The Texas Schools Project (TSP) was founded in 1992 by Prof. John F. Kain, while he was a Professor of Economics at Harvard University. As the project grew, Professor Kain joined the faculty of University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and moved the project to the University. The TSP brings together individual level data from multiple Texas state agencies, school districts, as well as other sources to support independent, high-quality academic research to improve academic achievement, increase transitions to and success in postsecondary education, and improve labor market outcomes of students in Texas and nation. Improving the quality of education provided to low-income and minority students has been a particular focus of the TSP.

Records are linked to form a longitudinal panel of individual level data, providing an unparalleled resource for educational research:

• More than 1.1 billion records for approximately 26 million    individuals.
• 13 years of individual data for more than 10 million students   enrolled in Texas public schools between 1990 and 2002.
• More than 500,000 public school teachers and staff.
• Approximately 610,000 GED completers between 1991 and  2000.
• More than 4.5 million Texas residents attending public two-  and four- year colleges and universities between 1991 and 2000.
• Quarterly employment and earnings data for 21 million Texas residents between 1989 and 2002.

• Enrollment, attendance, test score, and other K-12 public school data from Texas Education Agency.
• Community College and public university attendance and completion from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• Quarterly earnings data from the Texas Workforce Commission.                
• Other data elements from a number of different agencies, including: SAT, ACT, teacher test data, disciplinary action data; higher education tuition and financial aid data.