As a scholar-practitioner, Latoya Watson conducts research in the following areas: systemic change, equity in (higher) education, college access, student retention and persistence, student interventions, and academic advising for marginalized students. While studying for her Master of Public Administration with concentrations in State & Local Management and Education Policy, she served on the research team that garnered high-needs and "Race to the Top" funding for the State of Delaware.
Equity Mindedness in Academic Advising
Education Leadership Portfolio (equivalent to Dissertation)(Abstract)
This Educational Leadership Portfolio documents my efforts to improve student success outcomes in the Associate in Arts Program (AAP) using equity-minded, proactive advising. The status quo in higher education is to focus efforts on deficits and the implementation of compensatory programs for students deemed at risk of not completing the degree. In contrast, in my work with AAP students, I implemented an equity-minded approach to advising.
The first improvement goal was to improve the frequency and quality of academic advising interactions. The second improvement goal was to improve credit completion, which is an intermediate measure for graduation rates. To accomplish these two improvement goals, I implemented three improvement strategies. My first improvement strategy was to establish proactive advising policies and procedures. The second improvement strategy focused on advising curricula administered via First Year Seminar, Sophomore Seminar and Transition Seminar. The third improvement strategy was a Finish in Two policy, in which students were advised to earn a minimum of 30 credits each academic year to encourage on-time graduation.
Collectively, the outcomes for the improvement goals and strategies inform recommendations for program improvements. Credit completion and frequency of advising improved. To further impact student success outcomes, AAP needs to improve the quality of advising. Based upon the findings, there are three opportunities for programmatic improvements: 1) improved faculty advisor training and support, 2) accessible curriculum guides for students and advisors with explicit explanation of the Finish in Two policy, and 3) a streamlined First Year Seminar curriculum.
Published Reports
Delaware Teacher and administrator Supply survey analysis (2007)
Co-authored report with Dr. Jeffrey Raffel, now retired Director of UD School of Public Policy and Administration Charles P. Messick Professor . This report, funded by the Delaware Department of Education, highlighted hiring needs and trends in K-12 education. For this report, personnel directors from each district responded to survey questions; the survey was supplemented by DOE data. This report was used to request high needs funding from the federal government; it was ultimately used to secure Race to the Top funding.
According to report findings, the late teacher hiring mirrored the prior year, which was a significant decrease from prior years. While difficulty in hiring special education decreased from the last year, it continued to be one of the most difficult to fill. Special Education, bilingual/ESOL, high school math, and high school science positions were difficult to fill; elementary, physical education, english, and social science positions were not difficult to fill.
Delaware teacher and administrator supply survey analysis (2008)
Co-authored report with Audrey Bare and Kelly Sherretz for this annual report funded by the Delaware Department of Education.This report was used to request high needs funding from the federal government; it was ultimately used to secure Race to the Top funding.
According to report findings, high school math was the most difficult teaching position to fill. Special Education, bilingual, ESOL, middle school math, and high school science positions were difficult to fill; elementary and physical education were not difficult to fill. The districts reported an increase in major difficulty in hiring for many of the subject areas this year compared to previous years.
Improving college access: an analysis of parent engagement in student success plans (2008)
An analytical report submitted to the Public Management Faculty of [the now] School of Public Policy and Administration in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Administration. The purpose of the study was to determine the progress toward effectively engaging parents in Student Success Plans -- a program to personalize the the high school experience so students can be "competently guided" and be able to make "make mature and informed judgement" about their careers.
Schools face various challenges when implementing Student Success Plans. School counselors feel overwhelmed with other responsibilities. They also have problems with staff buy-in. Many teachers feel that SSP takes away from instruction and are reluctant to advising because they feel overwhelmed with instruction, prep, and professional development. Low parent participation and district poverty are additional logistical concerns.
The analytical paper concluded that the effects of parent engagement on student achievement are dependent on the type of involvement and the age group. Overall, the strongest positive effects on student achievement are associated with "learning at home" and remains true for students from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. In fact, when parent engagement activities are linked to learning, they are most effective at improving student achievement.