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FWISD To Add P-TECH, ECHS Academies At High Schools This Fall
This fall, the Fort Worth ISD will launch four Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) and one Early College High School (ECHS) academies at comprehensive high schools across the District.
P-TECH academies are launching this fall at Eastern Hills, Dunbar, North Side and Polytechnic high schools. An ECHS Academy kicks off its inaugural year at Southwest High School this August. Spaces are still available this fall in some academies. Interested students may apply at www.fwisd.org.choice.
The District currently offers two ECHS academies at Dunbar High School and O.D. Wyatt High School. Tarrant County College- South Collegiate is the District’s sole P-TECH campus. FWISD has two Stand-Alone ECHS campuses located on a Tarrant County College Campus – Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Marine Creek. The difference between academies and stand-alone campuses is that academies are not offered to an entire campus but offers select students who’ve applied and been accepted through the Gold Seal program an opportunity at participating in the academy. The academies will accept 50 students per grade level annually starting at the ninth grade.
“What we’re beginning to see across the state … in large districts there are ECHS and PTECH’s being put in comprehensive high schools. The benefit of a neighborhood school is its closer to home [and] allows students to stay in their neighborhood high school,” said Lisa Castillo, FWISD Executive Director of Choice and Enrichment Programming. “What you’ll see in the large urban areas is that there are more ECHS and P-TECH schools to serve the students and see to it that they have options.
“I think it’s an exciting time.”
P-TECH programs allow students to complete high school having worked with local and regional industry partners, earning up to five industry certifications, a tuition-free associate’s degree and more than 60 transferable college credit hours. ECHS students, like their P-TECH peers, earn a tuition-free associate’s degree and college credit hours that are transferable to any public Texas four-year institution.
“I foresee students being able to navigate those college waters early,” Ms. Castillo said. “I also see it lifting up how we do school.
“This will continue to give students opportunities that they’ve never seen before.”
An estimated 1,500 to 1,600 FWISD students are expected to participate in P-TECH and ECHS programs the 2020-2021 academic year.
Workforce Pipeline
P-TECH programs require schools align pathways with regional and local future workforce needs and result in high-wage, high-demand careers for students, Ms. Castillo said. Each P-TECH program in the FWISD has at least one industry partner it works with to offer students opportunities such as learning from and networking with industry personnel, on-site company visits, internships, apprenticeships and ultimately preferential interviews for a full-time job upon completing their education.
The FWISD Board of Education is expected to consider Memorandums of Understanding with P-TECH industry partners on June 23.
The following P-TECH academy offerings start in August:
- Eastern Hills- Information Technology and Cyber Security
- North Side- Health Science
- Polytechnic- Education
- Dunbar- Manufacturing (Aircraft Composites)
College and Career Readiness
About 370 schools in Texas have either implemented one or more Career Readiness School Models (CCRSM) or are in the planning phrase with goals to launch the program next school year. The Texas CCRSM Network includes Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) Academies, Early College High Schools (ECHS), and Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH).
Earlier this year, FWISD’s TCC-South campus was among three schools in Texas selected to represent the state’s CCRSM programs. In January, the campus – which just completed its first year as a P-TECH school – hosted a P-TECH Showcase attended by industry partners and more than 60 educators interested in implementing their very own P-TECH programs.
Launch of P-TECH programs are preceded by a planning year with the Texas Education Agency. Districts look at workforce data and projections to determine future community workforce needs. Industry partners play a role in the planning process.
FWISD will use the 2020-2021 academic year as a planning year for future P-TECH programs at South Hills, Carter-Riverside and Diamond Hill-Jarvis high schools, Ms. Castillo said.
TCC will partner with FWISD in offering tuition-free associate’s degrees and industry credentials to students participating in P-TECH and ECHS programs. The District will also partner with Texas Wesleyan University in providing course offerings for participating students. The University of North Texas, while not
providing courses to students, will offer students in Polytechnic High’s Education P-TECH Academy, a pipeline in which they can transfer the college credits earned in high school into the university’s four-year education program, Ms. Castillo said.
Prior to classes starting in August, students enrolled in 2020-2021 P-TECH and ECHS programs will participate in a summer bridge program to prepare for what’s ahead.
Spaces are still available to enroll in some P-TECH and ECHS academies. Interested students are encouraged to complete FWISD’s Gold Seal Programs of Choice late application at www.fwisd.org/choice.