July 21, 2020

With distance learning carrying over through at least for the start of the new school year, the University of Texas at San Antonio Urban Education Institute asked nearly 2,000 teachers, students and parents from nine local school districts about what they think about teaching and learning online.

July 21, 2020

A survey on distance learning conducted by the University of Texas at San Antonio reveals that students are less engaged, according to teachers surveyed.

Mike Villarreal, the director of the Urban Education Institute, discussed the results from the teachers’ perspective during a Q&A on Tuesday.

July 21, 2020

 Cuando la pandemia de coronavirus llegó en la primavera de 2020, el equipo de investigación del Instituto de Educación Urbana de la Universidad de Texas en San Antonio preguntó: “¿Qué podemos hacer para ayudar a la comunidad durante esta crisis de salud pública?

July 20, 2020

An important study on distance learning is helping local school districts plan for the fall. University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) surveyed nearly 2,000 K-12 public school parents, teachers, and students as well as one local network of career-themed schools.

July 20, 2020

At a time when almost everything about the next school year is uncertain, UTSA’s Urban Education Institute sees a path forward.

April 22, 2020

This session will focus on the economic impact of the pandemic, with a particular focus on San Antonio’s recovery and implications for our city’s future. Join our panel of UTSA experts as they explore this topic with an opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

April 27, 2020

KSAT 12 News sat down with Dr. Mike Villarreal of the UTSA Urban Education Institute to answer questions about education in San Antonio during the Coronavirus epidemic.

April 27, 2020

KSAT 12 News sits down with Dr. Mike Villarreal from the UTSA Urban Education Institute to answer questions about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the city.

April 22, 2020

In early February, economists forecasted a “sunny” year.

Low unemployment and a strong state economy would make for a positive 2020 with only declining oil and gas prices and a tight labor market posing any threat.  

May 2, 2020

When Spring Break was extended in March due to the spread of COVID-19, I knew my children would not return to school this academic year.

Even though the initial closure was “just” for a week, and then extended for another two weeks, and then another month, the idea of returning to school as the novel coronavirus spread seemed like a nightmare/fantasy.

May 4, 2020

Mike Villarreal believes we should all stop saying the phrase “getting back to normal,” especially when it comes to thinking about students’ return to in-person classes this fall.

May 4, 2020

The Urban Education Institute at UTSA is leading a change in student success throughout the city of San Antonio.

July 1, 2020

School districts prepare for fall semester, but will students be able to catch up? If students return to the classroom as planned this fall, it will have been 22 weeks or longer since they physically sat in a classroom with their teacher and peers. 

May 6, 2020

Economic experts from UTSA discussed the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic in a virtual panel on April 22. 

May 6, 2020

With the summer months quickly approaching, communities across the nation are staring down myriad uncertainties regarding education: How will schools operate going forward? How will probable budget cuts affect K–12 schools and higher education institutions? How can we better support the needs of students, teachers and their families, especially those already struggling through inequities?

February 15, 2019

Former Texas state representative Dr. Michael Villarreal is working to make the new Urban Education Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) a trusted community partner for education stakeholders looking to improve educational attainment, outcomes and economic earnings for San Antonio’s students.

January 23, 2019

The University of Texas at San Antonio is launching an Urban Education Institute at its downtown campus.

July 4, 2019

'Miss Education' Jennifer Maestas sits down with with Mike Villarreal, Director of Urban Education Institute at UTSA. Mike is a public policy professional with a focus on public finance, education policy, and statistical modeling and analysis.

January 30, 2019

The first group of participants in the San Antonio’s full-day public preschool program performed better on state standardized tests than others in public preschools and those who didn’t attend preschool, according to a new study, San Antonio Express-News reports.

August 20, 2018

Last month, a study made headlines with negative news about a popular program known as dual credit.

Dual credit is a model program that allows qualified high school students to enroll in college courses and simultaneously earn college and high school credit. It’s popular with students because it allows them to get a head-start on college, reduce the cost of college tuition and complete their degrees sooner.

December 20, 2019

UTSA has launched its Urban Education Institute, a hub to prepare future educators, strengthen community partnerships and raise the educational attainment levels and earnings of economically disadvantaged students. 

January 28, 2019

The first group of students who attended Pre-K 4 SA in its first year has taken third-grade STAAR exams, and results showed the students were more likely to perform better on state exams and attend class than those who did not attend public pre-K.

August 25, 2020

The first cohort of Pre-K 4 SA students had better attendance and received higher third-grade STAAR exam scores than students who were not enrolled in public prekindergarten, according to new data.

February 3, 2019

More than 50 readers posted comments last week after reading “Failure to Consolidate Hurts San Antonio’s Public Education Outcomes,” a reflection, on the one hand, of strong reader interest in education issues and, on the other hand, the difference of opinion out there about how to deal with Bexar County’s lowest-performing schools districts.