Each year, approximately 300,000 students begin eighth grade in a Texas public school. National employment and earnings statistics suggest that these students will have materially better prospects as adults if they finish high school and enroll in and complete a post-secondary certificate or degree program.
With support from the Greater Texas Foundation and the Houston Endowment, two institutional philanthropies, The Texas Tribune has used data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency to document the education outcomes of every student who started eighth grade in a Texas public school during eight academic years (1997 through 2005). Each student was anonymously tracked over 11 years to determine the percentage of Texas eighth-graders who achieved a post-secondary certificate or degree from a Texas college or university within six years of their expected high school graduation date.
Use the links below to review and compare student outcomes by region or by county. Or, view outcomes at the statewide level. You can also download the data.
By Ryan Murphy and Annie Daniel