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Early College High Schools (ECs) are growing in popularity as an affordable avenue for students to obtain up to an associate's degree while in high school in Texas. Using Merton's (1966) Anticipatory Socialization Theory, this study investigated how ECs shaped 13 graduates' social behaviors and norms while in high school, and then how they leveraged those behaviors in their transition to college. Results indicate that while ECs proved to be a supportive environment with nurturing teachers, these programs deemphasized social activities, leading to varying preparation of the social skills necessary for college fully. Recommendations for practice and future research are provided.

Rates of depression in youth are continuing to increase at a steady rate, yet these youth often do not receive mental health services (Bertha & Balázs, 2013; Thomas et al., 2011). Schools are an ideal setting to connect youth to mental health services; however, many barriers exist with respect to schools having adequate resources and access to the appropriate levels of services (Duong et al., 2021; Owens & Peltier, 2002). Schools may collaborate with local community providers with available resources to address these gaps. The current article describes the pilot of a school-based mental health promotion program intended to reduce depression in youth by promoting access to care through referrals to community providers. Data were collected, via self-report measures, every 3 months for 12 months from students from three middle and high schools in North Texas. The students (N = 88) enrolled in this program experienced significant reductions in their depression symptoms at the end of 12 months. This program highlights the importance of school-community partnerships to promote access to care to address mental health concerns. The results from our pilot study demonstrate the feasibility and the potential of school-based programs in improving the mental health of youth in schools through community partnership.

This study examined how 10 Latinx students perceived their sense of belonging in engineering programs. Drawing upon Strayhorn's definition of sense of belonging, we sought to understand the experiences and individuals that facilitated Latinx students' connections to their engineering programs and to the larger campus community at a 4-year university in Texas. The findings from this study indicate interactions with faculty members, academic advisors, and peers through student organizations facilitated a strong sense of belonging. However, the size and rigor of classes, distance to campus, outside responsibilities, and feeling like an outsider created challenges to students' sense of belonging at the university. Recommendations for practice and future research are offered.

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of sense of belonging among ten Latino male students enrolled in two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Texas. Through one-on-one interviews, the Latino males revealed relationships with faculty members and an openness to diversity fostered a sense of belonging. However, Greek Letter Organization infrastructure, campus cultural representation, and work responsibilities created obstacles to Latino males' campus connections. Implications for research and practice are offered.

The process of pursuing a higher education degree can be particularly complicated for undocumented students as they navigate the K-16 pipeline. Ganas, or the desire to succeed, is a cultural value that can serve a motivation to overcome educational obstacles. Using portraiture, this article highlights the ways students demonstrated ganas in the ways they prioritized relationships, honored parental sacrifices, and demonstrated resilience. Recommendations for research and practice are offered.

This study employed social capital and chain migration theory to understand the development of college aspirations and the college choice process of Latinx dual credit earners enrolled in engineering programs. Through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews, participants described the key individuals who inspired their college aspirations and shared the reasons they selected a four-year, public university. The findings indicate that dual credit was not a substantial influence in their college-going decision making. Instead, family, peers, and financial aid resources informed the participants' aspirations and choices. Recommendations for practice and future research are offered.

This qualitative, multi-site, case study examined the personal and professional experiences of women of color who currently hold higher-level administrative positions at a Texas community college district and the role that Bicultural Socialization Theory played in their pathway to the leadership pipeline. Using interviews, campus observations, document analysis, and analytic memos, this study found who are the mentors (i.e., cultural translators, cultural mediators, and role models) who supported women of color achieve high-level administrative positions. The findings revealed that women of color navigated home and work culture due to their ability to balance multiple responsibilities required at home and the responsibilities required by their leadership roles. The findings indicated that women of color were successful because they had the ability to drawn upon their minority culture towards a successful bicultural pathway. The implications and recommendations for practice and future research are included.

A successful transition to college is the foundation for future academic success, and this process is particularly important for a quickly growing Latino population. This qualitative study explored the transitional experiences of eight Latino students who enrolled in a historically Black university in Texas. Focusing specifically on their separation process, the findings reveal varying degrees of academic, social, cultural, and relational separation. Recommendations for practice and areas of future research are offered.

Using Merton's (1957) anticipatory socialization theory, this qualitative study explored how participation in dual credit in high school helped introduce 12 female students to the academic and social aspects of college to ease their first-year transitions. These students, who entered one Texas university with between 15 and 78 dual credits, appreciated saving money and getting a head start on college course requirements. However, the number of dual credits earned also affected students' course options, minor and major selections, and social opportunities. The paper discusses recommendations for practice and future research.

This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the academic and interpersonal validation experiences of four female and four male Latino students who were enrolled in their second- to fifth-year at an HBCU in Texas. Using interviews, campus observations, a questionnaire, and analytic memos, this study sought to understand the role of in- and out-of-class experiences that encouraged Latino students to be active members of the university's learning community and to overcome obstacles in their adjustment to college. The findings revealed family members, professors, administrators, peers, and off-campus employers were instrumental in offering academic and interpersonal validation. The participants in this study encountered challenges to academic validation if multiple responsibilities limited their ability to interact with their professors. Obstacles to interpersonal validation emerged when family members were unfamiliar with the HBCU campus, when Latino student organizations were unsupported, and when the presence of Latino students and culture was not represented on-campus and online. Implications and recommendations for practice and areas for future research are presented.

Drawing upon Franquiz & Salazar's (2004) humanizing pedagogy, this qualitative case study explored the perspectives of 22 school and community leaders in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Focus group narratives revealed that school teachers, administrators, and community leaders emphasized a culturally responsive approach to overcoming obstacles and promoting college readiness in this region. In addition, these stakeholders highlighted the importance of collaborative and asset-based strategies in promoting college readiness. To them, college readiness should include strong relationships among schools, families, and community leaders, and it should extend beyond traditional academic preparation in the classroom.

Introduction: Suicidality in youth is a serious public health problem. The Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX‐YDSRN) was initiated in 2020 to create a research registry for youth with depression and/or suicidality in Texas. This report presents baseline clinical/demographic characteristics of the first 1000 participants, focusing on suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Methods: The registry includes 8–20‐year‐old youth receiving treatment for depression, or who screen positive for depression and/or suicidal ideation/behavior. Baseline data include diagnosis, depression/anxiety severity, suicidal ideation/behavior, trauma history, and measures of resilience. Results: We present baseline data on the first 1000 participants. Most (79.6%) of the sample had a primary depressive disorder. The sample had moderate to severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents, PHQ‐A; 12.9 ± 6.4) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD‐7; 11.3 ± 5.9). Nearly half reported ≥1 lifetime suicide attempts and 90% reported lifetime or current suicidal ideation. Participants with past/current suicidality (attempts and/or ideation) had greater illness severity (depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts/behaviors), lower resilience, and higher rates of trauma exposure than those without suicidality. Conclusions: Baseline data indicate moderate levels of depression, anxiety, and suicidality and their correlates in this cohort. Future reports will determine trajectories of outcomes and predictors, moderators, and social determinants related to these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, after two previous unsuccessful attempts at electronic resources management system (ERMS) implementation, Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries set out once again to find an ERMS that would fit its needs. After surveying the field, TAMU Libraries selected the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries-developed, open-source ERMS, CORAL (Centralized Online Resources Acquisitions and Licensing). This article documents the selection, planning, and implementation of CORAL at the Texas A&M University Libraries as well as future plans for the system. (Contains 8 figures and 1 footnote.)

Large-scale changes in global climate at the end of the Pleistocene significantly impacted ecosystems across North America. However, the pace and scale of biotic turnover in response to both the Younger Dryas cold period and subsequent Holocene rapid warming have been challenging to assess because of the scarcity of well dated fossil and pollen records that covers this period. Here we present an ancient DNA record from Hall's Cave, Texas, that documents 100 vertebrate and 45 plant taxa from bulk fossils and sediment. We show that local plant and animal diversity dropped markedly during Younger Dryas cooling, but while plant diversity recovered in the early Holocene, animal diversity did not. Instead, five extant and nine extinct large bodied animals disappeared from the region at the end of the Pleistocene. Our findings suggest that climate change affected the local ecosystem in Texas over the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, but climate change on its own may not explain the disappearance of the megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene. The impact of late Pleistocene climate change on ecosystems has been hard to assess. Here, the authors sequence ancient DNA from Hall's Cave, Texas and find that both plant and vertebrate diversity decreased with cooling, and though plant diversity recovered with rewarming, megafauna went extinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a tremendous need for brief, valid, and free assessments of anxiety in child mental healthcare. The goal of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of two such measures, the GAD-7 and PROMIS-Anxiety-4a, in 1000 children, adolescents, and young adults (8-20 years-old) with depression and/or suicidality. The GAD-7, the PROMIS-Anxiety-4a, and other validated assessments of anxiety, physical functioning, and psychiatric diagnoses were completed. Confirmatory factor analyses showed an acceptable fit for a single factor in both measures via all indices but the RMSEA. They demonstrated measurement invariance across pre-adolescents (8-12 years-old) and adolescents and emerging adults (13-20 years-old), though scalar invariance was not observed for the GAD-7. Both measures showed strong convergent validity, GAD-7: r = 0.68; PROMIS-Anxiety-4a: r = 0.75, divergent validity with a measure of physical function, GAD-7: r = -0.24; PROMIS-Anxiety-4a: r = -0.28, good internal consistency, ω = 0.89 for both, and high test-retest reliability, GAD-7: r = 0.69; PROMIS-Anxiety-4a: r = 0.71. Both measures also showed acceptable sensitivity and specificity in detecting the presence of any anxiety disorder, GAD-7 cut-off score of 10: AUC = 0.75; PROMIS-Anxiety-4a cutoff score of 12: AUC = 0.79. The GAD-7 correlated similarly with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders total score and generalized anxiety subscale, and also showed similar diagnostic sensitivity and specificity when used to detect the presence of any anxiety disorder vs. generalized anxiety disorder specifically. Results suggest that both of these brief, publicly available instruments are valid and reliable assessments of anxiety among youth in treatment for depression and/or suicidality. • Explored psychometrics of GAD-7 & PROMIS-Anxiety-4a among depressed/suicidal youth. • Both showed acceptable single factor fit. • Both showed strong convergent and divergent validity. • Both showed acceptable diagnostic utility in screening for anxiety disorders. • GAD-7 is valid in assessing anxiety broadly and generalized anxiety specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American youth are seriously impacted by depression and suicide. The Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) Participant Registry Study was initiated in 2020 to develop predictive models for treatment outcomes in youth with depression and/or suicidality. This report presents the study rationale, design and baseline characteristics of the first 1000 participants. TX-YDSRN consists of the Network Hub (coordinating center), 12 medical school "Nodes" (manage/implement study), each with 1–5 primary care, inpatient, and/or outpatient Sub-Sites (recruitment, data collection). Participants are 8–20-year-olds who receive treatment or screen positive for depression and/or suicidality. Baseline data include mood and suicidality symptoms, associated comorbidities, treatment history, services used, and social determinants of health. Subsequent assessments occur every two months for 24 months. Among 1000 participants, 68.7 % were 12–17 years, 24.6 % were ≥ 18 years, and 6.7 % were < 12. Overall, 36.8 % were non-Hispanic Caucasian, 73.4 % were female, and 79.9 % had a primary depressive disorder. Nearly half of the sample reported ≥1 suicide attempt, with rates similar in youth 12–17 years old (49.9 %) and those 18 years and older (45.5 %); 29.9 % of children <12 reported at least one suicide attempt. Depression and anxiety scores were in the moderate-severe range for all age groups (Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents [PHQ-A]: 12.9 ± 6.4; Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD-7]: 11.3 ± 5.9). The sample includes youth who are receiving depression care at enrollment and may not be representative of non-diagnosed, non-treatment seeking youth. The TX-YDSRN is one of the largest prospective longitudinal cohort registries designed to develop predictive models for outcome trajectories based on disorder heterogeneity, social determinants of health, and treatment availability. • TX-YDSRN will improve understanding of youth with depression and suicidal behaviors. • TX-YDSRN consists of the UT Southwestern Network Hub and 12 medical school "Nodes". • The Research Registry will follow 2500 Texas youth for 2 years. • This report includes the first 1000 youth enrolled in the Research Registry study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the 9-item Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report (CHRT-SR 9), a measure of suicidality, in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. Altogether, 933 depressed or suicidal adolescents (12–20 years of age), receiving treatment at psychiatric outpatient clinics in Texas, completed the 16-item CHRT-SR at baseline and one month later. CHRT-SR 9 was extracted from CHRT-SR 16 using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Sex and age measurement invariance, classical test theory, item response theory (IRT), and concurrent validity analyses (against the suicidal ideation Item 9 of Patient Health Questionnaire-Adolescent (PHQ-A)) were conducted. The CHRT-SR 9 demonstrated excellent model fit with four factors (pessimism, helplessness, despair, and suicidal thoughts). Measurement invariance was upheld. Acceptable item-total correlations (0.56–0.80) and internal consistency (Spearman-Brown 0.78–0.89) were revealed. IRT analyses showed a unidimensional instrument with excellent item performance. Using the CHRT-SR 9 total score as a measure of overall suicidality and comparing it against levels of PHQ-A Item 9, the mean (standard deviation) of CHRT-SR 9 total score was 8.64 (SD = 5.97) for no-risk (0 on Item 9), 17.05 (SD = 5.00) for mild, 23.16 (SD = 5.05) for moderate, and 26.96 (SD = 5.24) for severe-risk (3 on Item 9). Significant differences (p-value<0.0001) indicated that CHRT-SR 9 total score distinguished between levels of suicidal risk. Furthermore, CHRT-SR 9 was sensitive to change over a one-month period. Whether CHRT-SR 9 predicts actual suicidal attempts in adolescents is not well defined. The CHRT-SR 9 is an easy-to-administer, user-friendly self-report with good psychometric qualities which makes it an excellent screening measure of suicidal risk in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. • CHRT-SR 9 is a measure of suicidal risk in adolescent psychiatric outpatients. • It is brief, easy to comprehend, and simple to score. • It has excellent psychometric qualities and stable subscales. • It has high reliability, validity and is sensitive to change in suicidality over time. • It can be useful as a screening tool for suicide or to assess treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]