Houston Education Research Consortium

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https://hdl.handle.net/1911/117369

The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) is a research-practice partnership between the Kinder Institute and 10 Houston-area school districts to guide data-driven, equity-minded policy. HERC uses a jointly developed research agenda that involves both researchers and school district leaders working together on critical issues to improve educational equity. The research center follows a long-term, rather than project-based, collaboration to solve longstanding problems with a focus on informing decision-makers directly.

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Student Enrollment and Mobility During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research) Pham, Annie; Thomas, Tori; Hood, Stacey; Horne, Autumn
The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) examined patterns of student mobility, specifically students changing schools or school districts, in Houston-area school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this brief examined whether and how student mobility networks in Houston-area school districts changed during the pandemic.
Middle School Experiences and Exit: Perspectives from Parents
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Szabo, Julia; Molina, Mauricio; Lee, Jasmin (Jee Sun); Cashiola, Elizabeth
Student mobility, the movement of students between schools, is a significant concern for schools and school districts because it is associated with negative outcomes for the individual students moving, the school experiencing mobility, and non-mobile students. In the Arroyo Independent School District (AISD), a pseudonym created to protect anonymity, almost 40% of students left the district at some point between fifth and 12th grade, and the exit percentage was highest following the first year of middle school. Analyses examining district administrative and achievement data highlighted exit patterns and timing but could not answer the district’s primary question: Why are families exiting after entering middle school? In this study, we explored this question using in-depth interviews with parents from 70 families with children enrolled in AISD middle schools—40 who remained in the district and 30 who exited—and a survey of parents in the district. This data allowed us to explore how parents perceive and experience district middle schools and consider what motivated exit.
Public Pre-K Enrollment and Participation in the Houston Region
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Thrash, Courtney; Varghese, Lebena; Cashiola, Lizzy
This series of briefs looks at enrollment and attendance patterns in public pre-K in the Houston region before, during, and after the passage of HB3 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It also looks at the benefits of pre-K participation.
Hurricane Harvey and Student Homelessness
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Richards, Meredith P.; Phillips, Cheyenne; Pavlakis, Alexandra E.; Roberts, J. Kessa
In this two-part series of briefs, researchers examine the effects of Harvey on student homelessness in the Houston Independent School District. Brief 1 identifies the characteristics of students who became homeless due to Harvey, comparing students who experienced more temporary stints to those who experienced homelessness for a year or more and those who experienced homelessness for more conventional reasons. Brief 2 looks at the educational outcomes of these students, including chronic absenteeism and achievement on State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) math and reading. The briefs conclude with implications of these findings for educational stakeholders in preparation for both generational and "everyday" homelessness crises.
Texas School District Funding Gaps
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) López Turley, Ruth; Selsberg, Bradley
In April 2024, the School Finance Indicators Database released new estimates of school district funding gaps, which refer to the difference between how much per-pupil funding each district receives and how much per-pupil funding each district needs. Linking these estimates to Texas Education Agency (TEA) student achievement ratings, this brief examines the extent of funding gaps in Texas school districts and how they impact student performance. The brief also identifies the gaps that are of greatest concern.
Is There Support for a Houston Independent School District Bond?
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2024) Stroub, Kori; Hood, Stacey
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) announced in May it is seeking a $4.4 billion bond aimed at addressing critical infrastructure and educational needs. Branded as “Renew HISD,” the package would rebuild and modernize over 40 campuses, upgrade HVAC systems, improve campus security and expand early childhood and career and technical education programs. As the district was preparing its proposal, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research fielded survey questions to understand public support for the bond.
Increases in Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) in Texas
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2021) Cashiola, Lizzy; Potter, Daniel
The number of English learners (ELs) who do not reclassify as English proficient in the first five years of schooling has increased across the state of Texas. ELs are a diverse population of students with varying levels of English proficiency. Many students who begin school as an EL reclassify as English proficient in a timely manner and go on to achieve academic success. Students who remain EL after five years in school are considered “long-term English learners” (LTELs). Research has shown that LTEL status corresponds with negative academic outcomes, such as lower test scores, higher risk of drop out, and lower on-time high school graduation rates. Between the 2000-01 and 2014-15 school years, the percent of first graders who began school as ELs has increased slightly. In contrast, the percent of ELs who go on to become LTELs during this same time frame has increased by almost 90 percent. Similar trends were found in many urban and non-urban areas throughout the state. The increased proportion of EL students becoming LTEL threatens to undermine the educational success of EL students in Texas. This brief highlights the increasing percent of ELs becoming LTEL in the last two decades, and points to a set of mechanisms that may serve to explain this increase.
Availability of and Equity in Access to HISD Pre-K Programs (Part 1). Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District. Volume 8, Issue 4.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2019) Baumgartner, Erin; Thrash, Courtney; Sanchez, Luis
This study examines student access to HISD pre-k programs, measured in multiple ways: whether a program exists in their elementary zone and whether a program exists within one mile of their residence. Researchers also estimated whether there is equity in access, by examining whether students who have the greatest need (including economically disadvantaged and English learners) also have the greatest access to pre-k. Across measures, researchers found that economically disadvantaged students have a greater likelihood of access to pre-k than their non-economically disadvantaged peers. However, English learners, another population targeted by the state policy to receive pre-k, are not more likely to have access to pre-k than their peers who are not English learners.
Strategies for Increasing Access to HISD Pre-K Programs. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District. Volume 9, Issue 1.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Baumgartner, Erin; Thrash, Courtney
This is the second in a series of briefs examining student access to Houston ISD pre-kindergarten programs. The study finds that among 2018-19 kindergarteners in HISD who did not attend HISD pre-k, about two-thirds of students likely qualified for enrollment. Zoning pre-k, which would include adding pre-k programs to elementary zones that do not have them and/or establishing Early Childhood Centers as zoned schools, would increase access to pre-k by providing campuses in students' neighborhoods and reducing the distance to the nearest program. The first research brief analyzed the variability in who has access to HISD pre-k programs in their elementary zone, the neighborhood and within one mile of their residence.
Pre-K Choice and School Readiness in HISD: Research Brief
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2022) Baumgartner, Erin; Thrash, Courtney
Many students attend a pre-kindergarten (pre-K) program outside of their neighborhood school, but there is no evidence that making this choice is associated with subsequent student readiness for kindergarten. In the Houston Independent School District (HISD), pre-K is not zoned, which means families can request to enroll their children on any campus with a pre-K program or Early Childhood Center (ECC) that has space available. As a result, many families may opt for programs that are outside of their neighborhoods, and it has been unclear whether students attending non-neighborhood campuses are more likely to be ready for kindergarten at the end of pre-K. School choice in pre-K was not associated with school readiness unless students attended a higher-performing pre-K program. Findings from this study suggest that children who exercised school choice and attended a higher-performing pre-K program were more likely to be kindergarten-ready than those who exercised school choice and attended a lower-performing pre-K program. This brief serves as the fourth, and final, study in a series examining pre-K access for students in HISD.
Pre-K Preferences: How and Why HISD Parents Choose Pre-K Programs
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Baumgartner, Erin; Thrash, Courtney
This study is the third in a series of briefs examining pre-k enrollment and access for students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). The aims of this study are to identify characteristics that drive enrollment, understand where parents receive their information about HISD pre-k options, and understand parental beliefs about which program characteristics are most important. Findings suggest distance from home is one of the primary drivers of pre-k parental choice for their children. Additionally, program characteristics are important, specifically whether programs have highly trained teachers and teacher aides. However, variation in parental beliefs exist by language of survey participation and campus-level proportions of English-language learners (EL) or economically disadvantaged students. Parents report learning about HISD pre-k programs through family and friends.
Inequalities in Postsecondary Attainment by English Learner Status: The Role of College-Level Course-Taking. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District. Volume 9, Issue 2.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Holzman, Brian; Salazar, Esmeralda Sánchez; Chukhray, Irina
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, it is estimated that 10% of U.S. public school students are currently classified as English Learner (EL). This report finds that gaps in four-year college outcomes by EL status are large, but are entirely explained by differences in sociodemographic, academic and school characteristics. After controlling for sociodemographic and school characteristics, EL students reclassified in middle and high school take fewer college-level courses during the junior and senior years of high school than Never EL students. In contrast, Never EL students and EL students reclassified in elementary school appear to take similar numbers of college-level courses. When considering academic characteristics like reading test scores, math test scores, average course grades and the number of college-level courses taken, differences in college-level course-taking explain 7% to 22% of the gap in four-year college enrollment between Never EL students and students reclassified in elementary, middle and high school. In terms of four-year college completion, differences in college-level course-taking explain 14% of the gap between Never EL students and students reclassified in middle school and 40% of the gap between Never EL students and students reclassified in high school.
The Role of College Prep Course Offerings and Course-Taking in Long-Term Educational Outcomes. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District. Volume 8, Issue 2.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2019) Holzman, Brian; Stroub, Kori; Kennedy, Camila Cigarroa; Lewis, Bethany
In this brief, we describe the distribution of college prep course offerings across Texas and determine which school characteristics are associated with higher and lower numbers of course offerings. We also examine how college prep course offerings are related to student-level college prep course-taking and, in turn, how course-tak- ing behaviors are related to long-term educational out- comes. This investigation of the distribution of college prep course offerings across Texas high schools reveals that more college prep courses are offered at larger, urban and suburban schools with higher levels of academic achievement and lower levels of economic disadvantage. Offering more college prep courses is associated with higher levels of course-taking, which, in turn, is associat- ed with improved chances of completing a postsecondary credential, particularly for lower-achieving students.
Long-Term English Learners (LTELs): Predictors, Patterns, & Outcomes. Brief 1: Defining LTEL
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Cashiola, Lizzy; Potter, Daniel
This is the first in a series of briefs the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) will release on long-term English learners (LTELs). The full study will examine LTELs in Texas, with particular focus on 10 Houston-area public school districts. Currently, there is no formal definition of LTEL in Texas. The purpose of this brief was to compare three common definitions of LTEL (remaining an English learner for more than three years, more than five years, and more than seven years) using seven criteria based on its research and practitioner application to identify the most useful definition. The definition of LTEL as remaining EL after five years satisfied the most criteria. Using this definition of LTEL, HERC will move forward with this study by examining characteristics of LTELs and the schools that serve them, overall patterns of reclassification for ELs and LTELs, and the educational outcomes of LTELs.
Changing Schools, Part 3: Student Mobility within and between Districts in Texas and the Houston Area.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Potter, Daniel; Alvear, Sandra; Bao, Katharine; Kennedy, Camila; Min, Jie
Students who move between schools in the same district often have different experiences than students who move into an entirely new school district. Changing schools within a district allows students to stay embedded in the larger district structure and their student information often follows them in real-time, as schools within districts have efficient ways of sharing information across campuses (Kerbow, Azcoitia, & Buell, 2003). Alternatively, students changing districts have new structures and cultures to adjust to, as well as possible delays in their student information following them to their new school. This can leave students without services and accommodations they might otherwise receive sooner (Xu, Hannaway, & D’Souza, 2009). This brief examines the prevalence of these within-district, between-district, and non-Texas public school system moves in Texas and the Houston area.
Changing Schools, Part 2: Student Mobility during the School Year in Texas and the Houston Area. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District. Volume 8, Issue 5.
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2019) Potter, Daniel; Alvear, Sandra; Bao, Katharine; Min, Jie
Student mobility refers to students changing schools. In this series of research briefs, the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) examines and describes the amount of student mobility in Texas, with particular focus on Houston area public schools. This second research brief focuses on providing an overview of how much mobility takes place during the school year (i.e., within school years). Other research briefs give more detail on school changes during the summer time, the percentage of mobility that stays within district and how much crosses between school districts, as well as differences in mobility across subgroups of students.
Changing Schools, Part 1: Student Mobility during the Summer Months in Texas and the Houston Area
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2020) Potter, Daniel; Alvear, Sandra; Bao, Katharine; Kennedy, Camila; Min, Jie
Changing schools impacts students’ achievement, educational attainment, and their relationships with peers and teachers. Mobile students tend to have lower grades and test scores, experience grade retention more frequently, and are more likely to drop out of school (Rumberger, 2003; South, Haynie, & Bose, 2007). As the evidence of student mobility’s negative consequences grows, understanding the influence of mobility on schooling in Texas and the Houston area becomes increasingly important. Before examining mobility’s impact, however, we have to understand its prevalence. This research brief offers an initial, descriptive look at summer mobility, or mobility that takes place between school years.
Student Mobility in Texas and the Houston Area: Summary Report
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2022) Potter, Daniel; Bao, Katharine; Gill, Patrick; Sánchez-Soto, Gabriela; Kennedy, Camila Cigarroa; Stice, Kenneth; Alvear, Sandra; Min, Jie
Each school year, in the state of Texas, students unexpectedly change schools almost 450,000 times. In the Houston region alone, students change schools more than 60,000 times. These school changes are not random, tend to be geographically contained though not within school districts, and carry significant ramifications in the short-term for students’ performance on STAAR accountability tests and in the long-term for their risk of dropping out and failing to graduate from high school on-time. This report is the culmination of a multi-year study on student mobility undertaken by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research's Houston Education Research Consortium in collaboration with 10 public school districts in the Houston area. Complementary research briefs have been released providing more details on the full set of findings that are highlighted in this report. As such, this report pulls forward a selection of key takeaways from the overall study with a particular focus on implications for Houston area districts and recommendations districts could consider as they continue to work to support mobile students.
What Factors Are Associated with the Likelihood of an English Learner Becoming a Long-Term English Learner?
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2022) Cashiola, Lizzy; Cigarroa Kennedy, Camila; Ma, Hao; Nguyen, Dylan; Potter, Daniel
The number of long-term English learners (LTELs) in Texas has increased by 90% in the last decade. LTELs are students who have not reclassified as English-proficient after five years in school. This research brief examines student-, campus-, and neighborhood- characteristics that can be considered risk or protective factors for the likelihood of an English learner (EL) becoming LTEL, with the goal of helping school districts identify which students may be at-risk of becoming LTEL. The report utilizes data from 10 public school districts in the Houston area and builds on several of its previous studies examining English learners and LTELs. Key findings include: Risk and Protective Factors The strongest risk factors for becoming LTEL included grade retention and special education status at any point during elementary school. The strongest protective factor against becoming LTEL was entering first grade with higher English comprehension. EL Program Type Participating in two or more EL programs was associated with an increased risk of becoming LTEL, regardless of program type. For students who remained in one program during elementary school, students who participated in either a dual-immersion or a bilingual program had a lower likelihood of becoming LTEL than ELs who participated in an ESL program. EL program type mattered differently for students in lower and higher economically disadvantaged campuses.
Student Mobility Networks in the Greater Houston Area: Elementary School Student Mobility Networks
(Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 2021) Bao, Katharine; Molina, Mauricio; Kennedy, Camila; Potter, Daniel
The Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), in collaboration with 10 public school districts in the Greater Houston area, set out to better understand the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of student mobility on Houston-area students and schools. This brief explores the informal networks of elementary school student mobility in the Greater Houston area across 27 independent school districts (ISDs), which include HERC’s 10 school district partners involved in the Student Mobility and Continuous Enrollment project, their 17 neighboring districts, and non-district charter schools. Six mobility networks were identified in the Greater Houston area. These mobility networks crossed district boundaries and differed in terms of their size, student demographics, and school characteristics. About 70 percent of student mobility that started from a campus in one of the six networks stayed within that same network.

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