📚 Here’s a look at essential topics we are focusing on this month:
Detracking Math: What happens when low-performing 9th graders are removed from remedial math and placed into regular Algebra I? Their unexpected success offers insights for educators and policymakers on how to reimagine this critical threshold class.
The Power of Pre-K: Houston-area public pre-K programs serve as vital pathways to early student success, offering significant benefits, particularly for emergent bilingual students.
Challenges in Implementing Curriculum: When teachers perceive high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) as too difficult for their students, they often dilute the content or abandon it altogether, undermining its potential impact.
Higher Education Leadership: Texas appoints a new higher education chief, signaling potential shifts in statewide educational strategy.
Writing – A Powerful but Underutilized Tool: Emerging research highlights writing as a potent cognitive tool for cross-disciplinary learning, yet it remains underutilized in many classrooms.
Photo by Shutterstock, Inc.
New research challenges the traditional approach to math tracking, often seen as crucial for academic success. In a San Francisco Bay Area experiment, all 9th graders were placed directly into Algebra I, bypassing remedial classes. The results were striking: half of the previously “remedial” students passed Algebra I and outperformed tracked peers on 11th-grade math tests. Importantly, higher-performing students were unaffected, suggesting that math tracking may limit potential rather than support it.
🚀 What it means for the city and Houston students
This study prompts the question: What would happen if Algebra I was the default course for all students? For Houston, rethinking math tracking could help close STEM workforce gaps and strengthen the city’s edge in attracting high-skill industries. Expanding access to Algebra I could unlock untapped talent, especially in underserved communities disproportionately tracked into remedial classes.
This research aligns with Texas’ Senate Bill 2124 (88R), requiring all districts to offer Algebra I in 8th grade. While Texas currently recommends Algebra I in 8th or 9th grade for students with prerequisite skills, the study suggests making it the standard—with proper support—could boost college readiness and disrupt the cycle of early tracking.
Further Reading:
- Explore three key reasons why so few eighth graders in the poorest schools take Algebra I.
- Discover the positive peer effects of participating in Algebra I, as highlighted in a previous edition of The Learning Curve.
- A report from Texas 2036 uncovers inconsistent access to advanced coursework across Texas school districts.
- Learn how new criteria for Carnegie Vanguard in Houston ISD could have disqualified 5% of last year’s applicants, despite a rise in the average GPA among 2024 graduates.
Photo from Getty Images
Research by the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) highlights the transformative impact of public pre-K programs in Houston. The study shows that pre-K attendance significantly boosts kindergarten readiness and reduces chronic absenteeism, with emergent bilingual students benefiting the most. While pre-K enrollment has nearly recovered from pandemic lows, daily attendance remains a critical challenge. The findings emphasize a pivotal opportunity: strategic interventions can unlock the full potential of early childhood education.
🚀 What it means for the city and Houston students
Houston faces a pivotal moment in education, with pre-K programs key to closing achievement gaps. Texas House Bill 3 (2019) expanded access, but the pandemic stalled progress, creating an opportunity for reinvestment. By increasing enrollment and attendance—especially for emergent bilingual students—Houston can transform early childhood education into a proven pathway to success, building its future workforce one young learner at a time.
Further Reading:
- An analysis by Good Reason Houston explores key factors shaping kindergarten readiness.
- Texas 2036’s strategic framework, Why Pre-K Matters in TX, highlights the importance of early childhood education for the state’s future.
Photo by Center on Reinventing Public Education
High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are proven to accelerate student achievement, yet teachers often modify or abandon them when facing a critical challenge: delivering grade-level content to students who aren’t yet performing at grade level. With over half of U.S. students behind grade level, many teachers dilute these materials, missing their transformative potential. Districts have attempted to bridge this gap through remediation programs, but these efforts often lack alignment with the core curriculum. The solution lies in integrating targeted pre-unit assessments that prepare students for upcoming content while maintaining the materials’ proven effectiveness.
🚀 What it means for the city and Houston students
Houston’s major curriculum investments in programs like Amplify, Eureka Math, and Frog Street represent a significant opportunity to transform classroom instruction, provided teachers receive the right support to implement them effectively. Recent professional development sessions focusing on curriculum theory have boosted teacher confidence in maintaining grade-level rigor. For Houston’s diverse student population, especially those performing below grade level, success depends on teachers’ being properly supported to maintain high expectations while providing strategic support. This balanced approach could be key to closing the city’s persistent achievement gaps.
Further Reading:
- Explore how strong curriculum design, paired with thoughtful implementation, can transform classroom learning and improve outcomes.
- Good Reason Houston’s Future Facing 2024-25 Edition highlights Curriculum and Acceleration as key focus areas for the year.
- A previous edition of The Learning Curve shared The Economist’s recommendation for a back-to-fundamentals approach, aligning with the principles of HQIM.
Photo by Marjorie Kamys Cortera for The Texas Tribune
Texas has appointed Wynn Rosser, a leader with deep roots in rural education and philanthropy, as its next Commissioner of Higher Education. In this role, he’ll oversee the $2.9 billion Coordinating Board tasked with shaping the state’s higher education future. Rosser’s background – from his own journey starting at Kilgore College to leading the T.L.L. Temple Foundation’s rural initiatives – signals a potential shift in focus for Texas higher education. He inherits key initiatives including the “Building a Talent Strong Texas” plan, which aims for 60% of adult Texans to hold postsecondary credentials, and recent reforms to community college financing.
🚀 What it means for the city and Houston students
For Houston, Rosser’s appointment could reshape educational pathways at a critical time when our workforce needs are rapidly evolving. With the city’s economy demanding more skilled workers, Rosser’s commitment to both workforce development and strengthening public higher education could help Houston institutions better align their programs with local industry needs while maintaining affordability and access.
Further Reading:
- Distance to Degrees from EdWorkingPapers examines how proximity to college influences enrollment and attainment, with a focus on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
- Building the Future Workforce: Understanding Predictors of Postsecondary Success in Texas by Good Reason Houston highlights key factors shaping postsecondary outcomes in the state.
Illustration by Shutterstock.com
Writing has become an educational paradox: despite being a fundamental skill for learning and success, only a quarter of students demonstrate proficiency, compared to a third in reading. Groundbreaking research reveals that writing is not just a communication tool but a powerful cognitive catalyst for learning across disciplines. However, this potential is unlocked only through deliberate, structured instruction – with proper guidance, writing can become a structured cognitive skill that students can effectively learn and apply. The critical insight is that students need to be systematically taught how to write effectively, transforming writing from a potential barrier to a learning accelerator.
🚀 What it means for the city and Houston students
Houston stands at a critical junction: transforming writing from a neglected skill to a district-wide strategic priority would be an impactful educational intervention. The city could dramatically elevate student learning and college readiness by implementing comprehensive, cross-curricular writing strategies – where every teacher could be a writing teacher. Initiatives like Rice University’s Oral and Written Language (OWL) Labs provide a blueprint, demonstrating how intentional writing environments can build knowledge and skills. The potential is clear: when taught systematically, writing can become one of Houston’s most powerful tools for student success.
“Having students write across the disciplines would transform K–12 education; if grounded in generous amounts of reading and discussion, this practice could have more impact on college and career success than any other factor.”
– Demystifying writing, transforming education
Worth a Read:
- Research Points to COVID’s ‘Long Tail’ on School Graduation Rates | The 74
- Special education staffing shortages put students’ futures at risk. How to solve that is tricky | Chalkbeat
- Trump names Linda McMahon as his pick for Education secretary | NPR
- Time for School | Education Next
- How Lucy Calkins Became the Face of America’s Reading Crisis | The Atlantic
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
