Over 70 Indiana educators visit PSJA ISD to learn about the early college program, best practices

PHARR – Over 70 educators from school districts in Indiana visited Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD (PSJA ISD) on Nov. 8 & 9, 2023 to learn about its nationally recognized Early College Program and tour some of its successful early college high schools as part of the district’s PSJA “College for All” Learning Tours. 

Due to a high demand of educators frequently traveling to PSJA ISD to learn about its early college program and innovative partnership with South Texas College, the school district first started hosting the annual PSJA College for All Conference & Learning Tours over the last decade to help interested school districts and higher education partners learn about the successful academic approaches that have gained state and national accolades for preparing students for post-secondary education. 

During the visit, educators from across Indiana were inspired to learn about the district’s early college journey, its successful models, and got to see the programs in action during classroom tours.  

“You have many remarkable things to offer, but the way you [PSJA ISD] partner with your higher education partners and with your business and industry is amazing. The fact the parent centers and families have bought into this, that is what is missing in some or our schools back home,” said Director for the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) Sandy Hillman. “So, that is one of the main takeaways. Then, just the belief that, oh my gosh, look what they have done. They have some challenges. We have the same challenges. If they can do it, we can do it too.” 

PSJA ISD has an Early College program at all seven high school campuses, making it the only wall-to-wall Early College district in Texas. Through partnerships with South Texas College and other higher education leaders, more than 3,500 PSJA ISD high school students are enrolled in college courses each semester.  

The district’s comprehensive, innovative approach and proven results have previously garnered the attention of the New York Times, Boston Globe, and PBS, among other national publications and media outlets. Top officials from the U.S. Department of Education, the Texas Education Agency, as well as local, state, and national elected officials, have also showcased PSJA ISD’s solutions to the dropout crisis and preparing students to be college ready. 

“We’re excited to have many educators come and visit and learn about the great work happening in our district,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elias. “We hope they got inspired and they can take that back to their districts to make a difference.” 

PSJA ISD plans to host a “College for All Conference” once again in the near future. School districts interested in visiting PSJA ISD during the conference or tours can contact the PSJA College Readiness Department at 956-354-2044. 

PSJA ISD is an open enrollment school district serving over 30,000 students. The district welcomes students living anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley. For more information on the PSJA College for All Learning Tours or the Early College Program visit https://www.psjaisd.us/earlycollege 

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