Students in the Dallas Independent School District have a few weeks to go before class lets out for the summer. But when the time comes, many of the graduates walking the stage for commencement will have earned more than just a high school diploma. Some will have college credits or even a degree.
In 2009, only a fraction of Dallas ISD students — 7% — earned any kind of secondary credits within 6 years of graduating high school. Now, more than 10% of Dallas ISD seniors are expected to graduate with both their high school diploma and an associate degree.
Administrators credit the district’s P-TECH program for the turnaround. That stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools.
There are 18 P-TECH campuses throughout the district, with additional H-TECH schools, focused on health care. Participating students can earn up to 60 credit hours or an associate degree, along with industry certificates for the careers they’re pursuing.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter @bzeeble.
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