- Dear Partner,
The first ConnectEd newsletter of the year is a special one because, as a valued subscriber, you’re among the first to view the findings from our latest research on what influences long-term success after high school. Previous newsletters revealed alarming trends—not enough Houston graduates are earning a living wage after high school. Our newly published research adds to this work by showing which experiences in grades 8-12 are most likely to lead to long-term success and offers actionable insights to ensure better outcomes for every child in every neighborhood.
Key findings from this work highlight two critical points:
Attaining a postsecondary credential significantly improves graduates’ chances of earning family-sustaining wages.
Rigorous academic experiences throughout the pre-K-12 system are essential for equipping students with the skills needed to achieve postsecondary success.
These insights underscore both the challenges and opportunities ahead. While too few graduates currently attain postsecondary credentials, there are clear steps we can take to change this trajectory. Expanding access to rigorous academic experiences will require investment and involvement across sectors, including pre-K-12 education, higher education, business, and philanthropy. Good Reason Houston will continue to engage people across these industries as we build awareness, advise, and advocate for student-first policies.
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,
Good Reason Houston’s Research and Data Team
The Gist:
Below are key takeaways from this month’s Houston ConnectEd.
- Houston-region graduates with rigorous academic experiences in middle and high school–taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade, meeting grade level standards on 8th-grade STAAR reading tests, or taking five or more advanced courses in high school–are far more likely to attain postsecondary credentials. Combining multiple rigorous academic experiences gave graduates the best chance of credential attainment.
Postsecondary credential attainment remains critical to earning enough money to meet the living-wage threshold.
Rigorous academic experiences significantly boost graduates’ chances of earning a living wage.
Keep reading for a comprehensive perspective on Houston public education data.
Connecting Experiences in Grades 8-12 to Postsecondary Credential Attainment
Only 27% of the high school class of 2017 attained a postsecondary credential, such as a professional certification, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree, within six years of high school graduation. However, completing rigorous academic experiences boosted students’ chances of attaining a credential, even accounting for other factors we know influence outcomes like graduates’ race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. For details on our analysis, please see the full report.
Three key academic experiences stood out, each increasing students’ predicted likelihood of credential attainment by double-digit percentage points:
Meeting grade level standards on 8th grade STAAR reading
Taking Algebra I in 8th grade
Completing five or more advanced high school courses, which provided a 22 percentage point increase
Advanced coursework includes AP, IB, college prep, advanced career technical education (CTE), and high-level electives. While completing five or more advanced courses may seem challenging, 57% of 2017 graduates already met this benchmark, making it an attainable goal for our region.
Combining multiple rigorous academic experiences increased graduates’ chances of attaining postsecondary credentials the most. For example, graduates who completed five or more advanced courses in high school and met grade level standards on 8th grade STAAR reading had a 42% predicted likelihood of earning a credential, compared to only 13% of graduates who did neither.
Connecting Experiences in Grades 8-12 with Living Wage
Our November ConnectEd showed that 2017 graduates with a postsecondary credential were far more likely to earn a living wage six years after high school than those without one. Our new report affirms and enhances these findings. Even accounting for student demographics and socioeconomic status, holding a postsecondary credential emerged as the strongest predictor of earning a living wage—defined in 2023 as $42,158 for a single earner with no dependents in Harris County.
The same rigorous academic experiences that increase credential attainment also boost graduates’ likelihood of earning a living wage.
These results highlight the critical importance of ensuring that all students have equitable access to rigorous academic experiences across their time in grades 8-12. For example, meeting grade level standards on 8th grade STAAR reading requires strong literacy foundations, taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade depends on early access to advanced math pathways (see our December ConnectEd for more), and completing five or more advanced courses calls for diverse, high-quality course offerings aligned with students’ needs and desired trajectories. Rigorous academic experiences can be transformative, but only if every student has equitable access to the right opportunities.
Data in the News
Here are some of the education data stories we’ve been keeping our eye on over the past few weeks.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Released Their 2024 Annual Report | TEA: This report offers insight into the progress made throughout K-12 Texas public education, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities that remain for Texas’ 5.5 million public school students. A notable statewide highlight includes Texas 4th graders ranking 2nd in the nation when accounting for student demographics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In addition, the report highlights promising interventions that are moving the needle for underperforming schools, with 3 Houston ISD campuses moving from an F to an A-rating based on data released by the district
Hundreds of Pasadena ISD Students Graduate with a College Degree | Houston Landing: 8.4% of Pasadena ISD graduates in the Class of 2023 obtained their associates degree alongside their high school diplomas. In partnership with San Jacinto College, Pasadena ISD students are able to participate in the district’s Early College partnership, one of the state’s most successful dual credit programs created primarily for lower-income, first-generation college students.
One in ten of HISD’s 2023 Graduates Did Not Meet Standard Graduation Requirements | Houston Chronicle: Starting in 2015, high school students who pass only 3 of 5 required STAAR End of Course (EOC) exams can still graduate high school if an individual graduation committee (IGC) determines they are otherwise qualified to graduate. In November 2023, Houston ISD superintendent Mike Miles revealed at a board meeting that the district is under investigation for over-utilizing the IGC process. This article reports on newly released data for the Class of 2023, showing that rates continued to rise since 2022. Future data will help us understand whether the current leadership has taken steps since to identify and address the root causes of the growing rate of IGC graduates at several schools.
