Mid City Times

Of the 928 students at Houston Middle School in Irving, 789 (85%) "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 Houston Middle 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, Houston Middle School's student population was made up of 928 students, of which 55 were Hispanic, 51 African American, 17 Asian, 10 White, three Multiracial, and one American Indian students.

Data shows that 39% (17) of Houston Middle School 44 Asian students, 21% of its 19 multiracial students, 18% (10) of its 57 white students, 14% (51) of its 368 African American students, 13% (55) of its 426 Hispanic students, and 13% of its 14 American Indian 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 870 Houston Middle School students - equivalent to 90% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 85%, marking a 5% 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 Middle School	911	87%
Barbara Cardwell Career Preparatory Center	240	94%
Barton Elementary School	859	92%
Bowie Middle School	821	87%
Brandenburg Elementary School	884	83%
Britain Elementary School	582	90%
Brown Elementary School	677	84%
Crockett Middle School	937	91%
Davis Elementary School	799	88%
Elliott Elementary School	555	82%
Farine Elementary School	872	84%
Gilbert F. M. Elementary School	706	81%
Good Elementary School	724	90%
Haley Junior Elementary School	719	88%
Haley T. Elementary School	820	82%
Hanes Elementary School	638	87%
Houston Middle School	928	85%
Irving High School	2,731	94%
Jack E. Singley Academy	1,637	88%
Jackie Mae Townsell Elementary School	827	86%
John W. and Margie Stipes Elementary School	611	79%
Johnston Elementary School	800	92%
Keyes Elementary School	665	85%
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School	919	86%
Lamar Middle School	721	84%
Lee Elementary School	690	89%
Lively Elementary School	757	91%
Lorenzo De Zavala Middle School	883	80%
Macarthur High School	2,720	90%
Nimitz High School	2,477	91%
Schulze Elementary School	647	88%
Townley Elementary School	670	85%
Travis Middle School	991	84%

Source: Texas Education Agency.