Early College High School (ECHS)
Early College High Schools (ECHS) are open-enrollment high schools that allow students least likely to attend college or who wish to accelerate completion of high school an opportunity to receive both a high school diploma, in addition to up to 60 college credit hours or an associate degree.
Early College High School Model Overview
The ECHS Blueprint Provides foundational principles and standards for innovative partnerships with colleges and universities. The ECHS Blueprint contains five benchmarks outlining the design elements that each ECHS campus must implement before serving students. Additionally, outcome-based measures in Access, Attainment, and Achievement provide guidance for ECHS program implementation and continuous improvement efforts.
As established in the ECHS Blueprints:
- Provide students grade 9 through 12 the opportunity to complete a course of study that combines high school and postsecondary courses at no cost to students
- Provide dual credit at no cost to students
- Offer rigorous instruction and accelerated courses
- Provide academic and wrap-around supports to help students succeed
- Increase college readiness
- Partner with institutions of higher education (IHEs) to implement the model
Early College High School Outcomes
The statewide CCRSM network is comprised of over 550 campuses implementing or planning to implement one or more of the following CCRSM programs: Early College High Schools (ECHS) and Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH).
In the 2025-2026, 236 Early College High Schools are planning to implement or are currently implementing the ECHS model. During the 2023–2024 academic year, 69,948 students enrolled in Early College High Schools (ECHS).
2025-2026 CCRSM Campus List:
Class of 2023 ECHS program graduate outcomes:
- 79% of ECHS graduates earned college-level credit
- 39% of ECHS graduates earned an associate degree
ECHS Designation Process
Under the authority of Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.908(b) and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1091, the TEA developed a designation process for Early College High Schools. The designation process ensures that districts and colleges operating ECHS campuses maintain the integrity of the model, which was researched and designed to target and serve students who might not otherwise attend college.
Launching an ECHS Program
To launch a ECHS program, a district must submit a Planning Year Application to be eligible to open a new ECHS campus, become a member of the TEA's official planning year cohort, and begin serving students the following academic year.
The ECHS Planning Year Application is open throughout the fall semester. Eligible Districts are notified of their status in the Spring to provide 12-18 months of ECHS planning. Over the course of the planning year, the ECHS Leadership Team will receive technical assistance to meet ECHS Blueprint requirements via an assigned technical assistance coach. By the end of the planning year, all design elements contained in the five Benchmarks should be embedded into school structures.
Implementing a Provisional ECHS Program
After meeting the design elements of the ECHS Blueprint, the ECHS is ready to serve students and may apply for Provisional Designation. New ECHS programs remain Provisional for five years. During this time, the TEA will provide technical assistance to the ECHS to promote implementation of the ECHS model with fidelity. Each year, the TEA will provide provisional ECHS programs with OBM data for informational purposes so that the ECHS can respond to challenges and be ready to meet Designated ECHS OBM Criteria.
Meeting and Maintaining ECHS Designation Standards
In the fifth year of operation, the ECHS must apply for Designation status and must meet the state's Designated OBM criteria. TEA requires Designation renewal annually for each ECHS Campus. A campus Is eligible for the Designated with Distinction status if the campus has been operating for seven or more years and meets Designated and Distinction OBMs.
ECHS Laws and Rules
The following laws and rules related to ECHS programs are available below:
- General Appropriations Act, Article III, Rider 48, 89th Texas Legislature 2025
- Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.908
- Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1091. College and Career Readiness School Models . Chapter 102. Educational Programs Subchapter GG. Commissioner's Rules Concerning Postsecondary Preparation Programs
College, Career, and Military Prep
Postsecondary Preparation Programs
1701 N. Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701
Email: CCRSM@tea.texas.gov