College and Career Readiness Learning Models at San Antonio Schools

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Medicine pathway at Harmony Science Academy San Antonio

Would a school of choice focused on college and career readiness be the right fit for your children? In this guide for parents and caregivers, we will explain more about what it means for a school to have a college and career readiness learning model and give examples of schools in San Antonio that offer this model. Our goal is to help you understand the range of learning models that are available in schools of choice and enroll your children in high-quality schools that are the right fit for their needs.

What Is College and Career Readiness?

College and career readiness is the goal of a set of learning models that are designed to give students a strong start in life and elevate their earning potential in the job market. These programs look different in elementary or secondary schools, where there are several different approaches to giving students a head start on college credits and certifications. The programs covered here include early college high school, dual credit programs, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, and Career and Technical Education (CTE). What these programs have in common is that they all support students who are blazing new trails or facing barriers to enrolling in college.

In elementary grades, programs that focus on college and career readiness tend to be structured and data-driven. Students may have access to advanced curriculum, or there may be blocks of time set aside for helping students catch up on core subjects like reading, writing, and math. The goal is lay a strong foundation for students to succeed in middle and high school.

At early college high schools programs, students graduate from high school with up to two years’ worth of community college credits. They can either take an associate’s degree or transfer their credits to a four-year college and graduate early with less expense. Early college programs can save students a significant amount of time and money on their college journeys; that’s especially beneficial for first-generation college students. They can also help students as they apply for college because it shows that the student can do the college-level work.

Dual credit programs and Advance Placement (AP) courses also help high school students to earn college credits, but they do not add up to an entire associate’s degree. A wide range of high schools across San Antonio offer dual credit through partnerships with community colleges. Likewise, many high schools offer students the opportunity to load up on AP classes that lead to college credit.

International Baccalaureate (IB) schools offer a globally recognized program. Students in grades K–12 learn to interact with a diverse global community and approach the world with voice, choice, and ownership.

Career and technical education (CTE) helps students learn skills and earn certifications that will help them start their careers right after high school graduation. Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) programs offer early college courses and a focus on career readiness.

San Antonio ISD SAISD Burbank High School study room

San Antonio Public Schools That Offer College and Career Readiness

In San Antonio, families can choose college and career readiness learning models at many open enrollment public charter schools, in-district charter schools, magnet schools. These are tuition-free, public schools that are open to all students in a wide enrollment area, as we explain in our guide to school models.

College Readiness in Elementary Schools

Many of the elementary schools in our guide have college readiness as one of their goals, but some have elevated it as a main area of focus, especially for students in neighborhoods that have traditionally been underserved educationally. Prelude Prep serves only elementary grades and is focused on college readiness. Many of the high school programs that we discuss in this guide also offer elementary grades, including BASIS Texas Charter Schools, Compass Rose Public Schools, Harmony Public Schools, IDEA Public Schools, Jubilee Academies, KIPP Texas Public Schools, Lighthouse Public Schools, Royal Public Schools, School of Science and Technology (SST), and Somerset Academy of Texas.

Early College High Schools

New Frontiers Public Schools offers early college high school programs at Frank L. Madla Early College High School and Imelda Davis Early College High School. Their middle school program at Greg A. Garcia Early College Intermediate also promises to prepare students for college coursework.

SAISD Choice Schools offer early college programs at Brackenridge High School, Travis Early College High School, and St. Philip’s College Early College High School.

NEISD Magnet Schools offers an early college high school program, MacArthur University Prep (MAC UP), for students interested in education careers.

Early college high school programs are being established at more traditional public school districts, including districts in rural areas.

Dual Credit

Dual credit programs are becoming more widely available across many school models. The availability of dual credit programs is a great question to ask on school tours. We can’t include an exhaustive list here, but we can give some examples of open enrollment public charter schools that offer dual credit to high school students: Compass Rose Public Schools, Harmony Public Schools, IDEA Public Schools, Jubilee Academies, KIPP Texas Public Schools, Lighthouse Public Schools, School of Science and Technology (SST), and Somerset Academy of Texas.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Many high schools across different school models offer AP courses. Like dual credit, the availability of AP courses is a great question to ask on a school tour. In particular, BASIS Charter Schools and IDEA Public Schools are known for producing AP Scholars—students who earn high scores on multiple AP exams, setting them up for success in college.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Several districts and charter networks in San Antonio have campuses that are certified IB World Schools.

In Edgewood ISD, the Roy Cisneros Leadership School for Boys and the Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls are IB schools.

KIPP University Prep is an IB World School that is certified in the Diploma Programme (DP).

IDEA South Flores is an IB World School that is certified in the Diploma Programme (DP).

SAISD offers IB at multiple campuses across grades K–12, as we explain in this guide to IB schools in SAISD. Briscoe Elementary School and Woodlawn Hills Elementary School are certified in the Primary Years Programme (PYP); Woodlawn Academy, Fenwick Academy, and Harris Middle School are certified in the Middle Years Programme (MYP); and Burbank High School and Jefferson High School are certified in the Diploma Programme (DP).

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are becoming more widely available across many school models. The availability of CTE programs is a great question to ask on school tours. We can’t include an exhaustive list here, but we can give some examples. At Jubilee Academies, students can explore programs ranging from culinary to law enforcement. At Harmony Public Schools, students can choose pre-med and criminal justice tracks that help students jump start their professional lives. NEISD Magnet Schools offer CTE programs in construction, medical professions, and transportation technology.

P-TECH programs are available at East Central ISD Schools of Choice, Edgewood ISD Schools of Innovation, Legacy Traditional Schools—Texas, and SAISD Choice Schools.

At CAST Schools, each campus has a unique career focus.

East Central ISD CAST Lead Rising Leaders orientation

College and Career Readiness ​​in Other Education Settings

College and career readiness learning models are available in other education settings, including private schools and full-time online schools. Learn more by reading these blog posts on our site:

A learning model focused on college and career readiness can be established in a homeschool environment, especially if families work with partners such as Alamo Colleges. Pathways Home Education and Beyond Education can assist families with setting up their homeschool environments.

Identifying college and career readiness as a desired learning model is an important step in your school search. As a parent or caregiver who is researching schools for your children, the range of options can be overwhelming. Remember that you know your children better than anyone else. As you develop an understanding of different learning models, you can narrow the field to the ones where your child will likely be their happiest and most successful. Visiting School Discovery Day events is a great way for parents to meet with representatives from multiple schools in one day, ask questions, and get a feel for the school’s climate and culture. The San Antonio Charter Moms team wants to make it as easy as possible to find the right school for your child as easy as possible. We have a wealth of resources, including our Facebook discussion group, interviews with schools, and a weekly newsletter, to help you make the best choice.

Learning Models Handout

Download or print our learning models information as a one-page handout. The text is in English on one side and in Spanish on the other.

San Antonio Charter Moms Learning Models Level Up

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