It’s official: a P-TECH (Pathways to Technology Early College High School) will open in Seagoville High School next fall.
The Texas Education Agency on Tuesday formally approved Dallas ISD’s request to open the P-TECH inside Seagoville High School. The approval, which is provisional, will become official this summer.
Meanwhile, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has named Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to the state’s first P-TECH Advisory Committee. Hinojosa is one of 13 members on the advisory council that will identify the specific goals and metrics for a P-TECH model in Texas and promote education and business partnerships across the state.
“I want Texas to lead by example by using the P-TECH model,” Patrick said in a statement. “When you get the brightest educators and experienced industry leaders together, you get customized solutions for Texas students. The P-TECH model brings the best of both worlds and it ensures that our education system prepares our students for specific 21st century workforce needs across the state.”
How does P-Tech work
In collaboration with an industry partner—AT&T—and Eastfield College, the school will offer three pathways and degree plans for students:
- Business Administration/Management
- IT/Computer Information Technology
- Network Administration
- IT/Software Programming
Students will be able to earn up to 60 college credit hours or an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science through the program.
“P-TECH will be a game changer for the students, their families, and the greater Seagoville community because it would provide an opportunity for students to secure a well-paying job in a high-demand field out of high school,” Dallas ISD Deputy Chief Israel Cordero said. “This school will prepare students for a very bright future.”
As the industry partner, AT&T will mentor students and offer internships to students during their 11th– and 12th-grade year. The internships could potentially lead to full-time positions that would start with a competitive salary.
Collegiate Academy growth
Along with P-TECH at Seagoville, Dallas ISD will open seven new collegiate academies next fall.
Like P-TECH, the collegiate academies will be “schools within schools,” meaning they will be separate programs inside existing high schools.These are the seven high schools that will house collegiate academies starting next school year and their partner community colleges:
- David W. Carter High School (Cedar Valley Community College)
- Thomas Jefferson High School (Brookhaven Community College)
- James Madison High School (El Centro Community College)
- Pinkston High School (El Centro Community College)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt High School (El Centro Community College)
- South Oak Cliff High School (Mountain View Community College)
- Emmett J. Conrad High School (Richland Community College)
The collegiate academy expansion aligns with the district goals adopted by trustees in January. The goals include making Dallas ISD schools the primary choice for families in the district, ensuring that 95 percent of students graduate; and that 90 percent of graduates have qualifying scores for community college, college, military, or an industry certification.
