Alamo Heights ISD reports growth in Early College High School and P‑TECH cohort

Alamo Heights Independent School District officials told parents on Feb. 1 that the district’s Early College High School and its P‑TECH paraprofessional pathway have enrolled roughly 98 students and are already producing college credits and workplace experience.

District presenters said the first cohort of early college students will be able to graduate in four years with both a high school diploma and an associate of arts degree. "We have 98 total students, seven in P‑TECH," a district staff member said, adding that the cohort’s semester average passing rate was 98.98 percent.

The presentation said ninth‑grade students take two college courses during the year — one in the fall and one in the spring — and that freshmen in the program earn their first three college credit hours in the fall and are working on the second three in the spring. The presenter also said 44 percent of the cohort tested college‑ready on the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) in at least one subject when tested at the end of eighth grade; students who are not college‑ready for math must pass the required diagnostics before enrolling in college algebra.

The district described P‑TECH as operating under the Early College umbrella. P‑TECH students are working toward 60 college credit hours and an industry certification as paraprofessionals for careers in education and coaching. The district said its partner for dual credit and early college coursework is San Antonio’s St. Philip’s College.

James Miller, identified in the meeting as one of the early college teachers teaching a speech and professional communications course, described classroom projects. In Miller’s communications class students build and administer a survey, analyze the results and present findings; he said the project helps students move from reluctance to speak publicly to presenting research in front of the class. "Watching them transform that project alone was transformative," Miller said.

The district also described field‑experience opportunities for P‑TECH students interested in coaching. A student named Jackson Moore was cited as working at the junior school during athletic periods and leading a group of students under coach supervision as part of his experience.

Program leaders said they are planning to expand capacity next year after closing and then briefly reopening the application window: 94 students applied and 17 were P‑TECH applicants; seven students remained on a waiting list. The district said it can expand the incoming P‑TECH cohort to about 20 students for the next school year.

Officials emphasized program design choices intended to keep early college students on the home campus. Presenters said the district recruits certified teachers who also hold or can obtain adjunct credentials to teach the college courses on the high school campus, enabling students to remain part of Alamo Heights High School extracurricular life while earning college credit.

The presenters said ongoing retesting for students not college‑ready in math is scheduled from February through May so students can qualify for subsequent college coursework. They also noted that dual credit classes are open to students who are not in the Early College program, but those students likely will not complete an AA degree in four years without beginning as freshmen.

District staff answered parent questions about program entry points and said students must start in ninth grade to complete the full AA degree through the program; the district is exploring summer course options with St. Philip’s College to allow later entry in some cases.

Parents who spoke during the update described positive impressions of students’ mindsets and of the college transition course. The presenters concluded with an invitation for questions and said they would follow up with additional information for interested families.

Ending — The district framed the Early College and P‑TECH work as part of a multi‑year effort to grow “home‑grown” educators and paraprofessionals and said it will continue refining course sequencing, capacity and partnerships with St. Philip’s College as the cohort advances.