Research & Data
PROMOTING DATA-DRIVEN PUBLIC POLICIES
The Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (CSME) supports the research and evaluation efforts across all of
Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation
One in ten children in the U.S. is born in Texas. Providing 10% of our country’s population with a quality education is critically important to the future of our local, state, and national economies.
Primarily achieved through our Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (CSME), CHILDREN AT RISK works to ensure all Texas children have access to quality education, so they have the skills necessary to thrive in our 21st-Century economy.
Through strategic partnerships, CHILDREN AT RISK researches trends, inequities, resources, and opportunities to improve public education. We use this research to educate policymakers and advocate for better education policies
The Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (CSME) supports the research and evaluation efforts across all of
Data-Driven Community Advocacy Tools
CSME designs and disseminates data-based research tools including:
- Annual School Rankings
- School data for parents through TexasSchoolGuide.org
- Early education data and interactive maps
Research & Evaluation
CSME assesses the impact of policies and programs, resulting in evaluations including:
- Nonprofit program evaluation
- Corporate social investment reports
- Community health needs assessments
- Fiscal evaluations
Publications
CSME produces research-oriented publications including:
- Growing Up in Houston
- Growing Up in North Texas
- The Journal of Applied Research on Children
- The Journal of Family Strengths
Our Latest Research & Data Analysis
The Impact of Social Media on Children | Working Paper
In the digital age, social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. It is nearly impossible for children or young adults to imagine life without Facebook - Instagram plus all the counterparts that came before them! As more kids grow up in this society...
Which Texas Schools Were Most Resilient?
For more than a decade, CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R) has ranked and graded Texas public schools to help parents, educators, and community members understand how schools in their community are performing, and to spark dialogue on the quality of public education across Texas....
Call for Papers: the Importance of Sleep for Child Wellbeing
Children’s sleep is an integral part of development. Untreated sleep disorders can often have multiple negative impacts on children’s development, health, and long-term wellbeing. Sleep is also an important component of the family dynamic and overall household health....
Children and Climate Change | Volume 12. Issue 1 of the Journal of Applied Research on Children
Climate change is a global emergency, but its impacts are not equally distributed across our society. Children, especially children in economically disadvantaged or historically marginalized communities, bear the greatest impact. From increasing exposure to pollution...
Early Educator Survey – English
CHILDREN AT RISK is conducting an Early Educator Survey. We would love to hear from you about your current experience in the field. Responses will help develop and advocate for equitable policies that improve early childhood education for all children and educators in Texas.
Call for Papers: Child Firearm Injury & Domestic Violence
Children at Risk's Journal of Applied Research on Children and Journal of Family Strengths seek papers on two special issue topics: child firearm injury/safety and the impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence. Journal of Applied Research on Children Children at Risk...
C@R Hosts Roundtable with JFS Authors on Youth Suicide
Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for 24 hour support. Even before the pandemic, youth...
COVID-19 Related Child Care Closures
Child care centers, already some of the most economically vulnerable businesses in Texas, provide an essential service to working families and critical early educaation for young children. Throughout the pandemic, permanent, temporary, and extended closures have left...
2021 Kroger School Food Rankings
Across Texas, over 3 million students from low-income households qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through federal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. For many of these children, meals eaten at school are...
Chronic Absenteeism In Texas
Before the pandemic, Texas had a problem with chronic absenteeism in its schools. Statewide, chronic absenteeism averages at 12.5% pre-COVID and varies dramatically by region. More than 740,000 students missed at least one-tenth of their instruction in 2019. The...
Growing Up In Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children
In partnership with the United Way of Greater Houston, JPMorgan Chase & Co., CHILDREN AT RISK is excited to share the 2021-2022 edition of Growing Up in Houston: Assessing the Quality of Life of Our Children. The goal of the GUIH project is three-fold: to provide...
Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care is Scarce
By Kaeleigh Hernandez, Early Childhood Education and Sara Moran, Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation (Note: The analyses in this post uses data on child care centers from September 2019) Across Texas, nearly half of all child care providers accept subsidies...