Disconnection Among 18-24-year-olds, Data Tools You Can Use & From Data to Decisions: Using Early Childhood Evidence to Drive Pre-K Strategy
Disconnection Among 18-24-year-olds in Texas and the U.S.
Anna Crockett, Senior Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank
This breakout discussion will explore research on disconnected young adults ages 18–24 who are not enrolled in school, employed, or actively seeking work. Taking a historical perspective, the discussion will examine how this population has changed over time and highlight key trends and differences across geography, gender, race, and ethnicity.
Data Tools You Can Use: Texas 2036 Geographic Crosswalk
Carlo Castillo, Senior Research Analyst, Texas 2026
This session will provide an overview of Texas 2036’s education and workforce research agenda and introduce its geographic crosswalk tool. The tool allows users to connect data across geographic boundaries—including school districts, census tracts, state legislative districts, and more—making it easier to analyze information that does not typically align across geographies. Participants will see the tool in action and explore how it can support more flexible and comprehensive data analysis.
From Data to Decisions: Using Early Childhood Evidence to Drive Pre-K Strategy
Sara Sands Francis, Managing Director, Research, Data, and Impact, Good Reason Houston
How can districts and community partners turn early childhood data into actionable decisions? In this session, Good Reason Houston and its Powering Pre-K district partners will share their “Data to Decision” protocol, demonstrating how they combined parent perspectives, student assessment results, STAAR scores, and enrollment data to inform pre-K expansion and resource allocation. Participants will explore practical tools, including provider maps and outcome comparisons, and learn how to apply a similar approach to connect research with decision-making in their own early childhood work.
