Upper East Texas News

Of the 65 students at Options in Texarkana, 64 (99%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to Upper East Texas News' analysis of test scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). To better understand these statistics, it's important to know what TSI (Texas Success Initiative) and CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) are, as they are key indicators of a student's readiness for post-secondary education or career paths.

Primary data on overall student readiness in Options is derived from the TSI's assessments, which evaluate student capabilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Certain students may qualify for exemptions from these assessments. In contrast, CCMR focuses on preparedness for life post-high school, factoring in TSI scores along with other criteria like dual credits, AP/IB exam results, and more, to provide insights into specific subject performance.

In the 2021-22 school year, Options's student population was made up of 65 students, of which one were White students.

Data shows that 4% of Options 25 white students had "mastered" their grade level in the 2021-22 school year and were "on track for college and career readiness," as measured by state academic standards.

The TEA says students who meet, but haven't mastered their grade level are "prepared to progress to the next grade," but are not on a college track.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 51 Options students - equivalent to 87% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 99%, marking a 12% increase from the previous year.

Despite an improvement after the pandemic, Texas students are still struggling to keep a good performance and reach grade level in schools. In the 2021-22 school year, nearly two-thirds (60%) of students were below grade level in math and 48% did not meet the standards in reading language and arts.

According to Chandra Villanueva, director of policy and advocacy for Every Texan, one of the main causes for this is bad funds management. "Your average homeowner is like, 'Look, I'm paying more and more every single year. Why are my schools still underfunded, overcrowded, my teachers underpaid? Obviously, the schools are doing a bad job with my money,'" she said in an interview. Currently, Texas residents pay more than $70 billion annually in taxes destined to public education.

Gov. Abbott has been calling not only for an end to the main school property tax, but to use public money to support private schools. The initiative is called universal private school choice and, if passed, would allow residents to use taxpayer money to pay for their kids' private education.

"School choice not only improves education for every kid and every parent who chooses that pathway," Abbott said at the Texas Capitol on Oct. 16.

School	Total Students	% On College Track
Eschool Prep	285	84%
Highland Park Elementary School	361	89%
Martha & Josh Morriss Math & Engineering Elementary School	342	24%
Nash Elementary School	659	82%
Options	65	99%
Spring Lake Park Elementary School	393	93%
Texas High School	1,707	83%
Texas Middle School	1,403	80%
Waggoner Creek Elementary School	304	69%
Wake Village Elementary School	572	75%
Westlawn Elementary School	371	97%

Source: Texas Education Agency.