By Manny Soto, CREEED Data Director
At CREEED, we believe every student in El Paso deserves a clear path to college and career success. This belief drives everything we do, from how we measure progress to where we invest our resources. It’s why we keep a constant pulse on regional trends and student data, tracking both the remarkable progress our students are making and the gaps that still require attention.
Our focus on college readiness is intentional. It’s not an abstract benchmark, but a powerful indicator of whether students are developing the skills and knowledge they need for their futures. When students reach college-ready performance levels, their likelihood of enrolling in and completing a college degree increases.
Promising Trends in College Readiness
Recent state and regional data point to encouraging momentum across El Paso.
- Student performance continues to improve in core subjects. On the STAAR exam. El Paso students saw gains at the MEETS level in both math and reading — an increase of 8% in math and 10% in reading — outperforming the state average on both measures.
- El Paso students also continue to excel in Algebra I. For the second year in a row, student performance remained 7 points, or 15%, above the state average at the MEETS level.
- More students are graduating with college credits. In 2025, almost 1,000 students graduated from high school with enough college credits to also earn an associate’s degree, a 10% increase from 2024.
Gaps that Require Our Attention
At the same time, the data makes clear that our work is far from finished.
- More than 50% of El Paso’s elementary and middle school students are still performing below the MEETS level in math, signaling the need for stronger foundations earlier in the academic journey.
- At the high school level, 46% of El Paso high schools performed below the state average on the state English exam.
Our Path Forward: Earlier Intervention, Stronger Support
In response, CREEED is doubling down on college readiness by starting earlier and strengthening supports across the pipeline.
Expanding Access to Algebra in Middle School: We are expanding access to Algebra in middle school so more students can take advanced math courses in high school and beyond. Schools that have done this successfully show that when students are given access and support, they rise to the challenge.
Improving the Quality of Reading Instruction: We are investing in improving the quality of reading instruction, ensuring students develop strong comprehension and critical-thinking skills that underpin success in every subject.
Making College-Level Courses Accessible in High Schools: We’re working to make college-level courses available to more El Paso students through dual credit opportunities — helping students build confidence, earn credits, and reduce future costs.
The data shows us where we are and where we need to go. Every student in El Paso deserves the opportunity to be college and career ready, and CREEED remains committed to working alongside educators, families, and community partners to make that vision a reality.
To dive deeper into the latest trends and data on college readiness across El Paso, visit: https://www.creeed.org/data/