Education

Examining Equitable Access to Health Resources, Support Staff and Technology Across HISD

This series of briefs examines whether HISD students across campuses have equitable access to health resources, support staff and technology.

As districts confront staffing shortages, centering equity can make a huge difference

Teachers are the most important resource in a school campus, and ensuring students have access to highly qualified teachers is essential. Unfortunately for PK-12 students in Texas, too many teachers have been leaving the profession and too few highly trained and experienced teachers are taking their place. At the same time, some schools have greater access to highly qualified teachers than others, which poses an obstacle to closing achievement gaps.

Equity in the Classroom: Teacher Qualifications and Student Outcomes in HISD (Briefs 1-3)

This series of briefs focuses on teacher qualifications and student outcomes in the Houston Independent School District.

Understanding the Effect of HISD’s EMERGE Program on Student Outcomes

This brief examines the impact of the EMERGE program on the likelihood of participating students applying to and enrolling in selective colleges.

Staying in the Neighborhood: Examining Distance to Zoned Schools and Access to Transportation

This brief examines how students' living distance from their zoned school and access to district-provided school transportation impact enrollment decisions.

Kinder Institute Luncheon 2023

The annual luncheon brings together hundreds of business, nonprofit and community leaders to learn about the leading issues facing our community and country.

Education leader Ruth Simmons ponders what's next for diversity, equity and inclusion

With publicly-funded state universities eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the hiring process, and proposed legislation targeted at other DEI policies in higher education, private institutions have an opportunity—and an obligation—to respond, Ruth J. Simmons said at the Kinder Institute Forum on Wednesday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Kinder Institute Forum: Ruth J. Simmons

Ruth J. Simmons, a leading voice in higher education, will be in conversation with Ruth N. López Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

Researchers make the case for broader investments in high-quality pre-K in Texas

A high-quality prekindergarten education can significantly alter the trajectory of a child’s life, leaders from the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium told community members last week at a special presentation at the United Way of Greater Houston campus. 

Setting Kids up for Success: Supporting Early Education in the Houston Region

Join the Kinder Institute's Houston Education Research Consortium for a conversation highlighting recent pre-K research.

As evictions reach historic levels in Harris County, families in Houston ISD are bearing the brunt

On March 6, nine days before the Texas Education Agency confirmed its plans to take over the Houston Independent School District, officials received a presentation from researchers at Princeton University about a dilemma confronting families and students in the district: evictions.

State takeovers of school districts do not work. But there is something else that might

This week, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that the state of Texas intends to take over Houston Independent School District as early as next week. As researchers who study education — and particularly education in Houston — we were asked: What would that mean for students?

When it comes to education outcomes, we get what we pay for

A lack of investment in education is holding back students in Houston and Texas, particularly those experiencing socioeconomic challenges, Kinder Institute Director Ruth N. López Turley said on Tuesday.

Public school enrollment is facing a 'demographic bubble.' Urban districts are already seeing its effects

As part of a wide range of testimony before the state Senate finance committee, education commissioner Mike Morath told lawmakers that Texas is entering a new demographic era for public school enrollment.

Social and Emotional Skills of Students in the Houston Independent School District (Briefs 2-5)

This series of briefs looks at how social and emotional skills are related to academic outcomes, absenteeism, and exclusionary discipline; the context of SSES skills; and the commonalities and differences between students’ self-ratings and teachers’ ratings of students’ SE skills.