Mid City Times

Of the 711 students at Richard Junior Lee Elementary School in Dallas, 320 (45%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to Mid City Times' analysis of test scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). To better understand these statistics, it's important to know what TSI (Texas Success Initiative) and CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) are, as they are key indicators of a student's readiness for post-secondary education or career paths.

Primary data on overall student readiness in Richard Junior Lee Elementary School is derived from the TSI's assessments, which evaluate student capabilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Certain students may qualify for exemptions from these assessments. In contrast, CCMR focuses on preparedness for life post-high school, factoring in TSI scores along with other criteria like dual credits, AP/IB exam results, and more, to provide insights into specific subject performance.

In the 2021-22 school year, Richard Junior Lee Elementary School's student population was made up of 711 students, of which 350 were Asian, 18 White, 11 Multiracial, seven African American, and three Hispanic students.

Data shows that 77% (11) of Richard Junior Lee Elementary School 15 multiracial students, 60% (350) of its 584 Asian students, 40% (18) of its 45 white students, 20% of its 36 African American students, and 14% of its 27 Hispanic students had "mastered" their grade level in the 2021-22 school year and were "on track for college and career readiness," as measured by state academic standards.

The TEA says students who meet, but haven't mastered their grade level are "prepared to progress to the next grade," but are not on a college track.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 403 Richard Junior Lee Elementary School students - equivalent to 58% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 45%, marking a 13% decrease from the previous year.

Despite an improvement after the pandemic, Texas students are still struggling to keep a good performance and reach grade level in schools. In the 2021-22 school year, nearly two-thirds (60%) of students were below grade level in math and 48% did not meet the standards in reading language and arts.

According to Chandra Villanueva, director of policy and advocacy for Every Texan, one of the main causes for this is bad funds management. "Your average homeowner is like, 'Look, I'm paying more and more every single year. Why are my schools still underfunded, overcrowded, my teachers underpaid? Obviously, the schools are doing a bad job with my money,'" she said in an interview. Currently, Texas residents pay more than $70 billion annually in taxes destined to public education.

Gov. Abbott has been calling not only for an end to the main school property tax, but to use public money to support private schools. The initiative is called universal private school choice and, if passed, would allow residents to use taxpayer money to pay for their kids' private education.

"School choice not only improves education for every kid and every parent who chooses that pathway," Abbott said at the Texas Capitol on Oct. 16.

School	Total Students	% On College Track
Austin Elementary School	458	51%
Canyon Ranch Elementary School	818	40%
Coppell High School	3,838	53%
Coppell Middle East	1,081	37%
Coppell Middle North	990	49%
Coppell Middle West	1,097	36%
Cottonwood Creek Elementary School	431	49%
Denton Creek Elementary School	557	55%
Lakeside Elementary School	508	42%
Mockingbird Elementary School	498	50%
New Tech High School at Coppell	380	62%
Pinkerton Elementary School	324	54%
Richard Junior Lee Elementary School	711	45%
Town Center Elementary	452	54%
Valley Ranch Elementary School	485	44%
Wilson Elementary School	479	70%

Source: Texas Education Agency.