Education

Across Texas, more and more English learner students find the language barrier harder to overcome

New research from the Houston Education Research Consortium shows that — in both urban and nonurban parts of the state — students learning English are taking longer to become proficient. Texas needs to act now to address the problem and help these students avoid long-term struggles in school.

Students still learning English are taking longer to become proficient, raising concerns about future struggles

English learners who have trouble moving on to English-only classes often have issues with low grades and test scores, and are at greater risk of dropping out. New data analysis from the Houston Education Research Consortium shows that, since 2007, there has been a significant increase in the number of Houston-area students who are taking longer than five years to learn English.

How to lessen the long-term educational — and economic — consequences of the pandemic

If action isn’t taken now to address and counter the disruptions in the education of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the damage will be long-lasting and disproportionate. Here are some ways to deal with the impact.

Houston is a top city for women in tech. Gender equity will make it better.

Women faced disadvantages in pay and promotions at work before COVID-19, and for many, the pandemic has only widened that deficit. How can we better address those gaps and improve equity in the years to come?

The US needs a bottom-up plan to fix its glaring infrastructure needs

A major, federally led infrastructure strategy is vital to meeting the nation’s challenges. A new Kinder Institute report shows that to be truly responsive to the needs of America’s cities and regions, a bottom-up consultation process with regional and local leaders and a focus on three priorities will be necessary.