Houston Education Research Consortium

Fewer babies, migrating families: The demographic trends reshaping Houston’s public schools

A new Kinder Institute analysis provides fresh perspective on how birth and household movement trends are impacting school enrollment across Houston.

District Demographic Change Dashboard

Explore population estimates, enrollment rates and other demographic indicators for each of the 68 school districts in the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Preparing for Future Enrollment in Public School Districts: Population Change, Births, and Mobility in the Houston MSA

This brief studies demographic shifts in Houston-area school districts to help forecast student enrollment.

Uncertified teacher hiring soared in Texas schools after the pandemic. Now, it’s slowing down.

A rapid rise in Texas public schools hiring uncertified teachers slowed in 2024-25, though it remains triple pre-pandemic rates, state data shows.

Working Collaboratively to Understand and Address Student and Family Needs

Researchers will share existing research on student and family support needs and seek input from school districts, nonprofit organizations and stakeholders on what type of information would be useful for them to guide program development, decision-making and support.

1 in 5 Texas students are still missing lots of school — and attendance isn’t getting much better

Roughly 20% of Texas public school students were chronically absent in 2023-24, new data shows, a marginal decline from the prior year and well above than pre-pandemic levels.

Texas’ early childhood teachers need more specialized training. These new opportunities offer a path.

The Texas Education Agency and several colleges are making moves to prepare teachers for serving the state's youngest students.

Who Remains ‘College, Career, and Military Ready’ in the Context of a Shifting Accountability Framework?

Low-income students are still being left behind, according to a new assessment of the state’s school accountability system.

Texas has a robust system for measuring postsecondary readiness. Here’s how it can get even better.

Kinder Institute research shows the state's "college, career and military readiness" framework could benefit from better collaboration and consistency.

Understanding Shifting Demographics in Early Education

This event will focus on the changing demographic composition of the Greater Houston region and what these trends mean for the schools, districts and organizations providing support to an evolving student population.

Parental Perspectives and Experiences From HISD's Parent University

This study looks at how parent participants feel about HISD's Parent University program and if it has motivated parental engagement and advocacy in the district.

Aldine ISD: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills and Campus Discipline Outcomes

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Houston Education Research Consortium partnered with Aldine ISD, an urban school district serving predominantly economically disadvantaged and minority students, to better understand how self-reported teacher and student SEL skills were associated with campus disciplinary practices.

Sunrise Centers: Strengths, Challenges, and Recommendations to Enhance Family and Student Well-Being

This four-part series examines the first-year implementation of the Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Sunrise Centers.

Characteristics and Profiles of Pre-K Classrooms and Teachers in the Houston Region

This brief examines the characteristics of public pre-K teachers and classrooms in Houston-area school districts to better understand how well the programs align with research-based indicators that have been shown to produce positive student outcomes.

Student Enrollment and Mobility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research examined patterns of student mobility, specifically students changing schools or school districts, in Houston-area school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic.