Houston ISD has partnered with Rice University’s Houston Education Research Consortium to conduct a comprehensive study on educational equity across the district, according to a news release from the university.
The consortium, a program of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and School of Social Sciences, will partner with HISD to examine equitable access to educational programming, resources, supports, facilities and opportunities for students by race/ethnicity, along with economic status, English-learner status and others.
“Conducting a districtwide study on educational equity—at this scale—is remarkable, and truly unprecedented in many ways,” HISD interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said in the release. “We know that for some of our students, simply having equal access to opportunities and resources may not be enough of the support they need to achieve their greatest academic potential. This study will inform critical decision-making relating to equity and closing achievement gaps across the city.”
The study—known as The Equity Project—is scheduled to be completed by late summer 2021 and will identify mechanisms HISD can use to improve equity and fill in gaps in both educational achievement and attainment. Studies will span a swath of topics, including academic and extracurricular programming, facilities and COVID-19 resources.
