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Friday, November 1, 2024

Analysis: 1,107 of 1,317 students at Lake Dallas High School not on "college track" in 2021-22 school year

Commissioner of education mike morath 2023

TX Commissioner of Education Mike Morath 2023 | State Board for Education

TX Commissioner of Education Mike Morath 2023 | State Board for Education

Of the 1,317 students at Lake Dallas High School in Lake Dallas, 1,107 (84%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to North 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 Lake Dallas High School 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, Lake Dallas High School's student population was made up of 1,317 students, of which 137 were White, 46 Hispanic, 19 Asian, eight Multiracial, six African American, and two American Indian students.

Data shows that 39% (19) of Lake Dallas High School 49 Asian students, 21% (137) of its 655 white students, 21% of its 14 American Indian students, 14% of its 64 multiracial students, 11% (46) of its 427 Hispanic students, and 6% of its 107 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.

For the past two years, from 2020-21 to 2021-22, none of Lake Dallas High School’s African American students have met the college readiness benchmark in Mathematics or Reading.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 1,048 Lake Dallas High School students - equivalent to 84% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 84%.

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.

Students On and Off College Track by Race at Lake Dallas High School in 2021-22 School Year

050100150200250300350400450500WhiteHispanicAfrican AmericanMultiracialAsianAmerican Indian13713751851846463813816610110188565619193030221212On college trackNot on college track

Students on College Track by School in Lake Dallas ISD in 2021-22 School Year

SchoolTotal Students% On College Track
Corinth Elementary School55782%
Lake Dallas Elementary School57785%
Lake Dallas High School1,31784%
Lake Dallas Middle School95078%
Shady Shores Elementary School59878%
Source: Texas Education Agency.

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