Early data shows that more economically disadvantaged high school seniors in Austin ISD are meeting college-, career- and military-readiness standards, according to a district media advisory.

As of April, AISD has seen a roughly 5% increase in graduating students meeting the criteria— from 29% to 34%— since the 2020-21 school year, the advisory said. Exact figures will be determined at the end of the school year.

The advisory showed that about 625 of the district’s approximately 1,800 economically disadvantaged graduates met readiness standards in 2020. Roughly 425 of those students ranked above the performance threshold set by the Texas Education Agency and qualified for the outcomes bonus— set funds the TEA pays school districts for every student who exceeds performance standards.

For every economically disadvantaged graduate who surpasses the TEA’s performance threshold, a district earns $5,000. This policy is outlined in House Bill 3, a school finance bill passed by the state of Texas in 2019. Non-economically disadvantaged students who exceed performance standards earn $3,000 for their home districts, while high-performing special education students earn $2,000.

Final student performance data is expected by summer 2022 and will be presented to the AISD school board in August, per the advisory.