Susan Dawson, president and executive director of E3 Alliance, a regional collaboration among educational institutions, presents demographic information at a summit Oct. 1 in Round Rock.[/caption]

Educational leaders and researchers came together Oct. 1 to look at the changing demographics of Williamson County schools and how they affect teaching in the classroom.

Susan Dawson, president and executive director of E3 Alliance, which is a regional collaboration among educational institutions, said Williamson County school districts are not only growing but the demographics are also becoming more diverse. Dawson said these changes are being driven by economic factors such as families moving from the urban core to more affordable suburban communities.

“If you look at any group of kids things are getting incrementally better, but things are changing much faster than we’re getting better,” she said.

Dawson said when one looks at school data in Williamson County, there are “huge” disparities among demographic groups. She said very few white adults have less than a high school education, but for Hispanic adults it is the opposite. She said the districts need to reach those Hispanic households.

“Why does it matter? Because it’s directly related to outcomes,” she said. “Why do we care? It makes a huge difference between income levels. … It translates to family income and supports and taxes that go into our [school] system. Every mark we can look at that pertains to our economy is tied to educational attainment.”

Dawson said students who succeed in an English as a Second Language program outperform their peers who were not in such a program.

“They can become our bilingual workforce of the future,” she said.

Dawson said Texas as a whole has the highest-growing student population in the country. She said Central Texas has seen a growth rate twice that of the state.

Dawson said the number of economically disadvantaged students in Williamson County is growing as well as the percentages. She said poverty rates in Williamson County are lower compared with the rest of Central Texas, but a larger percentage of students now are in the low-income bracket compared with 10 years ago.

Dawson said to combat the effect of growing poverty rates schools need to improve academic readiness, ensure students are reading at level by third grade, focus on key populations, improve attendance and increase graduation rates as well as postsecondary enrollment.

The summit also included panels featuring educators and community members. Georgetown ISD Superintendent Fred Brent said human capital such as parent volunteers is needed to improve schools in the area.

“Public education is the purest vehicle to securing the future of the state of Texas,” Brent said. “If we don’t secure the future you will have an economic segregation that will turn this state into a third-world country.”