The State of Texas and The State of Texas and Harris County ChildrenHarris County Children

Frances Deviney, PhDTexas KIDS COUNT Director

Center for Public Policy Priorities

Houston, TXJune 3, 2010

1 of every 6 (or 1.1 Million) TX Kids Live in Harris County

Source: 2008 Population Estimates, Texas State Data Center

Harris Co. Children: Now and in the FutureChild population projected to grow 10% by 2020

Source: 2008 Population Estimates & 2008 Projections using 2000-2004 Scenario, Texas State Data Center

Over 790,000 Kids in Harris County Public School System

Source: 2008-2009 Enrollment Data, Texas Education Agency

More than two-thirds of kids in Harris Co. Public Schools Considered Economically Disadvantaged

Source: 2008-2009 Enrollment Data, Texas Education AgencyEconomically Disadvantaged = Kids who are eligible for free (below 130% of poverty) or reduced-price lunch (130%-185% of

poverty)

Gaps in Achievement

Fewer Economically Disadvantaged Kids in Harris Co. Pass the TAKS Tests

Source: Percent Students Passing Across Grades Within Each Test, 2009 TAKS data, Texas Education Agency

TAKS Reading for Harris Co.

Source: Percentage of kids by grade who took the reading test 2009 TAKS data, Texas Education Agency

TAKS Math for Harris Co.

Source: Percentage of kids by grade who took the math test, 2009 TAKS data, Texas Education Agency

How Many Economically Disadvantaged Kids Not Passing in

Harris County?

• Reading = 42,000+

• Math = 65,000+

• Science = 30,000+

• Social Studies = 7,000+

• Writing = 5,900+

Gaps in Attainment

Economically Disadvantaged and Minority Students Drop Out at Higher Rates

Source: Class of 2008 four-year longitudinal dropout rate within group, Texas Education Agency

Gaps in Employment & Earnings

Source: Median Earnings in Past 12 Months for Harris Co. Population 25 and Over, 2008 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau (Table B20004)

Having a Degree Translates into Higher Annual Earnings

Nearly One of Every Four Harris Co. Dropouts Lives in Poverty

Source: Table C17003, 2008 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

• Important to close the Achievement Gap?

• Gap caused by factors outside of school?

• Whose responsibility?

88%

77%

57% up to the school alone

Public Poll on Education

Source: Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll (2006)

Texas Children: Children in

Our Community

Family Family Economic Economic SecuritySecurity

“It is unrealistic to expect tochange schools in any deep waywithout dealing with some of theissues that arise with poverty.”

Richard Rothstein as cited in “Why Segregation Matters”

Nearly One of Every Four Harris County Children Lives in Poverty

Source: Children ages 0-17, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau

TX Unemployment Rose Steadily Throughout 2009

Current poverty data from this time

period

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

Monthly Costs for Single-Parent, Two-Child Family in Houston

Total Monthly Expenses = $2,826 - $3,293Source: Family Budget Estimator, CPPP, www.cppp.org/fbe

Necessary Income for Single-Parent, 2-Child Family in

Harris County

• Hourly = $17 - $22/hour

• Annual = $34,824 - $44,417

Source: Family Budget Estimator, CPPP, www.cppp.org/fbe

One in Three Harris Co. Families Headed

by Single Parent

Source: 2008 ACS, U.S. Census Bureau

Using FBE budgets for one-parent, two-child families in Harris County . . .

If HAVE employer-sponsored insurance: only 63% can’t cover expenses

If buy insurance on open-market: 71% can’t cover expenses

Source: Population Reference Bureau analysis of U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey income data compared of to CPPP’s Family Budget Estimates.

Health Care Coverage and GapsHealth Care Coverage and Gaps

Texas Has Highest Rate of Uninsured Children in the Nation Ten Years Running

Source: Kids 0-18, KIDS COUNT State-Level Data Online, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Fewer Texas Kids Receiving Health Coverage Through Parent’s Work

Source: March Supplement data, Current Population Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Source: 3-year average data (2004-2006 vs. 2005-2007) for children ages 0-18, Current Population Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Since 2003, Texas’ Middle-Income Kids Had Biggest Increases in Uninsured

Federal Poverty Level

Bet

ter

Wo

rse

Health Insurance for Harris Co. Children

• Medicaid UP 37% – Nearly 374K enrolled (Aug 2003-May 2010)

• CHIP UP 11% – Nearly 104K enrolled (Aug 2003-May 2010)

• CHIP Perinatal UP 19%– Nearly 15K Perinates and Moms

covered (Jan 2008-April 2010)

Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Physician Acceptance of New Medicaid Patients in Texas, 2008

Source: Texas Medical Association based on TMA Physician Survey 2008. Prepared by TMA, 2008.

Hunger & Nutrition

Harris Co. Participation inHunger & Nutrition Programs

• WIC (ages 0-4) UP 7% – Over 128K or 38% of all kids 0-4 (2000 to 2007)

• SNAP (a.k.a Food Stamps) UP 64% – Over 311K kids (Jan 2008 to June 2010)

• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch UP 15.5% – 474,887 kids or 64% public school

students (2000 to 2009)

Source: Texas Department of Health and Human Services; Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Department of Agriculture

Texas Ranks 2nd Worst in Food Insecurity

• 1 in 6 Texas families (1.4M)

• Hungry children:– Miss more school– Less attentive– More likely to fail and be

held back– More likely to drop out

Source: Nord et al. (2009), Economic Research Service, USDA

Early Care & EducationEarly Care & Education

“Early disadvantage, if leftuntouched, leads to academic and social difficulties later in life. Early

advantages accumulate, just as early disadvantages do.”

Heckman & Masterov, as cited in “Early Childhood Education for All: A Wise Investment”

Language exposure of 4 year olds

By age 4, the average child from a:

Professional family

has heard

20M more words than . . .

child from working-class family

Language exposure of 4 year olds

By age 4, the average child from a:

Professional family

has heard

35M more words than . . .

child from low-income family

Source: Hart, B., and Risley, R. (1999). The social world of children learning to talk. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

One in four TX preschoolers not being read to regularly

Source: 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, Kids Count Data Center

Early Care and Education for Harris County Children

• Pre-K (ages 3-4)

– UP 33%, to nearly 42K or 32% of 3-4 year-olds (2000-2008)

• Subsidized Child Care Enrollment (ages 0-12)

– UP 32%, to over 39K or 4.9% (2000-2008)

Source: Texas Education Agency; Texas Workforce Commission

Early Care and Education for Harris County Children

• Subsidized Child Care Waiting List– 0 (Gulf Coast WFB, May 2010)

• Head Start (ages 3-4)

– Enrollment up, but percentage kids participating DOWN 7% to 6,649 kids (2000-2008)

Source: Texas Workforce Commission; U.S. Administration for Children and Families

ARRA

“The achievement gap can besubstantially narrowed only whenschool improvement is combinedwith social and economic reform”

Richard Rothstein, “Class and Schools”

Broader, Bolder Approach to Education

• Continue school improvement efforts.

• Provide developmentally-appropriate, high-quality early childhood education.

• Improve the quality of out-of-school time.

• Provide routine pediatric, dental, hearing, and vision care for all children.

Source: Economic Policy Institute Task Force, www.boldapproach.org

Health Reform is a

Major Victory for Texas’ Kids

and Families!

National Health Care Reform:

• Promotes preventative health care.• Ends discrimination against sick children.• Will create affordable options for low- and

middle-income families through exchanges.• Protects young adults from becoming

uninsured between graduation and employment.

• Prohibits lifetime limits.

www.texasvoiceforhealthreform.org

Sustained & Balanced Investment

by the Community in the Community

is the Key

INSTEAD…Texas Leadership

calling for 10% cuts for current 2012-13

state budget!

Texas Needs A Balanced

Approach to Balancing the

Budget

How Texas Can Close

the Revenue Gap in 2011?

•Use the Rainy Day Fund

•Utilize All Federal Funds Available to Us

How Texas Can Close

the Revenue Gap in 2011?

•Use the Rainy Day Fund

•Utilize All Federal Funds Available to Us

•Find New Sources of Revenue

With a Balanced Approach, Texas Can…

• Maintain investments in the essentials—like health, education, infrastructure

• Close the education and earnings gap

• Make Texas stronger

Let’s make sure we’re not shortchanging our children or

our future.

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