In 2009, THSP played a critical role in the passage of landmark legislation (HB 3) which elevated and codified the goal of college/career readiness for all students in Texas. The original piece of legislation would have created a two-tiered graduation system that would have tracked lower-socio economic status students into a less rigorous course sequence. THSP stepped into the debate to advocate for a single, rigorous track to graduation. We contributed to its passage by: mobilizing a coalition of business and civil rights leaders to advocate for a single, high standard for all students; through direct outreach to key committee leaders to highlight the success of our programs working with low-income students; and by tapping into national partners, such as Jobs for the Future, to help provide research and data on the outcomes from high-quality standards.
Over the past year, THSP has become actively engaged in the postsecondary policy arena with a particular focus on increasing postsecondary access and success for first-generation and low-income students. During this past session of the Texas Legislature, we played a critical role in the passage of legislation that creates a vehicle for a higher education public/private partnership between foundations, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education to increase graduation rates through work on issues related to student support services, developmental education, and financial aid. We are also serving as the state policy lead for the Texas Completion by Design, an effort led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help community colleges redesign the student experience from the moment they enter college to the time they graduate, in order to provide them the quickest, straightest path to a degree.
