HARLINGEN, Texas - In an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, UTRGV President Bailey said the early college high school being developed by the university and HCISD is unique.
\u201cWhen you think of an early college high school, this is how it should be done. Our students will graduate as juniors in high school, everything they take will not only count as college credit, it will count toward their degree. That is a key distinction you need to make,\u201d Bailey said.
\u201cAlmost every college course, you can get credit for it. Will it count towards your degree? We are committed to that. That is so important in helping students graduate in a timely manner and keeping their debt low.\u201d
HCISD Superintendent Art Cavazos agreed with Bailey\u2019s viewpoint that the school district\u2019s partnership with UTRGV was unprecedented.
\u201cWhat is unique about this partnership is we are back-mapping baccalaureate degrees into the high schools. So the students are actually starting as early as 9th grade, beginning to get student experiences, summer experiences, to prepare them in the soft skills needed to persist in a baccalaureate degree,\u201d Cavazos said.
\u201cWe are super excited because kids will be able to start their baccalaureate pathways as early as 10th and 11th grade.\u201d
This podcast features interviews with UT-Rio Grande Valley President Guy Bailey, Harlingen CISD Superintendent Art Cavazos, and Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell.\xa0
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