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Copyright of Journal of Hispanic Higher Education is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Applying O'Meara, Campbell, and Terosky's (2011) faculty agency framework, this qualitative case study examined full-time, non-tenure-track [End Page 1635] faculty (FTNTTF) members' perceptions of their agency at an elite public research university. Participants experienced greater agency over time and in the classroom, but felt their agency was constrained by departmental and college leadership's inconsistent interpretation of university policies regarding FTNTTF. Participants experienced feelings of invisibility and exclusion, unclear perceptions and undervaluation by their colleagues, and felt vulnerable to leadership transitions that might affect their roles. This study suggests that overarching power structures—administration, tenured faculty, formal and informal policies—may contribute to experiences of constrained agency and invisibility for key members of the organization. These complex dynamics undermine FTNTTF's capacity to actualize their skills, experience, and expertise to the full extent of their abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of high-stakes accountability, education-related policy efforts have aimed to address the improvement of persistently low-achieving (PLA) schools via turnaround reform strategies. Such strategies provide opportunities for educational leaders to influence the process; however, limited research examining the role of the assistant principal (AP) exists. This study explored the role of social justice identities of 12 APs in schools labeled as PLA in an urban, Midwestern city. Despite the policy pressures associated with turnaround reform strategies, APs leveraged their social justice identities to create innovative changes in culture and practice within schools. Although all APs perceived themselves as an ally, the extent of the orientation, and whether it leads toward emancipatory education, remains a question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines masculinity in a manner commensurate with established feminist frameworks to deconstruct a patriarchal system that ill-serves both men and women. Method: We utilized standpoint theory and narrative analysis to examine longitudinal, qualitative data from first-year Black and Latino males as they transition into community college through their second semester. Findings: Positionality is critical to understanding the success of Black and Latino males and their response to institutional structures. In many instances, men leveraged normative constructions of masculinity as aids to their success, and their resilience and confidence were filtered through their perceived development into adults. Conclusion: Implications for practice include the creation of spaces for men to talk about what it means to be a man in college and ways to influence men to make the most of resources when proffered, even if they tend to avoid seeking them out on their own. Further research should seek to understand how men develop and evolve their concepts of masculinity as well as how and to what extent spaces for men actually work to dismantle hegemonic masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meaningful community involvement has been linked to enhancements in student achievement and quality of educational experiences. Assistant principals are positioned to build effective partnerships yet remain understudied in the leadership preparation field. This qualitative study investigated how assistant principals (N = 9) serving historically marginalized populations conceptualized and realized community leadership amidst prescriptive measures embedded within the Title I School Improvement Grant. This study highlights how the collective conceptualization of community leadership is complex and deserving of additional consideration. Findings indicate that school leaders desire more effective and sustainable partnerships, yet policies and knowledge gaps present unique challenges to change efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Latino male college students are vanishing from postsecondary institutions. This phenomenological qualitative research study explores the educational attainment gap of Latino male community college students. Using male gender role conflict as the framework, this study determines three findings: (a) pride, or machismo, triggers men to admit emotionality only in rigid ways, (b) pride and fear prevent men from seeking academic support, and (c) cultural and familial expectations of getting a job and earning money as a marker of manhood all serve to "pull" Latino men away from their studies and make dropping out the easier and more viable option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs survey data from the Center for Community College Student Engagement to examine the similarities and differences that exist across student-level domains in terms of student engagement in community colleges. In total, the sample used in the analysis pools data from 663 community colleges and includes more than 320,000 students. Using data-mining techniques to discover a parsimonious number of natural clusters and, in turn, a k-means cluster analysis as a means of revealing a naturally occurring typology of engagement patterns, our findings reveal that support service utilization is the most distinguishing feature of the similarities and dissimilarities across student groups, suggesting areas for further theory development and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]