I am Jorge Borrego, postsecondary analyst for Next Generation Texas at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and I am testifying in support of HB 1859. I would like to thank the members of this committee for the opportunity to provide comments on HB 1859. The Foundation recently conducted research examining the state of career and
technical education in Texas public schools. What we found was that there are large gaps between workforce needs and programs of study across multiple sectors but in particular the skilled trades, such as electricians and HVAC technicians.
How Well Are Texas Public Universities Serving Their Students?
This paper represents the first installment of what will be an ongoing study of Texas public universities. This first phase, released in March 2024, is a review of three leading, existing ranking protocols, which measure free speech, academic quality, and Return on Investment by major and program. Our next installment will measure and report on...