San Antonio Standard

Of the 426 students at Palo Alto Elementary School in San Antonio, 375 (88%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to San Antonio Standard's 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 Palo Alto Elementary 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, Palo Alto Elementary School's student population was made up of 426 students, of which 44 were Hispanic and two White students.

Data shows that 22% of Palo Alto Elementary School 13 white students, and 11% (44) of its 403 Hispanic 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 463 Palo Alto Elementary 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 88%, marking a 7% 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
Abraham Kazen Middle School	269	96%
Alan B. Shepard Middle School	551	92%
Athens Elementary School	242	92%
Dwight Middle School	492	89%
Exploratory Arts and Trilingual Academy	35	87%
Five Palms Elementary School	450	92%
Frank Madla Elementary School	360	89%
Global Leadership Academy	34	59%
Hutchins Elementary School	405	89%
Kindred Elementary School	333	95%
Miguel Carrillo Junior Elementary School	243	94%
Neil Armstrong Elementary School	274	93%
Palo Alto Elementary School	426	88%
Price Elementary School	361	88%
Robert C. Zamora Middle School	499	90%
Roy Benavidez Elementary School	457	92%
South San Antonio High School	2,103	90%
South San Antonio High School - West Campus	355	96%
Talented and Gifted Academy	29	77%

Source: Texas Education Agency.