Longview Times

Of the 701 students at Pine Tree Middle School in Longview, 561 (80%) "weren't on the academic track to qualify for college in the 2021-22 school year, according to Longview Times' analysis of test scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). To better understand these statistics, it's important to know what TSI (Texas Success Initiative) and CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) are, as they are key indicators of a student's readiness for post-secondary education or career paths.

Primary data on overall student readiness in Pine Tree Middle School is derived from the TSI's assessments, which evaluate student capabilities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Certain students may qualify for exemptions from these assessments. In contrast, CCMR focuses on preparedness for life post-high school, factoring in TSI scores along with other criteria like dual credits, AP/IB exam results, and more, to provide insights into specific subject performance.

In the 2021-22 school year, Pine Tree Middle School's student population was made up of 701 students, of which 58 were White, 46 Hispanic, 17 African American, 12 Multiracial, two Asian, and one American Indian students.

Data shows that 50% of Pine Tree Middle School two American Indian students, 36% of its six Asian students, 28% (58) of its 209 white students, 28% (12) of its 45 multiracial students, 18% (46) of its 260 Hispanic students, and 10% (17) of its 177 African American students had "mastered" their grade level in the 2021-22 school year and were "on track for college and career readiness," as measured by state academic standards.

The TEA says students who meet, but haven't mastered their grade level are "prepared to progress to the next grade," but are not on a college track.

In 2020-21, the TEA noted that 562 Pine Tree Middle School students - equivalent to 86% of the student population - were not on the academic path to college eligibility. This contrasts with 2021-22, where the percentage stood at 80%, marking a 6% decrease from the previous year.

Despite an improvement after the pandemic, Texas students are still struggling to keep a good performance and reach grade level in schools. In the 2021-22 school year, nearly two-thirds (60%) of students were below grade level in math and 48% did not meet the standards in reading language and arts.

According to Chandra Villanueva, director of policy and advocacy for Every Texan, one of the main causes for this is bad funds management. "Your average homeowner is like, 'Look, I'm paying more and more every single year. Why are my schools still underfunded, overcrowded, my teachers underpaid? Obviously, the schools are doing a bad job with my money,'" she said in an interview. Currently, Texas residents pay more than $70 billion annually in taxes destined to public education.

Gov. Abbott has been calling not only for an end to the main school property tax, but to use public money to support private schools. The initiative is called universal private school choice and, if passed, would allow residents to use taxpayer money to pay for their kids' private education.

"School choice not only improves education for every kid and every parent who chooses that pathway," Abbott said at the Texas Capitol on Oct. 16.

School	Total Students	% On College Track
Birch Elementary School	694	73%
Parkway Elementary School	728	75%
Pine Tree High School	1,330	86%
Pine Tree Junior High School	688	76%
Pine Tree Middle School	701	80%

Source: Texas Education Agency.