Educate Texas - Philanthropy Advocates

In 2012, Philanthropy Advocates commissioned our first research study, focused on understanding the effects of the 2011 Texas Legislature’s public education budget cuts. One of the primary findings included in this study was that pre-kindergarten programs in districts across the state were negatively affected by the Legislature’s funding cuts. Our early grade success work has evolved over time with continuous investments and focus on understanding the early learning landscape in Texas and determining how policy changes from the state level impact our student’s early learning years.

Philanthropy Advocates was formerly known as the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC) until August 2020. Previously-created resources, documents and blog posts mentioning TEGAC are still provided on this website for your reference.

Investments in Early Childhood Education – A Review of HB 3 Early Childhood Education Implementation

The purpose of this report is to examine the implementation progress of the early childhood policy aspects of House Bill 3 (HB 3) passed in 2019. Information from this report provides insights into opportunities to further ensure Texas students have access to foundational early learning experiences.

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2022 Research - Early Grade Success

Focused on ensuring the state’s investments in early childhood learning are implemented programmatically and sustained in policy, Philanthropy Advocates is working with the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) and Texans Care for Children to examine implementation progress of the early childhood policy aspects of HB 3. Information we learn through this research will provide insight into opportunities to further support ensuring Texas students have access to foundational early learning experiences.

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Policy Opportunities to Further Enable Success of Pre-K Partnerships

In the past several years, Texas leaders have taken multiple steps to bolster Pre-K partnerships between school districts and childcare programs. In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3 (HB 3), a school finance bill that included state dollars to prioritize early childhood education. This legislation coupled with other state efforts indicates momentum for Pre-K Partnerships as a strategy for increasing access to high-quality early childhood education across Texas. This document serves as an overview of policy opportunities to further enable success of Pre-K partnerships.

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The Research is Clear: High-Quality Pre-K Pays Off

Research from Texas and across the U.S. shows that effective pre-k programs help students start kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed, boost early literacy and academic achievement, and reduce both grade retention and provision of special education services. This brief outlines examples of these research findings from throughout the country and here in Texas. It then concludes with a closer look at ways that Texas legislators should harness the power of early childhood education by funding full-day pre-k and taking other steps as they address school finance during the 2019 legislative session.

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