Hundreds of educators from across the nation attend PSJA ISD’s annual conference
Texas Border Business
McAllen – Inspired by Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District’s (PSJA ISD) success with the implementation of its nationally recognized Early College Program and other renowned initiatives, more than 350 educators from around the nation made the journey to the Rio Grande Valley to attend the district’s 5th Annual “College For All Conference” being held Oct. 11-12, 2018 at the McAllen Convention Center.
Due to an influx of requests from leaders and educational institutions, PSJA ISD created the PSJA College for All Conference & Learning Tours in 2014 to better accommodate visitors. Since the start of the program, educators from more than half the U.S. states have traveled to tour and learn from PSJA ISD including Washington, Massachusetts, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oregon and New York, to name a few.
Due to the district’s success with the expansion of its Early College Program to all high schools in partnership with South Texas College, and successfully decreasing the dropout rate, many school districts near and far travel to South Texas each year to learn about these skills and how they can open similar programs at their respective school districts.
From its districtwide Early College work and Dual Language Enrichment Program to its transformative Pathways Toward Independence Program for its special education population, PSJA ISD has become a state and national leader in creating academic opportunities for students and their families. Due to these remarkable accolades, leaders from across the nation are drawn each year to tour PSJA ISD.
As a result, this year hundreds of educators from the PK-12 and higher education arenas from Texas and other states such as Wisconsin, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio had the opportunity to learn from over 50 breakout sessions and even campus tours held as part of the Pre-Conference sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018.
For Abdul-Azeem Ahmad, an Assistant Principal for Bridgeton Public Schools in New Jersey, getting to learn firsthand about PSJA’s district-wide early college program and other renowned initiatives was worth the journey to the Rio Grande Valley.
“PSJA ISD is a model! This is where it all started,” said the New Jersey Assistant Principal during a Pre-Conference Session held at PSJA Early College High School. “I was impressed to hear about the results from the data showing how well students are doing. [PSJA ISD] is far above the State average when it comes to graduation rates and almost at a 100 percent. I want the same for our students!”
Topics discussed during the conference include: Establishing and Scaling Early College High Schools, The Role of Higher Education Partnerships, Back-On-Track to College, Empowering Parents: A Two-Generation Approach to College Success, Academic Rigor for College Success (Dual Language Enrichment Program), and Policy and College Success.
In addition to the informative sessions, visitors also had the opportunity to hear from PSJA ISD Superintendent Dr. Daniel King, South Texas College President Dr. Shirley Reed, and a panel of PSJA ISD alumnae about their experiences in the district’s Early College Program on Thursday, Oct. 11.
“They changed my life! I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity, I can’t explain the gratitude I feel for both PSJA ISD and STC,” said Class of 2012 PSJA T. Jefferson T-STEM Early College HS Graduate Elizabeth Ramirez during the panel. Now a DHR Health Nurse, Ramirez attributes her success to being part of the district’s early college program.
As a special way to conclude this year’s conference, there will be a special keynote address from Texas Education Agency’s leaders on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Stacy Avery the Director of Postsecondary Preparation Programs and Alyssa Reinhart the Director for College and Career Strategy Support will both be presenting on, “How College, Career & Military Preparation Initiatives Align and Support A-F Accountability and the College/Career/Military Readiness (CCMR) Indicators.”
