ECHS Grant Opportunities
ECHS Grants
Three-fourths of jobs in 2020 required a postsecondary credential. Today, young adults without a postsecondary credential have a 12% chance of earning a living wage. Texas is responding to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead by expanding innovative high school models that provide wrap around services to support students in accelerated instructions through mentoring, articulation of credits from high school to college, flexibility in scheduling, college and career advising, and the individualization of instructional planning.
The Early College High Schools (ECHS) allows students least likely to attend college and opportunity to receive both a high school diploma and either an associate degree or at least 60 credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree. The ECHS provides dual credit at no cost to historically underserved students, targeting those who are at-risk and/or economically disadvantaged. The ECHS offers rigorous instruction and accelerated courses and provides academic and social support services to help students succeed in college level coursework. The ECHS provide students with highly personalized attention which promotes improvement in college readiness.
In Texas, thousands of students' lives are being changed by the opportunity to follow a seamless and clear path from high school into postsecondary education through the ECHS. The ECHS provides and exciting and transformative approach to high school that leverages strong partnerships with colleges and universities to enhance alignment of educational systems to immerse students in rigorous educational opportunities that are proven effective. For the ECHS Class of 2020, 43% of graduates earned a postsecondary credential.
ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant
The purpose of the ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant is to solicit grant applications from eligible applicants who, upon receipt of the grant, will engage in 29 months of ECHS model planning and implementation with support from TEA's selected technical assistance provider to establish the foundational components of the ECHS program, as outlined in Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.908(b) and the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1091.
Grantees who receive the ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant will use the first 18 months planning to implement the design elements and requirements aligned to the 2020-21 ECHS Blueprint, and serve students in the following school year.
2021-2023 ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant: Planning Year 2021-2022, Implementation in 2022-2023
2022-2024 ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant: Planning Year 2022-2023, Implementation in 2023-2024 (Application Due November 9, 2021)
The application window for the 2022-2024 ECHS Planning and Implementation Grant opens September 10th. The application is due November 9th. Refer to the Program Guidelines for additional information regarding this opportunity.
Date |
Event |
|---|---|
| September 10, 2021 |
Grant window opens; notice of the RFA published in the Texas Register. Application posted to TEA Grant Guidelines page. |
| September 24, 2021 |
Applicants' Webinar 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Central Time (Registration at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/706952308750292750 |
| October 8, 2021 | FAQs posted to TEA Grant Opportunities page |
| November 9, 2021 | Due date for the application in the TEA Document Control Center, 11:59 p.m., Central Time. TEA will only accept applications by email to competitivegrants@tea.texas.gov. See General and Fiscal Guidelines, Competitive Application Due Date and Time. |
| February 15, 2021 | Beginning date of grant period. |
Expansion of Dual Credit Faculty for CCRSM
The purpose of the Expansion of Dual Credit Faculty for CCRSM is to enable CCRSM campuses to partner with colleges and universities to expand the number of educators eligible to teach academic dual credit to enable high school students to complete and associate degree, complete the Texas Core Curriculum, and/or earn up to 60 hours of college credits toward a baccalaureate degree. While most appropriate for the CHS, educators form campuses implementing other CCRSM programs also benefit from this grant opportunity.
2021-2023 Expansion of Dual Credit for CCRSM:
2022-2024 Expansion of Dual Credit for CCRSM: TEA has made additional grant funding available through TCLAS 9(c).