This quantitative study aimed to research factors that influence third-graders' reading performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, a standardized test used to measure the proficiency of students in various subjects. The independent variables of this study were student attendance, teacher's professional background, and…

Although the Texas economy is racing ahead at full speed, state K-12 education has stalled. One major obstacle has been the claim by opponents of school choice in Texas that giving families more education options via education choice policies would harm or even destroy rural district schools. These concerns, even if understandable, are not based…

When Noline Martin became assistant principal at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, a pre-K-6 school in Richardson, Texas, in 2017, the school was working its way up from being declared a failing campus two years earlier. It had recently improved to a "met standard" rating, but Martin knew the school could do more to help its students. Her…

More than ever, students are enrolling in schools of choice, and more specifically Early College high schools. In years past, dual enrollment was the most predominantly sought-after access for postsecondary education within the traditional high school settings, since then new options of Early College High Schools (ECHS), Early College Nursing…

Federal law defines English learner (EL) eligibility differently for Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, students, allowing for broader entry into the EL category, along with its accompanying resources and services. We interviewed EL leaders from 25 state departments of education to learn about their level of understanding of the…

Public school districts in Texas and policymakers need studies of efficiency in the production of College, Career, and Military Ready graduates to maximize resources in the House Bill 3 funding formula and improve ratings in the Texas public school accountability system. A replication of efficiency studies by Carter (2012) and Thompson (2017), the…

The intent of this annual report is to shine light on the Texas Education Agency's strategic plan to ensure every student in Texas is prepared for success in college, a career or the military, and that by 2030 at least 60% of Texans will have a degree, certificate, or other postsecondary credential of value as part of Building a Talent Strong…

Creating and sustaining an organizational culture that contributes to high academic achievement is frequently a problem in schools. This basic qualitative study explored measures implemented in thriving campus cultures and effective leadership on those campuses by interviewing principals and teachers in Blue Ribbon Schools. The study focused on…

The underperformance of Black boys attending public schools in the United States of America is a concern among parents and communities who believe that coeducational schools (CE) are failing to meet the learning needs of Black boys. Despite coeducational schools' best efforts to employ and support teachers' professional growth, the achievement gap…

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to determine the leadership actions, behaviors, and practices of effective school leaders in Blue Ribbon Schools in South Texas who resulted in the schools receiving the distinction by the U.S. Department of Education of being a Blue Ribbon School. Data were collected through a series of…

The intent of this annual report is to shine light on the Texas Education Agency's commitment to ensuring that every one of the more than five million public school students in Texas is prepared for success in college, a career or the military. The achievements of Texas students are a testament to the hard work of educators across the state. Their…

This study examined the effect of attending Pre-K 4 SA on students' educational achievement in third and fourth grades. Pre-K 4 SA is a high-quality pre-kindergarten (pre-K) program in San Antonio that meets all quality standards defined by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The results showed that distance to Pre-K 4 SA…

Public school districts in Texas and policymakers need studies of efficiency in the production of College, Career, and Military Ready graduates to maximize resources in the House Bill 3 funding formula and improve ratings in the Texas public school accountability system. A replication of efficiency studies by Carter (2012) and Thompson (2017), the…

This qualitative phenomenological research study used interviews of Title I Secondary School principals regarding their leadership styles and how they get buy-in from their teams. The data collected was analyzed by transcribing the interviews and reading to find common trends in the information. The data collected was compared to each school's…

During the past year, Texas students, families, and educators have shown tremendous grit and determination as they continue to emerge from the effects of the pandemic. While much work remains in mathematics, results from the last school year show that Texas students have largely reached pre-pandemic levels of proficiency in literacy, and Texas…