Education

COVID-19 survey: Houston area is the hardest hit large metro in America

Jobless claims, along with COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations, are on the rise in Texas. And the social and economic impacts seem to be the greatest in the Houston metropolitan area.

Transitioning to College and Work: A Study of Potential Enrollment Indicators (Part 2)

Part 2 of the Houston Longitudinal Study on the Transition to College and Work (HLS) examined potential indicators of college enrollment school and district staff might use to identify and support students at risk of not attending college.

Summer Melt and Free Application for Federal Student Aid Verification

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) verification and its role in summer melt is examined in this brief.

The incomparability of campus-specific Benchmark Running Records

The purpose of this methodological brief is to examine the comparability of literacy Benchmark Running Records utilized by campuses in HISD.

The only treatment for metastatic racism may be radical reconstructive surgery

From frequent recurrences of police brutality and the widening gaps in access to opportunity, to the coronavirus’ outsized impact on communities of color, the invasive disease of racism has spread throughout the American system. If white people truly mean well, they must make an unflinching commitment to the tough, unpleasant and honest work of authentic change.

To fix our policing problem, we have to start with our racism problem

As the deaths of black men and women resulting from police violence continues in America, protestors in cities large and small are calling for the end of systemic inequalities and police brutality. At the root of the problem is racism. Here are some ways to address it.

Will America ever change? Imperfect Houston has shown it can happen

In “Prophetic City,” Stephen Klineberg shows us where change has taken Houston and where it’s likely to take the nation.

Per-pupil spending for poor students is too low in Texas

Researchers have developed a cost model to estimate the amount of funding needed to achieve national-average outcomes for poor students in each state. Their research shows Texas falls far short of adequate funding, and the Houston Independent School District spends less than half of what would be needed to achieve national-average outcomes.

They were studying urban inequalities when a pandemic that worsens disparities hit

When colleges and universities moved to online classes in response to the coronavirus pandemic, student fellows in the Kinder Institute’s Community Bridges program pivoted as well, turning their focus to the relationship between COVID-19 and inequality.

Frequent crises have shown us the power of solidarity. The city needs that strength now.

The economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak coupled with the pandemic being politicized by some will challenge the feelings of solidarity and trust that have been building in Houston in recent years. It’s important to remember the city and surrounding region’s ability to unite in the face of disaster.

Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2020 Results

For close to four decades, the Kinder Houston Area Survey has been tracking the changing attitudes and experiences of Houstonians.

Inequalities in Postsecondary Attainment by English Learner Status: The Role of College-Level Course-Taking

This report finds that gaps in four-year college outcomes by English learner status are large, but are entirely explained by differences in sociodemographic, academic and school characteristics.

Examining Complexity in Student Homelessness: The Educational Outcomes of HISD’s Homeless Students

In this report, researchers examined the educational outcomes of Houston Independent School District (HISD) students who are homeless from 2012-13 to 2016-17, the years immediately preceding Hurricane Harvey.

In post-pandemic Texas, the state’s cities will be more important than ever

Some 80% of Texas’ 29 million residents live in large cities or metropolitan areas, which are the economic drivers in the state. If the recovery is going to be successful after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, it’s important that preparations begin now.

Survey: Houston-area families’ well-being, finances and education are suffering due to pandemic

The majority of Houston-area families report COVID-19 is negatively impacting well-being, employment, education and more, according to this community impact survey.