Sherman Independent School District reported a substantial jump in college, career and military readiness (CCMR) for the class of 2025 and outlined steps to expand career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, district CTE coordinator Elizabeth Clayton told the Board of Trustees. "This past year, our 2025 seniors, 74 percent of seniors in the district graduated with a CCMR accountability achievement," Clayton said, adding Sherman High School rose from 57 percent in 2023 to 86 percent for 2025 seniors.

The district said the increase contributed to higher TEA outcome bonuses and reflected a combination of expanded dual-credit options, targeted test supports and industry-aligned certifications. "We have expanded our dual credit opportunities ... and we're adding industry based certifications anytime I can see one, I assure you," Clayton said. She described targeted interventions including ASVAB boot camps run by military recruiters, FAFSA/college-application supports, and real-time dashboards to track student progress toward CCMR points.

Why it matters: CCMR is part of Texas accountability that measures whether graduates are prepared for college, careers or the military. The district said the improvement unlocks state outcome-bonus funding and supports career pathways that local employers use to hire trained workers.

District officials described the funding mechanics and recent increases in outcome-bonus awards. The district reported it finished 2024 with about $97,000 in outcome-bonus revenue and $115,000 for 2025. Clayton explained how TEA’s outcome-bonus rates apply: $5,000 for an economically disadvantaged student meeting outcome-bonus criteria, $3,000 for a non-economically disadvantaged student, and an additional $4,000 for a student receiving special education services — amounts that stack when multiple categories apply.

CTE expansion and grants: Clayton outlined program-level gains: 90.5 percent of Sherman High School students are enrolled in at least one CTE course; the district offers 13 career clusters and 25 TEA-approved programs of study. The district reported 31 industry-based certifications (IBCs) and said a 32nd — fundamentals of robotics — will be added this year. The Bearcat Collegiate Program, a dual-credit pathway, currently enrolls 101 students with 11 seniors on track for associate degrees this year and 20 incoming freshmen in the program’s seventh cohort.

Clayton credited local grant support for equipment and lab space. She thanked Workforce Solutions Texoma and the Sherman Economic Development Corporation for a grant to build an Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) lab and said SEDCO donated $54,000 to purchase a universal robot used in local industry automation. "This is what they use at Grayson in their automation classes," Clayton said of the universal robot, which enables the district to offer the new robotics IBC and to articulate robotics coursework with Grayson College.

Capacity and access issues: Trustees and audience members pressed Clayton about capacity limits. Clayton said the EET lab’s capacity is 18 students; the district currently reported 16 students in the second-year cohort and three remaining students from the first cohort. She said demand for other CTE programs — construction, culinary, health science — exceeds available space and that district leaders are exploring options to offer introductory CTE courses in middle school or use a currently vacant wing to expand capacity.

Follow-up directions and next steps: Clayton described an active CCMR task force to improve reporting and coding so the district captures all eligible students for outcome bonuses, ongoing expansion of dual-credit on campus, articulation agreements with Grayson College for higher-level robotics coursework, and targeted in-school interventions via an extended advisory period. The board asked Clayton to provide continuing updates on capacity, articulation agreements and the district’s work to expand CCMR opportunities for students in alternative settings.

Quoted speakers are from the Sherman ISD CCMR/CTE presentation and ensuing discussion. The district did not adopt a new policy during the presentation; officials described programs, grants and proposed next steps.