Corpus Christi ISD, Del Mar College partner to enhance dual credit
Corpus Christi ISD recently received grant funding to support dual credit and early college programs and to support the district's partnership with Del Mar College.
The funding will be used to expand access to early college coursework with the goal of ultimately increasing the numbers of Corpus Christi Independent School District graduates who enroll in college after finishing high school. The focus will be on encouraging students to complete 15 college credits while in high school.
Corpus Christi ISD Superintendent Roland Hernandez and Del Mar College President Mark Escamilla met Wednesday morning at King High School to formalize the agreement.
"Critical funding such as this helps us with our mission to prepare students to be life-long learners to continue their education and enter the world of work and become productive citizens," Hernandez said.
The grant award will allow Corpus Christi ISD to offer a new college and career exploration course through the OneGoal program for high school juniors at Carroll, King and Miller high schools next year. In 2026-27, the schools will offer a subsequent course for seniors, which will assist students with the college application process.
CCISD Director of Advanced Academics Bryan Davis said the OneGoal program will also support students in their first year of post-secondary education. The three high schools were chosen to host the program based on college and career-readiness accountability data, Davis said.
King High School Principal Prudence Farrell said that about 75 students have already expressed an interest in the course for next year.
The grant will also help the district improve technology to track college, career and military readiness among students and outcomes after graduation.
According to CCISD's most recent annual performance report for 2023-24, 47% of CCISD 2023 graduates were college-ready. This includes:
88.3% of Collegiate High School graduates
80.3% of Branch Academy graduates
70.2% of Veterans Memorial High School graduates
51.5% of Ray High School graduates
45.7% of King High School graduates
38.4% of Carroll and Moody high school graduates
36.6% of Miller High School graduates
At Coles High School, an alternative school program, that figure was just below 7%.
The Texas Education Agency measures college readiness through several metrics, including student outcomes on college-readiness assessments and completion of dual credit, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits. The state's indicator of college readiness tied to dual credit is based on whether a student completed nine hours of dual credit.
With the grant funding and Del Mar College partnership, CCISD is increasing their dual credit goal to 15 credit hours.
Del Mar College has also set sights on increasing dual credit attainment across the region, offering dual credit at no cost for tuition to partnering school districts.
"That efficiency that's going to be gained by the fifteen hours or so that we're aiming for will absolutely make all the difference," Escamilla said.
More: A head start in life: How students can work toward degrees in Corpus Christi high schools
Taxes are due April 15. Here's where to find free tax assistance in Corpus Christi
Who made a difference in Corpus Christi ISD? See 2025 award winners
New schools, demolitions: What to know about Corpus Christi ISD construction projects
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi ISD increases dual credit goals with grant support
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