Of the 509 students at Texans Can Academy – Pleasant Grove in Dallas, 503 (99%) weren’t on track for college in the 2023-24 school year, according to Dallas City Wire’s analysis of STAAR scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The TEA considers students to be on track for college if they demonstrate mastery of the course content through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Students who meet, but do not master their grade level are “prepared to progress to the next grade,” but not yet on college track.
In the 2023-24 school year, Texans Can Academy – Pleasant Grove’s student population was made up of 509 students, of which 347 were Hispanic and 158 African American students.
Data shows that 0.9% of Texans Can Academy – Pleasant Grove’s Hispanic students (3) had “mastered” their grade level that year and were “on track for college and career readiness,” as measured by state academic standards.
In the 2022-23 school year, the TEA noted that 431 Texans Can Academy – Pleasant Grove students – equivalent to 99% of the student population – were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This continued with 2023-24, when the percentage stood at 99%.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state’s school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.
“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock stated in an interview.
| School | Total Students | % On College Track |
|---|---|---|
| Texans Can Academy – Austin | 195 | 3% |
| Texans Can Academy – Carrollton-Farmers Branch | 249 | 4% |
| Texans Can Academy – Dallas North | 260 | 1% |
| Texans Can Academy – Fort Worth Lancaster Avenue | 352 | 2% |
| Texans Can Academy – Fort Worth Westcreek | 240 | 1% |
| Texans Can Academy – Garland | 130 | 1% |
| Texans Can Academy – Grant East | 212 | 3% |
| Texans Can Academy – Houston Hobby | 311 | 0% |
| Texans Can Academy – Houston North | 252 | 0% |
| Texans Can Academy – Houston Southwest | 345 | 1% |
| Texans Can Academy – Oak Cliff | 413 | 2% |
| Texans Can Academy – Pleasant Grove | 509 | 1% |
| Texans Can Academy – San Antonio | 138 | 4% |
Source: Texas Education Agency.
