Mid City Times

Of the 648 students at Great Hearts Irving Upper in Irving, 415 (64%) "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 Great Hearts Irving Upper 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, Great Hearts Irving Upper's student population was made up of 648 students, of which 94 were Asian, 92 White, 29 Hispanic, 13 Multiracial, and four African American students.

Data shows that 45% (13) of Great Hearts Irving Upper 29 multiracial students, 42% (94) of its 226 Asian students, 40% (92) of its 232 white students, 23% (29) of its 130 Hispanic students, and 15% of its 31 African American 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 388 Great Hearts Irving Upper students - equivalent to 65% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 64%, marking a 1% 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
Great Hearts Arlington	647	81%
Great Hearts Forest Heights	798	73%
Great Hearts Irving	747	60%
Great Hearts Irving Upper	648	64%
Great Hearts Lakeside	791	70%
Great Hearts Live Oak	832	79%
Great Hearts Monte Vista	463	59%
Great Hearts Monte Vista North	455	67%
Great Hearts Northern Oaks	1,431	68%
Great Hearts Online - Texas	436	72%
Great Hearts Western Hills	888	77%

Source: Texas Education Agency.