Newly released kindergarten readiness data underscore importance of new Governor’s Task Force

Newly released Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) data from the Texas Education Agency reveals that only about half of Texas students enter kindergarten ready to succeed. This benchmark is correlated with the ability to read on grade level in third grade, which in turn is highly predictive of long term academic and economic outcomes. (For an overview of all newly released outcomes data, which can be displayed by school system, county, and legislative district, see Commit’s Comprehensive Summary Dashboard.)

These findings reinforce the importance of the Governor’s Task Force on the Governance of Early Childhood Education and Care, established through House Bill 117 (authored by Rep. Schoolcraft and Sen. Campbell) to improve coordination, efficiency, and outcomes across Texas’ early childhood education system.

“Ensuring children start school ready to succeed while enabling parents to fully participate in the workforce is critical to Texas’ long-term economic competitiveness and continued growth,” said Commit Chief State Impact Officer Bridget Worley. “By examining how early childhood education and care systems can work more effectively together, the Governor’s Task Force represents a meaningful step toward building a more outcomes-driven early childhood education and care system that better serves Texas families, employers, and communities.”

The Task Force, whose members were announced this morning at an elementary school in Schertz, Texas, is charged with examining how Texas can better align early childhood education and care programs across state agencies, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure public investments translate into measurable outcomes for children, families, and the workforce.  

The Task Force will be chaired by Peter Holt, San Antonio Spurs owner, board chair of Early Matters San Antonio, and member of the Early Matters Texas coalition alongside the Commit Partnership, which manages Early Matters Dallas. The Task Force will deliver legislative and budget recommendations by December 2026 with a focus on strengthening kindergarten readiness and expanding access to affordable, high-quality early learning statewide.

Governor Abbott has taken bold legislative action to elevate high-quality early childhood education as a strategic priority for Texas, recognizing its double return on investment for both education and the economy: When families have access to reliable, affordable early learning options, parents are better able to remain in and advance within the workforce, supporting economic growth across Texas, the eighth-largest economy in the world. At the same time, children who participate in early learning are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn and stay on track academically in early grades.

Texas’ early childhood education and care programs are currently administered across multiple agencies, creating a fragmented system that can be difficult for families to navigate and challenging for providers to sustain. Programs often operate under different eligibility requirements, funding streams, and accountability structures, which limits coordination and reduces overall system efficiency. HB 117 establishes a clear pathway to examine governance, coordination, and accountability across agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively.

As part of its charge, the Task Force will:

• assess current structures across the Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Texas Workforce Commission;  

• align goals and metrics; and  

• develop actionable recommendations to increase childcare capacity, strengthen kindergarten readiness, and improve outcomes statewide.  

This work is particularly timely, as several agencies involved in early childhood education and care are scheduled for review through the Texas Sunset process during the current legislative cycle, providing an opportunity to align policy recommendations with broader state oversight efforts.