Handing out diplomas at every RISD graduation ceremony is one of the great perks of being a school board trustee.  I never tire of sharing this joyful moment with our wonderful students and their families.  This year I got to hand diplomas to my twin daughters and it was a real tear-jerker.

Since our business is educating students to be successful, let’s take stock of how RISD graduates compare in Texas and nationally.

Twenty years ago only about 60% of RISD graduating seniors were college bound.  Today college bound graduates has risen to 85%.

Simultaneously, college entrance requirements are higher and competition is stiffer.  Students must make better grades in more college prep courses, have higher SAT scores, submit resumes of their school activities and community service, and write personal essays for admission.  UT Austin received 21,130 applications for 6,400 places in the fall 2000 freshman class.

Five years ago, our seniors reported $12 million in scholarships.  This year RISD graduates will earn an amazing $15 to $16 million in scholarships, a 33% increase.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test, commonly known as the SAT, is the most frequently taken college admissions test in this part of the country.  Maximum score for each part is 800, total 1600.  Here’s a summary of current mean scores.

The true test of a quality educational system is to examine how well students in each sub-population are performing, and every RISD sub-population is exceeding both state and national norms!

In order for our community to thrive, children of all racial and ethnic groups must succeed.  RISD is excelling in the critical challenge of educating ALL children.