East Houston News

Of the 975 students at Barbers Hill Elementary North in Mont Belvieu, 459 (47%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to East Houston 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 Barbers Hill Elementary North 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, Barbers Hill Elementary North's student population was made up of 975 students, of which 367 were White, 100 Hispanic, 17 Multiracial, 13 African American, 13 Asian, and two American Indian students.

Data shows that 75% (13) of Barbers Hill Elementary North 18 Asian students, 56% (367) of its 657 white students, 48% (100) of its 209 Hispanic students, 40% of its five American Indian students, 37% (17) of its 46 multiracial students, and 33% (13) of its 40 African American 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 516 Barbers Hill Elementary North students - equivalent to 56% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 47%, marking a 9% decrease 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
Alternative School	22	100%
Barbers Hill Elementary North	975	47%
Barbers Hill Elementary South	1,081	56%
Barbers Hill High School	1,920	66%
Barbers Hill Middle North	732	59%
Barbers Hill Middle South	844	55%

Source: Texas Education Agency.