The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board released a study Sunday that found diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs did not improve educational outcomes for black students in the state.
Texas banned DEI offices and programs at colleges and universities in 2023, requiring institutions to instead use merit-based approaches. The board’s study, which used data from 2022 and 2023 before the law went into effect, showed that black students were lagging behind their peers even with DEI policies.
“Ensuring all Texas students have the opportunity to succeed will directly strengthen our workforce and economy,” the report reads. “While it’s too early to assess the impact of SB 17, continuous monitoring of student outcomes is critical to improving efficiency and maximizing the potential of our future workforce.”
The six-year graduation rate for black students attending a four-year college in Texas remains several percentage points behind other races at 51% compared to 83% for Asians, 60% for Hispanic students and 73% for white students, according to the study. Only 78% of black students remained at their institution after the first year, a number that drops to 70% after their second year compared to 94% and 91% for Asian students, respectively.
About 77% of black students held a GPA above 2.0 after their first year, compared to 93% for Asians, 82% for Hispanics and 91% of white students, the report details.
The board plans to release studies on the law’s impact every two years, reviewing whether application, retention and graduation rates and grade point averages change, the study said. They also plan to take into consideration external factors that may affect the results, such as socioeconomic status and the students’ high school ranking before entering college.
“The enactment of SB 17 is a significant step towards ensuring that merit and ability are the sole determinants of success within our higher education institutions,” Republican Texas state Sen. Brandon Creighton, who pioneered the legislation, said in a March statement. “Now that SB 17 is law, I’m confident that Texas public colleges and universities can return to their core mission of innovation and education— and if they do not, the Texas Senate will be resolute in enforcement of this legislation.”
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