Texas education dates to the late 1600s when Franciscan monks taught Indians to farm, spin and weave. Texas had a handful of public schools when it gained independence in 1836. The first Anglo-American public school law in Texas was enacted in 1840. In 1854, a school system for the entire state was inaugurated. The Texas Education Agency controls the public school system. Today, the state requires public high school students to take courses in Texas history.

One-sixth of all Texans can't read or write -- one of the highest illiteracy rates in the nation. There are nearly 3.5 million individuals functioning at or below the literacy level.

The University of Texas System consists of 15 institutions, employs more than 87,000 faculty and staff, and educates more than 177,000 students. The University of Texas at Austin is the largest of the campuses and also is one of the largest public universities in the country, with more than 50,000 students on 350 acres in the heart of the capital. Founded in 1883, UT is a major research university offering more than 100 undergraduate and 170 graduate degree programs. The doctoral programs in linguistics, botany and Spanish are ranked among the top five in the nation. The institution boasts one of the largest academic libraries in the country with more than eight million titles. UT's research facilities include McDonald Observatory, one of the world's leading centers of astronomical research, teaching, outreach and education.

Houston Community College is one of the largest community colleges in the United States. HCC comprises five area colleges and an extensive distance education program. Austin Community College operates six campuses throughout the greater Austin area as well as 40 other locations in ACC's service area. More than 65,000 credit and non-credit students are enrolled each year.

In addition to the numerous universities, colleges and community colleges throughout the state, a two-year technical education is available at four schools and three extension centers.

The Hazelwood Act provides Texas wartime veterans entitlement to waivers of tuition and some fees at state-supported colleges and universities. This benefit also is available to children of Texas servicemen and women who were killed or died in military service, are missing in action, or might be prisoners of war.

There are four libraries in the state that serve more than one million people -- two of them are in Houston. Texas has 10 regional library systems, each with a multitude of public libraries. In addition to books, the libraries offer residents a wide range of programs, events and reference services. The Texas State Library, established at Austin in 1839, is the state's oldest library and houses several million manuscripts reflecting Texas history. The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, owned and operated by the Texas State Library, features restored historic homes open for public tours, as well as artifacts, original documents and photographs that document southeast Texas ranching history. In addition, the institution holds the largest known collection of photographs and illustrations of Sam Houston, who secured Texas' long-sought independence and eventually became the governor.

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, established in 1856 and located in Austin, offers a variety of educational programming to provide children and youth with visual impairments the skills to lead productive and satisfying lives.

There are approximately 7,000 public schools in Texas, attended by more than four million students. Nearly half of the pupils come from economically disadvantaged households. Texas has one of the highest dropout rates in the nation. Only Arizona and Nevada experience a higher percentage of students who leave high school before graduating. On average, 148 adolescents drop out every school day in Texas. The state also spends less on education per pupil than most other states, ranking 31st overall.

Texas utilizes an unusual accountability system. A school's rating is based not only on student performance, but also on the performance of student groups -- African American, Hispanic, low-income and others.

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