“There isn’t a silver bullet to fix everything. The state alone can’t fix it. The community alone can’t fix it. But, if they come together and each takes their part, change can occur,” said Garrett Groves, Director of Economic Opportunity at CPPP, during a panel discussion at the University of Texas’ Opportunity Forum discussing racial and ethnic divides in education in Austin.
Groves highlighted some of the data from CPPP’s Texas Education Scorecard, which uses 5 key indicators of ‘leaks’ in the education pipeline that signal challenges in student preparation or transition between education stages. Travis County scored a ‘C’ compared to other counties across the state. The Scorecard can help communities and policymakers support student success by identifying weaknesses in the education pipeline at a county level where targeted improvements can have the greatest impact. (Find out if your county is making the grade.)
View the compete presentation from Garrett Groves here.
Groves was joined at the Opportunity Forum by Dr. Terrance Green, who presented research regarding the location of high quality schools in Austin based on Texas Education Association’s criteria. Other panelists included Dr. Ted Gordon, Austin ISD School Board Member and UT Department Chair of African and African Diaspora Studies; Dr. Angela Valenzuela, Professor at UT’s College of Education; and Allen Weeks, Executive Director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth. The group discussion covered some of the underlying reasons for persistent education inequality in Austin, such as a lack of culturally relevant curriculum, how education policy must be interwoven into the discussion of housing and transportation at a city level, and school finance.
CPPP uses data and analysis to advocate for solutions that enable Texans of all backgrounds to reach their full potential. In addition to the Texas Education Scorecard data, CPPP supports local efforts to raise the bar for all kids and close the gaps in child well-being by race and ethnicity. For the first time, this year’s Texas Kids Count project will include an analysis of racial and ethnic inequity. Local data reports and community events across the state will accompany the 2016 State of Texas Children report. Learn more about Texas Kids Count.
Texas Education Scorecard – Travis County Results
By CPPP Research and Planning Intern Imelda McClendon