Alamo Community Colleges News & Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 11, 2008
CONTACT: KAY HENDRICKS
(210) 208-8006

ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES’, UTSA AND LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS BEGIN HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP

For the first time ever in the state of Texas, the Alamo Community Colleges, UTSA and six San Antonio area school districts are joining forces to share data on students and align their curricula to better enable students to pursue a college education and succeed when they do so. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Commissioner Raymond Paredes, Alamo Community Colleges’ Chancellor Dr. Bruce H. Leslie, UTSA President Dr.  Ricardo Romo, and superintendents from the Harlandale, Edgewood, Judson, Northside, North East and San Antonio Independent School Districts signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalizing the agreement today.

The agreement is the first step in a joint effort to increase the number of students in the San Antonio area who successfully graduate from high school and continue on to college, either at one of the Alamo Community Colleges, at UTSA, or at both. Once this project is successful, it will be used as a template for similar programs across the state.

"I am proud to have authored legislation that made this critical program necessary.  We must improve student success, by identifying our state's educational gaps between high school and higher education curricula.  We need to identify what practices work best for our students and replicate them," said Senator Van de Putte.

State Representative Ruth Jones McClendon remarked, "This magnificent project will finally give Texas educators the data to evaluate which current practices work to ensure the success of our students as they transition from one level of education to the next.  For years we have concentrated on getting and keeping our students in school.  We are now moving toward putting quantitative measures in place to determine the quality of their educational experience."

Dr. Leslie added, “It is critical for our community, as well as the state, that we increase the number of high school graduates, and also increase number of these graduates who pursue higher education. We are excited to be part of this innovative project that will help us and our partners achieve these goals.”

Under this agreement, THECB will collect, analyze and share student data to track performance and improve student success from the eighth grade through university, and will coordinate the sharing of academic performance data on students attending the partner institutions. Those participating desire to evaluate and improve their respective educational programs through the analysis of academic performance data on students. This effort is designed to improve transitions and success across educational segments.

The data will be provided at least annually and will be used only for conducting studies for the purpose of improving instruction. Confidentiality of any and all student data exchanged will be maintained.  Other institutions whose purpose is to improve student success may become a party to the agreement by sending a letter requesting participation to the THECB.