Dear Partner,
We’ve been overwhelmed by the response (in a good way!) to our presentation at the Postsecondary Pathways Conference, where we shared our latest research findings with education and workforce leaders across Houston, sparking important conversations about how to align pre-K-12 experiences with workforce demands.
One thing that really resonated: Long-term student success starts early. We believe high-quality pre-K is a crucial first step in that journey.
Research consistently shows that enrolling in and attending pre-K has a lasting impact. A previous Good Reason Houston analysis found that high-quality early childhood programs significantly improve kindergarten readiness rates. A recent Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) study also revealed that pre-K attendees were less likely to be chronically absent in early elementary school.
Our latest pre-K enrollment analysis highlights four critical points:
Eligible students who attend public pre-K are twice as likely to be kindergarten-ready as those who do not enroll.
Only 41% of eligible students in the Houston region enrolled in pre-K during the 2023-24 school year.
Pre-K enrollment rates have remained relatively flat over the past five years, failing to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Emergent bilingual students who attend pre-K are 43 percentage points more likely to be kindergarten-ready than their peers who do not attend.
This data underscores both a challenge and an opportunity: to improve long-term outcomes, we must expand access to high-quality pre-K. Addressing this requires collaboration among education, business, and philanthropic leaders. Through our Pre-K Houston campaign, Good Reason Houston is driving awareness, advising on best practices, and advocating for student-first policies to ensure every child starts strong—because a thriving future begins with early learning.
If you have questions or want to share your thoughts, feel free to reach out to us at info@goodreasonhouston.org, reply to this email, or connect with us on social media using #HTXConnectEd.
Sincerely,
The Gist:
Below are key takeaways from this month’s Houston ConnectEd.
Across Houston, 41% of eligible 4-year olds were enrolled in public pre-K. While the enrollment rate has grown since 2023, most districts have not seen rates climb back to pre-pandemic levels.
41,000 eligible students in the Houston region remain unenrolled in pre-K. A small share of these students access state subsidies to enroll in private pre-K programs. Yet, a vast majority of 4-year-olds are not enrolled in any program with many parents citing concerns about safety as well as lack of information on available options.
Attending public pre-K has measurable benefits. Kindergarten readiness data from 2023 shows that eligible students who attended public pre-K were two times more likely to be kindergarten ready.
Keep reading for a comprehensive perspective on Houston public education data.
2024 Pre-K Enrollment Rates Remain Stagnant
Since 2019, Texas public school districts have been required to offer free, full-day pre-K for eligible 4-year-olds if they meet a minimum threshold in their area. Districts can also offer pre-K for eligible 3-year-olds, but it’s not mandatory.
More than 71,000 children across Houston are eligible for free pre-K because they meet at least one criterion, such as being emergent bilingual (EB) or economically disadvantaged (EcoDis). Yet, only 41% of eligible students enrolled in pre-K for the 2023-24 school year—a slight uptick from the previous year. That means while 27,000 children attended free pre-K, 41,000 remained unenrolled. Among local districts, only Houston ISD and Spring Branch ISD exceeded the state’s average enrollment rate.
Unfortunately, average pre-K enrollment rates have remained stagnant over the past five years for both the state and Houston region. While all 11 ISDs in our region have rebounded at or above their 2020-21 enrollment, which were at an all-time low due to the pandemic, few ISDs have yet to experience enrollment rates rebound above pre-pandemic highs. Alief, Channelview, Klein, and Spring ISDs are notable exceptions with enrollment rates at or above 2019-20 school year rates.
Pre-K Sets a Strong Academic Foundation
Good Reason Houston’s analysis of kindergarten readiness data released last week highlights the strong benefits of high-quality pre-K. At the start of each school year, districts assess early academic skills through a state-approved kindergarten readiness test.
The findings from our most recent analysis are clear: Students who attended pre-K were more than twice as likely to be kindergarten ready compared to eligible students who did not enroll.
Emergent bilingual (EB) students benefit greatly from public pre-K. Kindergarten readiness rates for EB students that attended public pre-K the year prior was 43 percentage points higher than for EB students who did not attend. This data suggests that early language “exposure in both English and dual language classrooms that are available across the city” sets a strong foundation for academic skills.
What do effective pre-K classrooms look like? Our Houston Schools That Inspire campaign awardees showcase what is possible when we nurture our youngest and most vulnerable learners. Farias Early Childhood Center, Kujawa Primary, and YES Prep Airline Elementary commit to enlivening early literacy and numeracy, and ensuring a balanced approach that nurtures cognitive development with age-appropriate, knowledge-rich content.
These pre-K programs inspired us for their ability to build connections between school and home, nurture good habits, foster strong social skills, and enable joyful empowerment through movement and play, ultimately leading children to an increased likelihood of academic and interpersonal readiness when they enter kindergarten.
Find out if your family is eligible for FREE pre-K
A strong start begins with pre-K, but many eligible families miss out due to lack of awareness or a complicated enrollment process. Research shows that children who attend high-quality pre-K are better prepared for kindergarten, less likely to be chronically absent, and more likely to succeed long-term.
Since 2018, Good Reason Houston has led a region-wide push to increase pre-K enrollment, helping more families access free, high-quality early learning. Through PreKHouston.org, we offer:
A quick eligibility check to see if a child qualifies for free pre-K
Step-by-step enrollment guidance for districts across Houston
Multilingual resources to help families navigate the process
Pre-K enrollment is now open! Take the first step toward a strong future—visit PreKHouston.org to check eligibility and enroll today.
Data in the News
Here are some of the education data stories we’ve been keeping our eye on over the past few weeks.
Houston Outpaces Large Urban Districts on National Report Card – Equity Gaps Persist | Good Reason Houston: This spring, fourth- and eighth- graders across Houston ISD participated in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This assessment provides a valuable benchmark, helping our community understand how Houston’s public schools compared to others across the country in preparing students for success beyond graduation. The results highlight encouraging improvements across multiple grade levels and subjects. Notably, the percentage of students at or above proficient increased in all subjects in all grades.
Researchers Highlight Several District-Level Pandemic Recovery Success Stories Nationally | Education Recovery Scorecard: The Education Recovery Scorecard combines National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results with state test results for roughly 35 million grade 3-8 students between 2019 and 2024, portraying district-level changes in achievement for individual communities across the country. Although no state scored above 2019 levels on the NAEP assessment in both math and reading, a number of districts are scoring above 2019 levels in both subjects.
Cuts to Department of Education Impact Availability of Student Data | ProPublica: This past week, the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency announced nearly $900 million in terminations to contracts managed by the U.S. Department of Education’s statistics arm, the Institute for Education Sciences (IES). The administration states that the Nation’s Report Card and College Scorecard would not be impacted by these cuts. The contracts that were terminated include research tracking longitudinal student outcomes and evaluations to understand the efficacy of programs and policies that impact student learning.
Which Districts Pay Teachers the Most | Houston Chronicle: Houston-area districts that topped the list based on average teacher salaries include Channelview, Galena Park, Sheldon, Spring Branch and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs. Average wages are associated with longer average teacher tenure.
