The Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program at Victoria ISD is a great way for students to get ahead in their chosen career field. Until now, the only P-TECH pathway was limited to healthcare. However, as of Thursday, July 29, students went from having one option in P-TECH to three.
Last week, P-TECH students got to kick off the 2021-22 school year and their enrollment in either Computer Science P-TECH or Education and Training P-TECH with a two and a half-day Summer Bridge which culminated with a trip to Victoria College and the University of Houston-Victoria. Students had the opportunity to learn about what their programs are going to be like this year.
While that sounds fun and all, you may be wondering what P-TECH even is. So, let’s backtrack a little.
P-TECH is a no-cost pathway to parents or students that will lead to post-secondary credentials and is an experience that encourages students to continue their post-secondary education. The program provides an opportunity to receive both a high school diploma, a credential, and up to an associate degree at no cost to students and parents!
In layman’s terms, the pathways are basically a combination of high school, Career and Technical Education, and college courses. Students get the opportunity for hands-on learning with high school teachers, college professors and training with area industry partners.
If you think in terms of grade-level/years, completing this program with a credential or an associate degree already in hand could essentially put the student in their junior/3rd year of college right out of high school. If the student wanted to jump straight into the workplace, completion of this program gives them that ability as well.
The two new programs will both be located at Victoria West High School while the existing Healthcare P-TECH will remain at Victoria East High School. Students district-wide are eligible to sign up for the P-TECH of their choice at the end of their 8th grade year during course selection. Each pathway cohort consists of 25 students.
All students will be enrolled in Pre-AP core classes as well as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID). Students will have the opportunity to see how the various content classes apply to their pathway.
P-TECH’s mission is to develop an educational mindset connecting all students with their aspirations and real-world experiences. At VISD, our goal is to graduate every single student with their ‘AND’. These pathways are a way to help them do just that. Having our students walk that stage at the end of the year having graduated high school, have a credential, and an associate degree (for free I must add), helps us achieve our goal and means our students are that much closer to theirs.
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For more information about P-TECH and its pathways, visit http://ptech.visd.net/.