Education

Research on Past HISD Decisions Can Shed Light On The Next Round

Decentralization may be no silver bullet, but it does have its silver lining.

Which Houston School Districts Are Above Average When It Comes to Test Score Progress?

A new working paper from researcher Sean Reardon offers a comprehensive analysis of student cohorts from third to eighth grade, plus a new way for looking at school performance.

Eligiendo Escuelas: English Learners and Access to School Choice

Using data from Houston Independent School District (HISD), researchers examined English learner participation in a system of school choice. Specifically, researchers investigated the extent to which never, current, and former English learners enrolled in a non-zoned HISD school.

School Choice and English Learners in Houston

Current English language learners were significantly less likely than their peers to attend non-zoned schools.

Equality of Pre-Kindergarten Educational Opportunities: Examining Student Differences in Access to High Quality Pre-Kindergarten (Parts 1 and 2)

This two-part study confirms the broad variations of pre-kindergarten offerings across the state's largest school district, Houston Independent School District.

In Houston, Not All Pre-K Is Created Equal

Two new studies confirm the broad variations of pre-kindergarten offerings across the state's largest school district, Houston Independent School District.

After 2011 Education Cuts, 'A Lost Half Decade'

Investments have rebounded but haven't kept pace with student enrollment growth, says new report.

What We Know About Educational Inequality in Houston and Beyond

As different as schools districts across the country are, there are some consistent similarities when it comes to inequality.

After Harvey, An Opportunity to Learn from the Past in the Classroom

Just as the Reconstruction Era of the 1800s attempted to generate more racial justice, the current reconstruction of Houston's schools must do the same.

Calculating Harvey's Aftermath

From fire ants to rising rents, Harvey brings a range of impacts.

Remaking Houston Schools' Food System

"I'm not running a damn Luby's," said the new nutrition officer.

Houston Summer Jobs Program Grows But Some Push for More

The numbers are up from 2015, when only 430 youth were employed in the city's summer jobs program.

Following the Recession, More Children Live in High-Poverty Neighborhoods

And it's impacting school readiness.

How School District Secession Worsens Segregation

A new report from education non-profit EdBuild argues that school secession often not only creates a costly duplication of bureaucracies but also hurts the mission of public education to equitably serve all students. 

Research Sheds Light on Benefits of Bilingual Immersion Programs in Schools

The think tank's partnership with the Houston Independent School District is helping policymakers understand the best ways to craft programs that teach students to be fluent in English in Spanish.