Date of Award
8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Phillip Grant Jr.
Committee Member
Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford
Committee Member
Dr. Brian Bolt
Committee Member
Dr. Brian Callahan
Abstract
Historically minoritized students are still underrepresented in many Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, such as agricultural education, even though these programs offer valuable academic, workforce, and postsecondary opportunities. This dissertation used Improvement Science to explore whether educator perceptions and communication practices played a role in this underrepresentation at Liberty Career Center. It also examined whether targeted informational interventions could help educators become more aware of and more positive about Career Center opportunities.
Following Improvement Science principles, the study used a continuous improvement approach to find system-level barriers and test new ways to improve communication between the Career Center and middle school educators. Surveys were administered three times to middle school teachers and guidance counselors to measure their familiarity with Career Center programs, their views on student opportunities, and their confidence in recommending Career Center pathways. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to see how educator perceptions changed over time.
Recommended Citation
Sutter, Janine Honey, "Making the Case for Historically Minoritized Students at Career Centers with a focus on Agriculture" (2026). All Dissertations. 4366.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4366