Students at Seagoville High School are poised to take education to the next level as plans are being made to launch the school’s Pathways to Technology (P-Tech) Early College High School in the fall, pending approval by the Texas Education Agency.
The school will be the first of its kind in the state of Texas and will combine academic rigor with a career focus, giving students the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized associate degree while, simultaneously, completing high school requirements. Students will be paired with mentors from the business community and gain practical workplace experience with paid internships, and they will be first in line for jobs with the employer partner when they graduate.
Stephanie Taylor, executive director for the Seagoville High School Feeder Pattern, recently joined with higher education partners Eastfield College and the University of North Texas at Dallas to discuss details.
“The partnership between Seagoville P-Tech ECHS and universities, such as the University of North Texas at Dallas, will provide the students of Seagoville a seamless transition to four- year universities with their associate degree and career options,” Taylor said.
Joining Taylor for the discussions were Dr. Kim Lowry and Michael Gutierrez from Eastfield College, and Ana Rodriquez and Dr. Thad Anglin from UNT at Dallas.
“The Seagoville community members are extremely excited to have such an incredible opportunity available for their children. Many of the students in Seagoville have aspirations of higher education, but may not necessarily have the financial means/support for a college and/or career pathway,” Taylor said. “The P-Tech Early College model provides students, not only the academic support needed for higher education, but also specific skills that will assist them in obtaining an associate degree in applied sciences.”
In her monthly community newspaper column, Dallas ISD Trustee Nancy Bingham, who represents the Seagoville area, expressed delight at the news that P-Tech ECHS is opening in the community, adding that it places Seagoville in the forefront of education reform.
AT&T is the employer partner supporting this effort. Plans are underway to launch the program’s first ninth-grade cohort next fall, to be followed by an additional grade level each year.
