Date of Award
1-17-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Ibrahim Duyar
Committee Members
Chris Jenkins; Julie Milligan
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 D67
Abstract
The core issue addressed by this study is the problem of poor school identification among students, which leads to low attendance, poor graduation rates, and limited participation in college preparation activities. This qualitative single-case study aimed to explore the perceptions of college facilitators and parents regarding how mandated engagement influences school identification in an early college high school. The early college model, a relatively new concept, was designed with the vision to “reimagine what the education of adolescents out to be” (D’Orio, 2022). Early college high schools allow students to enroll in college courses either part-time or full-time (Jett & Rinn, 2020). Despite the promise of this model, some areas, such as the effect of mandated engagement on student's attitudes or perceptions, have not been fully explored. The study used Critical Realism Theory (Fletcher, 2017) and Educational Interface Theory (Kahu & Nelson, 2018) to guide the investigation into the perceptions of college facilitators and parents, rather than students. Purposeful sampling was employed to select participants for this qualitative case study, with ten college administrators and five parents from a single early college program contributing their perspectives. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions allowed participants to share their views, which were analyzed using Creswell and Poth’s (2018) data analysis spiral and coded using NVivo software. The study’s findings revealed that both parents and college facilitators believed in mandated engagement when supported by both institutional and familial efforts, enhanced students’ readiness and resilience for postsecondary education. The themes that emerged from the study highlighted that while mandated engagement promoted a sense of belonging, confidence, and academic responsibility, it also posed challenges related to entitlement and emotional maturity. College facilitators noted the importance of productive struggle and concerns about grade monitoring, while parents emphasized the positive influence on students’ confidence and responsibility. These findings aim to inform policymakers and educational leaders by offering insights beyond student perspectives, emphasizing the need for balanced support to prepare students for the demands of both early college and higher education.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Dorris, Elizabeth Wise, "Examining Perceptions of College Facilitators and Parents on the Influence of Mandated Engagement with School Identification in an Early College High School" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1037.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1037
