Van Zandt County
Began 8th grade in 2008
721 students
Graduated from high school
580 (80.4%)
Statewide: 78.2%
Enrolled in college
384 (53.3%)
Statewide: 53.9%
Graduated from college
197 (27.3%)
Statewide: 22.8%
Each year, approximately 300,000 students begin eighth grade in a Texas public school. National employment and earnings statistics suggest that these students will have materially better prospects as adults if they finish high school and enroll in and complete a post-secondary certificate or degree program. Using data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency, the Tribune is providing a look into the outcomes of students who started eighth grade in a Texas public school over the past nine years.
Of the 721 students in Van Zandt County who began 8th grade in 2008, 27.3 percent received a certificate or degree from a Texas college or university within six years of their anticipated high school graduation date. For context, a 13-year-old student who started 8th grade in 1997 is about 35 years old; one who started 8th grade in 2008 is now about 25.
We have broken down these numbers by ethnicity, gender and economic status.
Ethnicity
A breakdown, by ethnicity, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Ethnicity | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Hispanic | 60 | 51 | 28 | 15 |
White | 618 | 491 | 323 | 172 |
Other | 43 | 38 | 33 | 10 |
Total | 721 | 580 | 384 | 197 |
Gender
A breakdown, by gender, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Gender | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Female | 354 | 296 | 232 | 126 |
Male | 367 | 284 | 152 | 71 |
Total | 721 | 580 | 384 | 197 |
Economic status
A breakdown, by economic status, of outcomes for cohorts of students who attended eighth grade in a Texas public school. You can see who graduated from high school, who enrolled in higher education and who completed a certificate or degree.
Economic status | Class size | Graduated high school | Enrolled in college | Graduated from college |
---|---|---|---|---|
Disadvantaged | 287 | 208 | 102 | 37 |
Not disadvantaged | 434 | 372 | 282 | 160 |
Total | 721 | 580 | 384 | 197 |