$5.6 million national endorsement to expand early college high schools
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY HAS BECOME A HOTBED of innovative educational practices and has garnered national attention for closing the achievement gap. The latest endorsement of $5.6 million, part of a $15 million dollar grant by the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund, reinforces the impact of the early college high school (ECHS) model for low-income, first-generation college-going students.
Over the past 10 years, Educate Texashas led the implementation of more than 60 ECHSs across the state, with almost a third of the schools being in the Rio Grande Valley region. This bold approach provides students with the opportunity to earn up to two years of college credit, tuition-free, while obtaining their high school diplomas.
Leveraging the track record of success from this portfolio of schools, Educate Texas formed a national partnership with Jobs for the Future, Denver Public Schools and two Rio Grande Valley Independent School Districts—Brownsville and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo—to replicate these ECHS practices across each of the districts’ high schools and middle schools.
This proven initiative will change the futures of over 20,000 students
The compelling application was selected as one of 20 national i3 awards out of a highly competitive pool of more than 700 applicants.
With the Rio Grande Valley student population being 99 percent Hispanic and the majority being economically disadvantaged, this proven initiative will change the futures of over 20,000 students across the poorest region of our the United States. Over the next five years, Educate Texas will work with these districts to expand the ECHS principles across their schools. We are confident this can serve as a national model for improving college and career readiness for all students. To learn more, visit www.edtx.org.