Texas’ Declining Diversity of the Undergraduate Class, 2015-2022: A Critical Policy Analysis of anti-DEI Legislation in the 88th Texas Legislature

By Jenna Doane & María Del Carmen Unda

In this critical policy analysis, we report on DEI programs, the positive impact they have on all students, and the importance of a diverse faculty and student body. We provide data on hiring, access, and graduation rates that reveal the failures of higher education institutions to learning environments for systematically marginalized students with a particular focus on Texas. Furthermore, graduation rates among students of color will display the barriers they face in college. Failure to meet the needs of students of color is already a primary issue among Texas universities, and this report seeks to bring to light the additional and damaging effects that removing DEI initiatives and resources could have on Texas students and faculty. Policy recommendations are outlined in the conclusion section of this policy analysis.

Will School Vouchers Benefit Low-Income Families? Assessing the Evidence

By Huriya Jabbar, Jennifer Holme, Melinda A. Lemke, A. V. LeClair, Joanna Sanchez, Edgar M. Torres, and Michaela Pernetti

Texas Center for Education Policy, The University of Texas at Austin
March 2023¹

“In the following brief we assess the evidence of this claim. First, we provide a brief history of school vouchers in the United States. Next we describe the different types of voucher programs that exist, and the variation amongst them. Third, we review rigorous research on who uses vouchers and their effects on low-income and minority students. Finally, based on this evidence, we offer policy recommendations for policymakers considering such reforms.”

¹ This policy brief was initially drafted in 2015 and updated by Huriya Jabbar in 2023.

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High Stakes Testing and Accountability During COVID-19

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 5th at 12:00PM for a Texas Center for Education Policy (TCEP) Brown Bag on High Stakes Testing and Accountability, featuring Texas State Representative Dr. Mary Gonzalez, Dr. Theresa Treviño, Vice President of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessments (TAMSA), and Ruben Cortez, Jr. Texas State Board of Education Member, District 2. 

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87th Texas Legislature: Lawmaking in a Non-traditional Redistricting Session

On Friday, January 25, the Texas Center for Education Policy will host Ramiro Canales, an experienced litigator, appellate lawyer, and lobbyist, for a virtual conversation regarding the current legislative session. With over thirty years’ experience working at Texas the legislature, Canales will speak to us about his career journey and how things really work at the Texas Capitol.

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Latina/o Equity in U.S. Higher Education: A National Campaign for Equity Assessment Policy

This webinar sparks the discussion to formulate a strategy to address Latina/o Equity in higher education as a partnership with LULAC, the Texas Center for Education Policy (TCEP) at The University of Texas at Austin, and local organizations, including the National Latina/o Education Research and Policy Project (NLERAPP).

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Reclaiming Schooling / Recuperando la Eseñanza: Radically Reimagining the Work of Education

Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professorship welcomes, Dr. Angela Valenzuela. Dr. Valenzuela has a long history of research and teaching in the sociology of education, minoritized youth in schools, educational policy, urban education reform, culturally relevant curriculum, Ethnic Studies, and indigenous education.

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“Teaching Climate Change and Environmental Justice” with Rethinking Schools’ Bill Bigelow

In co-sponsorship with Luke Metzger and Environment Texas, we at the Texas Center for Education Policy invite you on Nov. 21, 2019, 8:30am-3:30pm to a seminar with Rethinking School’s Bill Bigelow titled, “Teaching Climate change and Environmental Justice,” on the third floor of the Sanchez Building located behind the Blanton Museum off of MLK in SZB 323. 

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Texas Faces the Future Distinguished Lecture Featuring Hon. Judge John K. Dietz

On Thursday, May 14, the Texas Faces the Future Distinguished Lecture returns as the Honorable John K. Dietz outlines the constitutional standards of adequacy, suitability, efficiency, and de facto statewide ad valorem property taxation. Judge Dietz will be joined with commentary from the Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock, Chair of the Texas House Public Education Committee, and David Hinojosa, National Director of Policy with IDRA. The public discussion will be moderated by TCEP Director, Dr. Valenzuela.