New data reveals that many of Houston ISD’s New Education System (NES) high schools struggle to meet state college-readiness benchmarks on the SAT, with some schools seeing fewer than 5% of test-takers reach the minimum standards in math and reading.
In several high schools within Houston ISD’s New Education System (NES), fewer than 5% of students are achieving the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks on the SAT. This statistic highlights ongoing educational disparities throughout the district.
Data from the Houston Independent School District reveals that merely 15% of students at specific NES campuses successfully passed at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam during the 2023–2024 academic year. In a notable contrast, over one-third of students attending non-NES schools achieved TSI criteria in both SAT reading and math, while only 5% of those at NES campuses reached the same benchmarks.
Sharpstown, Wheatley, Worthing, Scarborough, and Kashmere have been identified as some of the lowest-performing schools. Their average SAT math scores hover around 380, significantly below the TSI benchmark of 530. The threshold for reading and writing has been set at 480, a benchmark that only 16% of students at these schools have reached. At Worthing and Wheatley, only 2% to 3% of students met the TSI math criteria.
Nine out of the ten schools with the lowest performance in SAT college readiness are NES campuses, which cater to a significantly high number of low-income, Black, and Hispanic students, groups that have historically faced underrepresentation in college preparation results.
Dr. Prudence Carter, a sociology professor at Brown University, described the situation as a systemic failure. “Failure to provide equal access to opportunities and resources will result in a lack of equitable outcomes.”
In the face of ongoing challenges, district leaders prioritize their long-term objectives. Andree Osagie, Deputy Chief of College, Career and Military Readiness at HISD, stated that the NES model enhances student access and promotes equity. Officials emphasize the importance of providing opportunities for traditionally underrepresented students in advanced coursework, aiming to foster their success.
To move beyond state oversight, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) must enhance its College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) scores, highlighting the importance of improvements at NES schools.
