Helping Students Graduate

This book describes the fifteen strategies identified through research reviewed by The National Dropout Prevention Center and Network at Clemson University. Each chapter in this book was written by a nationally recognized authority in that field. Research has shown that these 15 strategies have been successfully implemented in all school levels from K - 12 in rural, suburban, and urban centers; as stand-alone programs or as part of systemic school improvement plans. Helping Students Graduate: A Strategic Approach to Dropout Prevention also covers No Child Left Behind and its effects on dropout rates; Dealing with Hispanic dropouts; Differences and similarities between rural and urban dropouts. These fifteen strategies have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Education. They are applicable to all students, including students with disabilities.

Teaching Gradually is a guide for anyone new to teaching and learning in higher education. Written for graduate student instructors, by graduate students with substantive teaching experience, this resource is among the first of its kind to speak to graduate students as comrades-in-arms with voices from alongside them in the trenches, rather than from far behind the lines. Each author featured in this book was a graduate student at the time they wrote their contribution. Consequently, the following chapters give scope to a newer, diverse generation of educators who are closer in experience and professional age to the book’s intended audience. The tools, methods, and ideas discussed here are ones that the authors have found most useful in teaching today’s students. Each chapter offers a variety of strategies for successful classroom practices that are often not explicitly covered in graduate training.Overall, this book consists of 42 chapters written by 51 authors who speak from a vast array of backgrounds and viewpoints, and who represent a broad spectrum of experience spanning small, large, public, and private institutions of higher education. Each chapter offers targeted advice that speaks to the learning curve inherent to early-career teaching, while presenting tangible strategies that readers can leverage to address the dynamic professional landscape they inhabit. The contributors’ stories and reflections provide the context to build the reader’s confidence in trying new approaches in their his or her teaching. This book covers a wide range of topics designed to appeal to graduate student instructors across disciplines, from those teaching discussion sections, to those managing studio classes and lab sessions, to those serving as the instructor of record for their own course. Despite the medley of content, two common threads run throughout this volume: a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, and an acknowledgment of the increasing shift to online teaching.As a result of engaging with Teaching Gradually, readers will be able to:·Identify best teaching practices to enhance student learning ·Develop a plan to implement these strategies in their teaching ·Expand their conception of contexts in which teaching and learning can take place ·Evaluate and refine their approaches to fostering inclusion in and out of the classroom ·Assess student learning and the efficacy of their own teaching practices ·Practice professional self-reflection

Despite continued growth in enrollments, graduate program attrition rates are of great concern to academic program coordinators. It is estimated that only 40 to 50 percent of students who begin Ph.D. programs complete their degrees. This book describes programs, initiatives, and interventions that lead to overall student retention and success.Written for graduate school administrators, student affairs professionals, and faculty, this book offers ways to better support today’s graduate student population, addresses the needs of today’s changing student demography and considers the challenges today’s graduate students face inside and outside of the classroom. The opening section highlights the shifting demographics and contextual factors shaping graduate education over the past 20 years, while the second describes institutional practices to develop the requisite academic and professional development necessary to succeed in master’s and doctoral programs. In conclusion, the editors curate a conversation about different ways institutions can support graduate students beyond the classroom.

This book is a guide for designing professional development programs for graduate students. The teaching competencies framework presented here can serve as the intended curriculum for such programs. The book will also be an excellent resource for evaluating programs, and will be an excellent resource for academics who study graduate students.This book presents the work of the Graduate Teaching Competencies Consortium to identify, organize, and clarify the competencies that graduate students need to teach effectively when they join the professoriate. To achieve this goal, the Consortium developed a framework of 10 teaching competencies organized around three overarching questions:• What do graduate students need to achieve by the end of their graduate education to be successful teacher-scholars?• What do graduate students need to understand about higher education to have successful careers as educators?• What do graduate students need to do to be successful teachers during their graduate student careers?Although much work has been done to identify the competencies of effective teachers in higher education, only a small portion of this work has been conducted with graduate student instructors. This is an important area of research given that graduate students are critical in the higher education academic pipeline. Nationally, graduate students teach between 25% and 50% of courses offered at the undergraduate level. Graduate student teaching is also critical because during early teaching experiences teachers establish a teaching style and set of teaching skills, which will endure as graduate students enter the professoriate.It is important to develop a teaching competency framework that is specific to graduate student instructors as they often have unique needs and roles as teachers. For example, graduate student instructors are in the unique position of becoming experts in their field concurrent with learning to teach. Moreover, as many professional development programs for graduate student instructors evolve based upon factors such as available resources and perceived needs of graduate students, this framework will be a useful aid for thoughtfully designing strategic, evidence-based, comprehensive professional development opportunities and programs.

This guide helps faculty and student affairs practitioners better serve graduate and professional school students as they navigate what can be an isolating, taxing, and unfamiliar context. Providing actionable strategies, as well as a common language for practitioners to advocate for themselves and for their students, this book is a quick start manual that defines current issues around graduate and professional student development. Drawing together current resources and research around post-baccalaureate student outcomes, this book explores the diverse student needs of graduate and professional students and provides a clear understanding of their social, personal, and psychological development and how to support their success. Case studies showcase specific examples of practice including a holistic development model for graduate training; integrating academic, personal, professional, and career development needs; promising practices for engagement; a diversity, equity, and inclusion approach to access and outcomes; how graduate schools can be important partners to student affairs professionals; and examples of assessment in action. This book provides tools, resources, communication strategies, and actionable theory-to-practice connections for practitioners, professionals, and faculty at all levels who work to support post-baccalaureate student thriving. Appendix available for download online at www.routledge.com/9780367639884 on the tab that is entitled "Support Material."

Addresses the mental health challenges of graduate school and how students can succeed and thrive. With rates of depression and anxiety six times higher among graduate students than the general population, maintaining emotional wellbeing in graduate school is vital! Students must be prepared with skills that will not only help them perform well but also help them feel well. Thriving in Graduate School: The Expert's Guide to Success and Wellness is the first book on graduate student mental health written by mental health professionals. It promotes psychologically healthy approaches to navigating the graduate school experience and teaches students that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. The authors introduce students to unique perspectives that are key to positive mental health. Additionally, this is the only book of its type to explore issues routinely faced by historically marginalized graduate students. Special sections at the end of each chapter written for faculty, administrators, and mental health professionals augment the book by suggesting ways that each of these groups can help guide and support graduate students through their journey. Featuring vignettes and experiences from actual graduate students, Thriving in Graduate School sheds light on common—but hidden—truths to help students manage the many challenges they will face and even thrive during their graduate school years. Written with compassion and humor, this is a must read for prospective students and those who seek to support them.

A practical and evidence-based teaching guide for graduate students across all fields. In a book written directly for graduate students that includes graduate student voices and experiences, Aeron Haynie and Stephanie Spong establish why good teaching matters and offer a guide to helping instructors-in-training create inclusive and welcoming classrooms. Teaching Matters is informed by recent research while being grounded in the personal perspectives of current and past graduate students in many disciplines. Graduate students can use this book independently to prepare to teach their courses, or it can be used as a guide for a teaching practicum. With a just-in-time checklist for graduate students who are assigned to teach courses right before the semester starts, step-by-step directions for writing a compelling teaching philosophy, and an emphasis on teaching well regardless of modality, Teaching Matters will remain relevant for graduate students throughout their careers.

Graduate and professional schools are draining--emotionally, financially, and physically. In addition to coping with the pressures of classes and high performance expectations, many graduate students juggle multiple lives, trying to please their professors, maintain their status as adults, pay for books and classes and rent and food, keep up a place to live, preserve their marriages, raise their children, and deal with their parents, all while they work as teaching assistants, resident advisors, or research assistants. When adults return to school, they may find themselves forced into a childlike status, causing considerable resentment or regression and sometimes reawakening old conflicts. Furthermore, the relationship of professors and graduate students is often complex and emotionally enmeshed, tinged with issues of respect, rivalry, and even romance. Not surprisingly, many graduate students find the conflicts overwhelming at times. With fascinating case studies and lucid explanations, this book offers a clear look at the special difficulties of graduate students and practical ways the university can help.