     

An Educational Tool for Formal Relational Database Query Languages

This article describes an educational tool, implemented in Prolog, that takes advantage of the connection between logic programming and databases to provide an evaluator for relational query languages. The tool utilizes a common data definition facility and provides the student with a choice of query languages: relational algebra, domain relational calculus, tuple relational calculus, and SQL. The students use the relational interpreter for a sequence of homework assignments that both provide invaluable feedback on each language and illustrate the differences between the languages.     

Comprehensive Religious Studies in Public Education: Educating for a Religiously Literate Society

This article aims to enlarge the conversation about religion and public education by inviting readers to think about the benefits to be gained in society by providing a comprehensive religious studies curriculum in our public schools. In such a program, students will develop knowledge and understanding about various religious traditions, forge greater respect for the religious (and nonreligious) other, and think through existential concerns that have interested human beings for thousands of years. While recognizing that such a program is deeply contentious, we nevertheless reason that students, as participants in a democracy as well as members of a global community, must have the skills, tools, and knowledge to function in a religiously diverse world.     

Time in the arts and physical education and school achievement

With the increase in state‐mandated high‐stakes testing across the USA, schools and school districts are considering ways of increasing instructional time for core curricular subjects such as mathematics, science, English, and social studies. One seemingly logical approach to improving test scores is to reduce the time spent in subjects that are not tested, most notably art, music, and physical education, thus increasing time for the tested subjects. In this study, data was collected from 547 Virginia elementary school principals who completed a survey indicating the time specialists taught art, music, and physical education in their schools. After controlling for socio‐cultural opportunities associated with the school community, partial correlations between time allocation and school‐level passing rates on the Virginia Standards of Learning tests indicated no meaningful relationship between time allocation to art, music, and physical education and school achievement. The findings from the study do not support the notion that a reduced time allocation to art, music, and physical education is related to higher test scores.