SE Texas Times

Of the 879 students at Jefferson Middle School in Port Arthur, 783 (89%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to SE Texas Times' 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 Jefferson Middle 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, Jefferson Middle School's student population was made up of 879 students, of which 56 were Hispanic, 24 African American, 11 Asian, and one White students.

Data shows that 33% (11) of Jefferson Middle School 35 Asian students, 15% of its 13 white students, 11% (56) of its 512 Hispanic students, and 8% (24) of its 300 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 Jefferson Middle School’s American Indian students have met the college readiness benchmark in Mathematics or Reading.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 876 Jefferson Middle School students - equivalent to 95% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 89%, marking a 6% 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
Dequeen Elementary School	191	91%
Houston Elementary School	718	81%
Jefferson Middle School	879	89%
Lakeview Elementary School	582	86%
Lincoln Middle School	722	91%
Memorial High School	1,987	93%
Port Acres Elementary School	458	87%
Staff Sergeant Lucian Adams Elementary School	570	86%
Travis Elementary School	547	91%
Tyrrell Elementary School	747	89%

Source: Texas Education Agency.