District officials briefed trustees on June 7 about a plan to, along with the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), operate collegiate academies at Skyline High School and North Lake College. Under the proposal, the 2018-2019 school year would serve as a planning year and then open to incoming freshmen the following school year.
Dallas ISD and the DCCCD currently operate 23 collegiate academies where students can get up to 60 hours of college credit—or an associate’s degree—at no cost to them while still in high school.
Dallas ISD is also planning to enhance district career and technical education (CTE) programs by launching career institutes at five existing Dallas ISD high schools to prepare students to enter high-demand skilled professions after high school graduation. The career institutes will build on current CTE programs so students have the potential to earn a livable wage immediately after graduating from high school.
“Get out of your mind the old vocational education,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told trustees. “These (career institutes) are for jobs of the future, or current jobs where you can get an excellent wage.”
The career institutes will combine together industry partners, a CTE program pathway, industry certifications, and a Dallas County Community College District partner. The first group of career institutes are:
H. Grady Spruce High School
- Industry Partners: Service King, Atkinson Toyota, and Swell Lexus
- Potential DCCCD Partner: Eastfield
- Career Options: Auto Body Repair Technician
- Median Starting Salary: $31,000+
W.H. Adamson High School
- Industry Partners: Sewell Lexus and Atkinson Toyota
- Potential DCCCD Partner: Cedar Valley
- Career Options: Automotive Technician
- Median Starting Salary: $31,000+
L.G. Pinkston High School
- Industry Partners: Iron Workers Union and TDIndustries
- Potential DCCCD Partner: Mountain View
- Career Options: Welder, solderer, cutter, brazer
- Median Starting Salary: $31,000+
W.W. Samuell High School
- Industry Partners: TEXO and Hill & Wilkinson
- Potential DCCCD Partner: Northlake
- Career Options: Construction Technician
- Median Starting Salary: $28,000
Wilmer-Hutchins High School
- Potential Industry Partners: Walmart, O’Reilly, FedEx
- Potential DCCCD Partner: Cedar Valley
- Career Options: Supply chain specialist, logistics technician
- Median Starting Salary: $28,000+
The Dallas Morning News also covered the great news, and you can read the story here.
