Research

The college application process is complicated, including how high school students obtain and use information to narrow down their college choices. This selection process can be especially challenging for students at racially and socioeconomically diverse high schools, who may be influenced by the marketing techniques of less and noncompetitive schools that at times come with high price tags.

The concept of “undermatching” refers to high-performing students, often from economically-disadvantaged households, who attend less competitive colleges that do not match the students’ high qualifications. A current research study now suggests that undermatching correlates with delayed graduation.

Corey Bower, assistant professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, is partnering with the Buffalo Public Schools to analyze and disseminate the results of the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and redesign the survey for its use in the district in 2019. The collaboration is part of the UB Graduate School of Education Faculty in Residence Program.

Corrie Stone-Johnson, associate professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, is partnering with the Buffalo Public Schools to address the development of a principal pipeline, which will guarantee that more individuals from minority backgrounds are recruited into leadership programs and supported throughout their development. The collaboration is part of the UB Graduate School of Education Faculty in Residence Program.

Nathan Daun-Barnett, associate professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, has been awarded a three-year grant from the private firm vibeffect. The goal of the grant is to evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic guidance strategy designed by vibeffect to help students make more informed decisions in the college-choice and enrollment process, as well as its implications for higher education institutions.

Melinda Lemke, assistant professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, is the primary investigator on a study that will examine how school staff leverage policy and/or programming supports to address the social and emotional well-being of displaced students in Western New York schools. Amanda Nickerson, professor from the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, is the study co-investigator. The collaboration is part of the UB Graduate School of Education Faculty in Residence Program and is supported through the Community for Global Health Equity.