Bastrop ISD partners with ACC to launch Early College High School Bastrop ISD has announced that they will partner with Austin Community College (ACC) to offer Early College High School (ECHS) programs that will provide hundreds of students with opportunities to earn a two-year college degree while still in high school. Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved an ECHS program for Bastrop ISD. During the January 21 school board meeting, trustees approved the Districts plans for implementation. We are extremely excited to be partnering with ACC to bring in an Early College High School program, a historic first for Bastrop ISD. We have been working in different ways to build the college-going culture in Bastrop ISD and having an ECHS program is a big part of the continuation of building a strong post-secondary and college-going culture for our students, district and community. The existing and innovative Quad-C program at both Bastrop HS and Cedar Creek HS, where students can attain up to 36 college credit hours was viewed as a great model in advance of ECHS - and officials at ACC and the Texas Education Agency apparently agreed. This, along with a lot of hard work by so many in the district helped us as we applied for and have been designated by TEA as an Early College High School site district where our ECHS students will eventually be able to cross the stage at their high school graduation and receive their high school diploma, up to 60 college credit hours, possibly resulting in earning their Associates Degree simultaneously, said Steve Murray, Bastrop ISD Superintendent of Schools. Students in the early college high school program take high school and college courses concurrently, allowing them to earn college credits along the way, potentially earning an associate degree or career or technical certificate before they graduate high school. ECHS programs are funded through public-private partnerships, grants, and shared-cost agreements, enabling school districts to offer the programs at no charge to students. “What’s important is the collaborative spirit to create new pathways to college at younger ages that will keep students motivated and provide incentives to graduate high school with college credit,” said Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC President/CEO. “Early college high school will lead to a higher educated populace and produce more individuals who are ready for successful careers.” In addition to providing course instructors and campus facilities, ACC will offer program support and professional development opportunities for school district faculty and staff. The college also provides access to ACC resources such as advising, libraries, learning labs and free tutoring. The goal is for all ECHS students to graduate college-ready. The passage of Texas House Bill 5 last year is expected to further fuel the growth of early college high schools as districts implement redesigned graduation requirements intended to prepare students equally well for postsecondary education and entering the workforce.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 17:49:51 +0000
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