Uvalde CISD to convert Early College High School program to P‑TECH; ECHS labeled 'needs improvement' pending data cleanup
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Summary
District staff said the Early College High School (ECHS) program will be transitioned into a P‑TECH pathway; staff also described an ECHS 'needs improvement' designation driven by outcome‑based measures and said they are cleaning coding and tracking data with CareerCraft.
UVALDE, Texas — Uvalde CISD officials outlined plans to transition its Early College High School (ECHS) program into a Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P‑TECH) model and described state accountability actions that placed ECHS in a “needs improvement” status.
Jennifer Torres, the district CCMR (College, Career, Military and Readiness) director, said this academic year is the program’s planning year. ECHS will be embedded as an academic pathway within P‑TECH; Torres said students already in ECHS will keep their college credits and that the P‑TECH model adds a stronger work‑based learning benchmark.
Why it matters: P‑TECH adds employer partnership and work‑based learning components and can expand industry‑aligned certificates and associate degree pathways. The district said converting to P‑TECH should add options for certifications and apprenticeship‑style experiences without taking anything away from current ECHS students.
Accountability and needs improvement status: Torres said ECHS was placed in needs improvement under TEA’s outcome‑based measures, which include access (socioeconomic and at‑risk percentages), achievement (course and assessment results), and attainment (credits and degrees). The district met several achievement targets but missed access targets tied to at‑risk and economically disadvantaged shares among the ECHS cohort. Torres said some of the shortfall reflects coding and reporting issues and that staff are using a CareerCraft tracker and cross‑checks with Skyward to clean records.
What the board heard and next steps: Torres said the status could last up to three years because outcome measures lag. She described required follow‑up including an OBM (outcome‑based measure) action plan, targeted coaching and spring visits by TEA coaches. The board did not vote on program status; staff said they will continue data cleanup and meet TEA requirements while preparing P‑TECH implementation for the next school year.
Speakers quoted in this story spoke at the public meeting and are identified in district records.
