2025 CCRSM Partners Connect

How do you help college faculty and ISD teacher understand and/or debunk assumptions about one another and dual credit students? How do you help college faculty and ISD teachers understand the uniqueness of teaching modality and understand the dual credit student? How do you maintain quality without sacrificing communication, collaboration, and commitment? With a significant rise in dual credit partnerships, Northeast Lakeview College's Academic HSP Team has identified several misconceptions between high school dual credit faculty and college dual credit faculty. This presentation aims to explore effective strategies for bridging the gap between these two groups. We will delve into methods for helping college faculty and ISD teachers understand and challenge assumptions about one another and dual credit students. Additionally, we will discuss how to help both groups appreciate the uniqueness of different teaching modalities and the specific needs of dual credit students. By addressing common assumptions and identifying the unique strengths each group brings to the table, we aim to foster a collaborative environment that enhances the dual credit experience for high school students. Maintaining quality without sacrificing communication, collaboration, and commitment is crucial. Therefore, we will highlight the importance of holistic professional development tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities of teaching dual credit courses. By the end of this session, participants will have a deeper understanding of how to create a more cohesive and effective dual credit program that benefits both educators and students.

Participants will gain an understanding of the CCRSM network, and the vital role of Institutions of Higher Education layered in the CCRSM Benchmarks, Design Elements, and Outcome Based Measures. This session will help guide participants in understanding Texas CCRSM and the role of IHE partners. This session is recommended for IHE liaisons, faculty, advisors and other support staff working with ECHS and/or P-TECH models.

Organizations are complex, dynamic systems in which people affect the success or failure of intended outcomes (Greenberg & Baron, 2003); the more complex the work, the more involvement from individuals and teams is needed to achieve success.

Beginning in 2018, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley began to partner with school districts within the organization’s geographic region to develop new collegiate high schools, focused on creating educational opportunities leading towards completion of a bachelor’s degree. The concept for the program evolved from longstanding partnerships already in place at the university; however, the new program would entail creating three unique high schools, each with their opportunities and challenges. Developing this program required an “interpreter” who could translate roles, responsibilities, tasks, norms, and expectations between the university and K-12 partners.

This session will explore lessons learned and best practices gleaned over the course of seven years and multiple phases of program development including academics, facility construction, and ongoing continuous improvement.

Participants will leave the session:
1. With an overview of critical elements needed to establish effective educational partnerships between K-12 and postsecondary sectors.
2. Having engaged in substantive discussions on elements needed for effective teams.
3. With examples of adapted project management tools that have proven useful when managing large-scale educational projects.