Austin 2030 chose postsecondary outcomes as a pilot focus area for testing the power of collective action.

Austin consistently ranks at the top of national “Best Of” lists and its economy is booming. Yet our city is not working for all kids and families.

Austin’s postsecondary enrollment rates are among the lowest in Texas. More than 60% of the students graduating from a public school (district or charter) within the Austin ISD attendance zone are not pursuing a postsecondary pathway, and a disproportionate number are students of color or from low-income backgrounds.

According to data from E3 Alliance, two-thirds of all jobs now require some sort of postsecondary credential - a workforce certificate or a two- or four-year degree. Austin students who do not complete a postsecondary credential within six years of leaving high school have just a 12% chance of earning a living wage. This is not okay when we know that earning a living wage is the gateway to physical health, wellbeing, civic engagement, and a fulfilling life.

In her book, Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World, Dr. Stephanie Malia Krass asserts that there are four life currencies (her colleague Karen Pittman added the fifth, collective identity) all PreK-12 students need to life a successful life, no matter their choice of postsecondary pathway. The Five Currencies framework illustrates the holistic support and development needed by all students, with particular attunement to the context factors that have especially undermined students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.