2025 CCRSM Partners Connect

Spring Early College Academy and Lone Star College North Harris have worked together to offer students multiple options to complete expected milestones by combining high school courses with college-level opportunities for students to earn their Associate’s Degree, CCMR point, Level I certificate and/or Industry Based certification.

Discover how they collaborate to assess academic options in a constantly evolving landscape and develop strategies to overcome the obstacles hindering student success.

Strand:
Model Management
Academic Infrastructure
Partnerships

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.

Grades, Behavior, Attendance, OH MY! Last spring, Mrs. Villarreal and her team reflected on their growth areas, not only for ECHS and PTech students but also for program policies and procedures. By summer, Mrs. Villarreal began the program's strategic planning process using OBMs, TEA Blueprint artifacts, and student performance and persistence data. The main focus was wrap-around invention services regarding attendance, grades, and behavior expectations. Students needed more support in each category as a whole. Significant change has been observed after new policies and procedures were implemented. In this session, we will review and share documents that contain chain of command systems from student to ECHS Administrator, as well as policies and support procedures that are easy to follow and transparent. Overall, the programs have seen significant improvements.

Located in Baytown, just 20 minutes southeast of Houston, Lee College serves over 3,100 students annually through a variety of dual credit programs. The diverse population of dual credit students includes first-generation, low socio-economic, and underrepresented students. Understanding the unique needs of these students, the Dual Credit Programs Team has focused on fostering positive relationships before addressing the more challenging aspects of the college experience.
Recognizing that early support is key to student success, the team implemented innovative practices to build strong connections with students. This includes a proactive advising model with a comprehensive advising syllabus that encourages early engagement and ensures students are prepared for their academic journey. A customized new student orientation with interactive breakout sessions sets clear expectations and provides tools to navigate college-level coursework. In addition, the college takes time to celebrate student successes and milestones throughout the year, reinforcing the value of positive reinforcement and recognition.
This session will explore the strategies Lee College’s Dual Credit Programs team has implemented to create a positive and supportive student experience, with a focus on relationship-building before the tough conversations arise.

In this session, we will discuss the significance and evolving nature of transfer partnerships and how the Educational Partnerships team at Tarrant County College is working to better connect these to their dual enrollment programs. The majority of dual enrollment students, no matter their pathway, tend to have plans for additional postsecondary education after high school. With this in mind, it's imperative that higher education institutions begin approaching the development of dual enrollment programs with a credit mobility mindset. Join us to learn how your institution might better incorporate transfer planning into dual enrollment programs, and share the exciting ways you may already be connecting dual enrollment students to transfer pathways to, through, and across institutions.

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.

The objective of the presentation is to teach dual enrollment staff and partners the benefits of the Faculty Concern Record, and encourage them to implement a similar process at their institutions.

Benefits of using the Faculty Concern Record includes:
1. Collaboration between faculty, dual credit staff, and the high school partner
2. Documentation of students' performance
3. A tool to track performance to potentially get ahead of a change in academic standing

ObservEd is an innovative student performance monitoring tool designed to help educators easily track a student's progress within Canvas courses and identify at-risk students early. It provides a real-time view of assignment submission statuses, grades, and participation metrics, allowing staff to quickly spot areas where students may be struggling. Users can also access Canvas announcements and syllabi to stay informed about important course updates. ObservEd ensures privacy by allowing observers to only see the students they are assigned to, making it ideal for high school and college personnel, such as proctors, high school programs office, and advising staff, who need to closely monitor and support students' academic success.

This session will provide an overview of the new Designated - Needs Improvement status, which will be a designated status beginning in the 2025 – 2026 SY. Attendees will learn about the purpose of the Needs Improvement status, criteria for entering and exiting the Needs Improvement status, and the role of the IHE for Designated – Needs Improvement campuses. The session will also offer a space for attendees to ask questions regarding Designation and the Needs Improvement process.

Austin Community College High School Programs conducts monthly advising for students on academic warning and probation plus midsemester advising once a semester which is....a lot. How do you keep that up semester after semester? By getting your head in the game, of course! We're talking spreadsheets, we're talking Google Docs, we're talking Gmail templates, we're talking Calendly- all the tools and workflows to set you up for success. Let's draw up a game plan to win year after year!

TEA staff will present conceptual analysis for a college credit opportunities report that features deeper contextual insight to the patterns of CCRSM college credit experience, including applicability of courses taken to core requirements. Participants will be able to provide feedback on the future direction of report development.

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.

Learning Outcomes: How to achieve a 100% high school student graduation rate and 100% college degree attainment.

We will discuss the importance of building a sustainable partnership with your IHE partner, and how maximizing relationships incorporated with structured systems can help increase your student success outcomes. We will share progress monitoring systems and best practices for early student intervention, which will help with student retention data.

More fun (and learning) than we should have in one workshop! Enjoy working with your colleagues to solve problems and re-discover the joys and struggles necessary in the learning process. You will battle through some problem-solving scenarios, learn about the Theory of Holes and the U-Learning Curve, and create a personalized checklist of the "Purple Bricks" that will help you make your students and your fellow educators more successful. This is an active workshop: dress comfortably, bring your friends (and maybe some water), and come prepared to participate! I look forward to seeing you!

The ACD CCMR Toolkit consists of several artifacts that we use at the district level to support our college high school programs teams and ISD’s that are developing ECHS/PTECH’s. We base our fundamental pillars on the DEEP Research framework and create tools with “equity” in mind.
This session will focus on the “why” of our efforts and provide real world applications to artifacts created to discuss the “how”. This work has proven to be transformational in our region and can certainly support others as they work toward building strong CCMR models across their colleges.

Representatives from La Vega High School and McLennan Community College (MCC) will share how they collaborate to build systems and processes to ensure implementation of the CCRSM Blueprint with fidelity. These institutions have worked together to share data; equip their students with resources to be successful in a college environment; coordinate advising and counseling; create opportunities for experiential learning; staying true to a student-centered approach. 

The semiconductor industry is currently witnessing unprecedented growth, driven by a national effort to bring manufacturing back home for national defense purposes and to gain greater control over the chip supply chain. This expansion is predicted to create nearly 115,000 jobs nationwide by 2030, with 39% of those positions requiring technicians equipped with a certificate or a two-year AAS degree. To address the anticipated technician workforce gap in North Texas, the North Texas Semiconductor Workforce Development Consortium (NTxS-WDC) was established by the Department of Education grant P116Z23026. This coalition of local semiconductor companies, community colleges, universities, and a non-profit organization is working to increase the pipeline of skilled workers. This presentation will highlight our mission, focusing on partnerships with the CCMR community and local ISDs to raise awareness of the industry and develop advanced manufacturing certifications at the high school level.

Our Theory of Change has identified three key strategies for growing the technician workforce. First, we aim to increase enrollment at community colleges for training for advanced manufacturing degrees. Within our community college partners, how this is accomplished varies based on their capacity and students served, with some needing to expand lab space and hire instructors and others increasing recruitment and scholarships. The second strategy is to promote advanced manufacturing related certifications at the high school level, which is essential for scaling the workforce, as community college capacity will ultimately be limited. The third strategy involves increasing awareness of the semiconductor industry and sparking interest in STEM careers. Despite semiconductor chips being the backbone of nearly all modern electronics, the industry remains largely unknown to today’s youth. Therefore, efforts to increase awareness of this critical sector must go hand in hand with expanding training programs.

The consortium has adopted a multi-faceted approach to generate interest in the semiconductor field. Some community colleges have hosted summer camps to introduce students to electronics and robotics, while one college has equipped a mobile mechatronics trailer to bring technology outreach directly to rural students. Additionally, the consortium sponsored projects such as gamifying the semiconductor industry through a Minecraft modification and creating digital media to highlight the industry’s impact, educational pathways, and career opportunities. At the request of our educator partners, the consortium also developed a four-hour field trip that offers more in-depth exposure than a typical career fair. We further established a week-long professional development program for teachers and a one-day event for counselors to familiarize them with the field. Many of these programs have thrived thanks to the valuable partnerships formed within the education ecosystem.

To equip students graduating from high school with certifications that would allow them to work directly as technicians, the semiconductor industry promoted a new regional program of study in electronics technology within the manufacturing career cluster. Currently approved in ESC Regions 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13, the program provides students with a fundamental understanding of electrical systems needed for this career path. This program has been successfully integrated by two of the consortium partners: Dallas College and Grayson College. The presentation will review the unique approach that each took, the challenges faced with implementation, and the importance of strong partnerships across the ecosystem.

More fun (and learning) than we should have in one workshop! Enjoy working with your colleagues to solve problems and re-discover the joys and struggles necessary in the learning process. You will battle through some problem-solving scenarios, learn about the Theory of Holes and the U-Learning Curve, and create a personalized checklist of the "Purple Bricks" that will help you make your students and your fellow educators more successful. This is an active workshop: dress comfortably, bring your friends (and maybe some water), and come prepared to participate! I look forward to seeing you!

This session will provide participants with an overview of CCRSM IHE Partnerships, Benchmark 2: Partnerships, and key elements for supporting and building partnerships. During this session, participants will learn best practices that will aid them in building strong relationships with their IHE partner, while also engaging with other attendees through collaborative facilitation. In addition, this session will allow attendees the opportunity to discuss shared challenges and successes.

In this session, participants will gain an insight into the many intricacies surrounding the high school experience through the lens of administrators, educators, and pupils. Students and teachers were asked two simple questions, yet their responses were profound and may cause your eyes to sweat while you assess your vision and overall eye health.

Discover how combining Early College High School (ECHS) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs can unlock powerful opportunities for students. In this session, we'll explore planning and implementation strategies for a successful program, building meaningful partnerships that bridge academic learning with hands-on career training. Learn how this integrated approach can boost student engagement, expand career pathways, and equip learners with the skills and credentials they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.  

This session will focus on:

1. Supporting IHE leaders in understanding their role in designing crosswalks to align high school programs of study with college degree plans.
2. Assisting IHE leaders in deepening their knowledge about how the Four-Year Crosswalk connects and aligns to a four-year high school diploma plan course and associate degrees, level 1 and level 2 certificates, or industry-based certifications and beyond?
3. Planning and collaborating in the design of the crosswalk using the TEA PEIMS Code C022 table and the THECB Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) and Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM).
4. Ensuring that planning campus leaders can create and sustain a crosswalk that meets all Blueprint Benchmark Design Elements.
5. Creating crosswalks that maximize Outcome Based Measures

Fill up your cup and get ready to sip on some fresh ideas. We’re excited to share the latest strategies from Tarrant County College District that are serving up success for our dual enrollment faculty. Adjunct faculty teaching at our partner high schools, and high school faculty serving as embedded instructors are crucial to the success and growth of our dual enrollment programs, yet each group requires a unique blend of support to thrive. We will discuss our Embedded Faculty Liaison structure, embedded faculty training event, and our faculty safety resources. These well-received tools have been key to enhancing our faculty training and engagement. We’ll share our methods, then open the floor for a solutions-based discussion on your faculty support concerns. Like a well- crafted latte, there are many layers to dual enrollment faculty support, so let get our ideas percolating and brew up some solutions together.

Student success is a multi-faceted team effort! We will present innovative ways of supporting students together as secondary and higher education partners. Learn what we do to provide effective academic and social/emotional support and how we expand the roles of students, teachers, and academic advisors to equip students with 21st century skills.

This session will provide an overview of the new Designated - Needs Improvement status, which will be a designated status beginning in the 2025 – 2026 SY. Attendees will learn about the purpose of the Needs Improvement status, criteria for entering and exiting the Needs Improvement status, and the role of the IHE for Designated – Needs Improvement campuses. The session will also offer a space for attendees to ask questions regarding Designation and the Needs Improvement process.

This session highlights professional development opportunities for faculty, focused on strategic instructional practices to improve student outcomes and achievement in the dual credit classroom. While the relationship between academic skills and content knowledge is fundamental to student success, explicitly teaching both skills and content in the classroom can be challenging, especially at the college level. In-class instruction often focuses content while academic skill development is generally reserved for wraparound support services. However, teaching practices designed with cognitive complexity in mind allow dual credit faculty to embed academic skill development in their content lessons, providing essential learning support for all students during instruction. This presentation will introduce participants to the concept of cognitive complexity, describe how it directly benefits dual credit teaching and learning, and identify concrete strategies that instructors from a variety of academic content areas can implement in their courses. Resources for these strategies, as well as information on continuing professional development, will also be provided.