March 20, 2018—Incoming Amarillo ISD freshmen will have the opportunity to complete an associate degree while earning their high school diploma through a partnership between the District and Amarillo College.
Superintendent Dr. Dana West signed off on the partnership Monday. The Diplomas and Degrees program is a highly-challenging, four-year commitment for those students whose Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment demonstrates college readiness by the end of eighth grade. Students who are approved for the program by both AC and their respective high school are eligible to complete an associate degree in arts & humanities or science, technology, engineering and math (STEM.)
“This opportunity is not only great for AISD and Amarillo College, it’s a great opportunity for the city of Amarillo because it will strengthen our workforce,” Dr. West said. “We’ve offered students the opportunity to get a head start in college, by earning college credit in dual credit or advanced placement classes, for some time. Many of our students also earn professional and industry certifications while in high school. This takes it a step further and gives those who are ready one more path to earning a living wage right out of high school.”
Students accepted to Diplomas and Degrees will take both dual credit and concurrent courses to earn 60 hours of college credit by the time they graduate high school. Dual credit courses are those in which students earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. Concurrent courses are taken outside of the school day at Amarillo College and are not for high school credit.
“The plan starts with incoming high school freshmen during the 2018-2019 school year,” said AISD Director of Counseling/College & Career Readiness Tracey Morman. “However, depending on the student we may be able to look at other options and maximize the amount of college credit that could still be earned while in high school.”
AISD, along with Amarillo College, will host upcoming parent-student information sessions at each of the District’s four high schools. The times and dates for those meetings are still being determined.
More information about Diplomas and Degrees, including completion plans for each high school, is available on the counseling section of our website.
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