About our Data

A key strategy in the Collaborative’s work is the use of data 

• to inform the broad community about the status of education for local young people, 
• to create the urgency for change, 
• to identify and establish specific, quantifiable goals based on current conditions, 
• to assess progress toward those goals, and
• to inform decision-making at all levels.

We collect a full range of data that goes well beyond the data collected for the State’s Accountability System. In addition to data from the state’s standardized testing program, we collect data on enrollment and completion in mathematics and science college preparatory courses as well as enrollment and completion of the Texas Recommended High School Program, the full set of college preparatory courses. Beyond that, we look at student progression through the grades, starting in middle school, to get a clearer sense of the movement of students through the schooling system to high school graduation, thus obtaining a much more accurate picture of student dropout patterns. We look closely at student success beyond high school, including college enrollment rates immediately after high school graduation—a significant predictor of who will ultimately complete a college degree—performance on college placement tests, pass rates on the first college-level English and mathematics courses taken, and data on persistence in college—from first semester to second, first year to second, and in completing Associates’ or Bachelors’ degrees.

Finally, we share the data with all stakeholders and help ensure that data are used in decision-making. Over the years, we have held sessions in over 150 schools, and with a large number of community groups, helping teachers, parents, administrators and business and community members understand many different types of student achievement data, look closely at disaggregated data, identify areas in which students are consistently doing poorly and help devise strategies for improving teaching and learning. We regularly share P-16 data with policy-makers across the community.