College readiness of Texas high school graduates has plummeted. This does not mean quite what it seems: students are not necessarily less ready to go to college. But it will have a real effect on their opportunities.
Texas began reporting college readiness of high school graduates for the year 2006, after legislation required “… the measure of progress toward preparation for postsecondary success.” It rose year after year until it reached a peak for the class of 2014. Then it plummeted, undoing a decade of progress. For graduates from the quarter of schools with the lowest concentration of low-income students, college readiness fell from 71 percent to 55 percent. For graduates from the quarter of schools where poverty is most highly concentrated, college readiness dropped from 42 percent to 13 percent. Hopes to increase the fraction of Texas youth who complete college degrees or post-secondary certificates are being dashed.
