College & Career Pathways

This report is intended to provide legislative staff simple information that outlines the effect of policies on student transitions from preK-12 into postsecondary education - overviewing college readiness incentives and accountability standards established by the state and analyzing trends in student course taking through the lens of HB 5 (2013).

College readiness is defined in state statute in one way, but there are multiple college readiness standards that are not fully aligned between preK-12 and higher education. This misalignment, coupled with an analysis of HB 5, indicates challenges in student transition between preK-12 to postsecondary education is largely a systems issue rather than that of individual students making poor choices. To achieve the goals of the Building a Talent Strong Texas strategic plan, the state should do more to further align education systems to reduce the burden on individual students and families navigating their postsecondary and career pathways.