Texas 2036

In 2023, Texas 2036 applied its data-driven, research-informed, non-partisan approach to Texas state policy to develop and publish research, interactive data tools, and viable solutions for how the state might address complex and long-term issues facing Texas. Guided by the goals and priorities outlined in the legislative agenda we developed in 2022, we prepared and shared hundreds of pages of data and policy analysis with legislative committees, government commissions, agencies, and business, non-profit, and civic groups. These were also made freely available to the public on our website. Texas 2036 continued to develop and engage with coalitions of policy stakeholders including Digital Texas, which focused on expanding access to high-speed broadband; Aim Hire Texas, a statewide consortium of advocates, employers, non-profit organizations, and education and training providers working to improve the Texas workforce system for the benefit of all Texans and their employers; and InvestEdTx, a non-partisan collaborative focused on Texas public schools and the importance of smart school funding. In 2023, we expanded our coalition-building efforts through the formation of the States for the Future network, a collaboration of organizations and states pursuing a new approach to solving the significant and systemic challenges that individual states - and the nation as a whole - face now and into the future. Texas 2036 also developed and initiated several projects to continue to establish clear facts about the challenges and opportunities facing Texas, including data analyses, research summaries, reports, and other resources aligned with various goals of Texas 2036's Strategic Framework for the future of Texas that have been or will be, made available to the public, to help Texans and their policymakers better understand and contemplate solutions for the many challenges that Texas continues to face.

At Texas 2036, data informs our policy work and is used to monitor the resulting progress. In 2023, Texas 2036 continued the expansion and creation of robust, accessible data tools and published reports outlining what the research/data indicates about the future. These resources are available to explore on our website at texas2036.org. In 2023, we completed over a dozen new data projects including the production of new publicly accessible data dashboards: The State of Texas Women, which provides data about women in Texas throughout critical phases of their lives; Understanding Texas: Population Growth, which provides data and analysis about historic migration and projected demographic trends in Texas; and the Postsecondary Outcomes Exploration Tool (POET) which provides key insights to students, parents, teachers, counselors, researchers, and policymakers about the factors that shape whether a student attends college and, if they choose not to attend college, whether they are projected to earn a living wage. We also updated the data and search functionality of our Strategic Framework, an examination of Texas' progress towards 36 aspirational goals in seven policy areas. In addition to online data tools, Texas 2036 produced publicly accessible research including The State of Readiness: Are Texas students prepared for life after high school?, written in collaboration with the George W. Bush Institute; a report on Modernizing Texas' Child Welfare IT System; a report on leveraging the potential of community colleges in a data-driven workforce development strategy; and a first-of-its kind report examining the population of Texans without health insurance. During 2023, Texas 2036 conducted its 6th and 7th Texas voter polls to understand the perspectives of Texas voters on key policy issues including education and health care and prepared a series of summaries of the lessons from these polls which are publicly accessible in our online Resource Library.

Texas 2036 believes it is critical for Texans across the state to know the challenges that our state faces, both now and into the future, and to understand the role that state policy plays in addressing those challenges and ensuring all Texans have the opportunity to flourish. In 2023, Texas 2036 staff visited communities and organized meetings across the state, sharing our research and data at conferences, public events. We convened meetings of statewide stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and insights about issues related to both justice and safety and housing. 2023 also included the formation of the States for the Future network, a collaboration of organizations and states pursuing a new approach to solving the significant and systemic challenges that individual states - and the nation as a whole - face now and into the future. We also assembled a Research Advisory Council, bringing together academic, business, and nonprofit leaders to provide strategic guidance on data project priorities and to better connect with the broader research and data community; and established a partnership with the Texas Education RP3 Network. Texas 2036 staff shared information with the public through media interviews, op-eds, 150 blog posts, 100 original videos, presentations, panel discussions, social media, reports, infographics, one-pagers, and interactive websites. Our work was mentioned in over 500 media reports and our online engagement increased by over 200% during 2023.