Taylor, Hutto and Temple College at Taylor Officials Discuss Early College High School Plans for East Williamson County
In a February 2, 2007 Friday workshop, Dr. Bruce Scott, Taylor ISD Superintendent, rolled out, for discussion, a preliminary design for the East Williamson County’s Early College High School program. In attendance at the workshop were Hutto and Taylor school officials, representatives from Texas Education Agency and Education Service 13, Temple College at Taylor and members from the Texas High School redesign project as well a representative from Senator Ogden’s office.

According to Dr. Scott, “this is the first step in the designing of what the Early College High School might look like for East Williamson County. There will be a number of other meetings set-up to refine this model with the hope that we will be able to implement the first class of 100 students in the Early College High School program as soon as the Fall 2007. Dr. Scott went on to say that, “this is a collaborative partnership with Hutto and Taylor school districts and Temple College at Taylor. Development funds were provided by a competitive Texas Education Agency grant awarded in December of 2006”.

The East Williamson County Early College High School is a part of the Texas High School Project, a $251 million public-private initiative that is committed to increasing graduation rates and college enrollment rates in Texas communities. THSP partners include the Texas Education Agency, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Wallace Foundation, educators and others. The governor of Texas strongly supports the program.

Through the THSP, the ECHS is designed to enable students to achieve two years of college credit at the same time they are earning a high school diploma and within four to five years of entering ninth grade. Additionally, this boosts graduation rates and increases the number of Texas high school students prepared for post secondary success.

The East Williamson County ECHS partners are in the process of putting together a small design team that will look at what has been discussed and begin the refining process working toward implementation.

Dr. Scott ended the workshop by saying,” This is a special opportunity for students who may have never considered college before, but with resources, appropriate advising opportunities and a sincere desire for learning as well as earning college credit while in high school students will be able to further themselves academically and economically”.

As an educational choice, initially, the East Williamson County ECHS will be open to students who reside in the Hutto and Taylor school districts and who will be entering the ninth grade. A series of parent – student informational sessions will be announced in late March by Hutto and Taylor School Districts.