Resource Center

• By Hector Bojorquez & Bobbie Sue Gonzalez, Ed.D. • IDRA Newsletter • November-December 2025 •

There are many reasons to be proud of Texas. It is home to tacos, the Texas Hill Country, and rich athletic traditions. We are known for celebrating what makes Texas great. But one achievement we are not nearly vocal enough about is the unparalleled success of the innovative wall-to-wall early college high schools model right here at home.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) ISD, a district in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. In May 2023, 16% of PSJA ISD seniors graduated with an associate degree compared to a statewide rate of 2% (TEA, 2025). Hundreds more students received college credit while in high school, and 54% of students earned industry-based certifications in high-wage, high-demand fields. These outcomes are the result of a deliberate strategy launched in 2007 under the leadership of then Superintendent Daniel King, Ph.D., and carried forward today by Superintendent Alejandro Elias, Ed.D.

The outcomes have occurred in a region once known for disinvestment and low expectations. Two decades ago, many referred to this area as a place defined by educational abandonment.

Today, PSJA ISD offers one of the strongest examples in the country of what public education can accomplish when investment, access and opportunity are placed at the center of the system.

The term wall-to-wall early college high school describes a model that PSJA ISD has implemented consistently and refined over time, with unique characteristics. While elements like strong college partnerships and a college-going culture are critical, the foundation of this model rests on five interlocking principles.

The “wall-to-wall” design eliminates traditional barriers to college preparation and ensures full participation from historically underserved groups, such as first-generation college students, English learners and those from low-income households.

First, the model guarantees universal participation. Every student is placed directly into the early college program. There is no separate cohort, no opt-in, and no sorting by academic ability. Regardless of their prior performance, all students follow a college-credit-bearing pathway that often leads to an associate degree.

Second, access is truly open. Students do not need to meet GPA thresholds, take placement exams or show academic readiness to participate. This design eliminates traditional barriers and ensures full participation from historically underserved groups, such as first-generation college students, English learners and those from low-income households.

Third, college and career readiness are fully integrated. Students pursuing career and technical education are immersed in the same college-going culture as their peers. Their programs require both industry certifications and college coursework. This approach has positioned PSJA ISD as an innovator in strategies like Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH), while maintaining an inclusive and rigorous academic structure.

Fourth, the school system provides strong support. High expectations are matched with high levels of assistance. Every student receives access to academic advising, tutoring, mentoring, summer bridge programs and targeted interventions. These supports are embedded in the schools’ operations rather than offered only to those who are already excelling.

Fifth, the model is implemented across the entire district. PSJA ISD does not treat early college as a boutique program or pilot campus. Each high school is fully committed to the early college mission. These are not programs housed within traditional schools. They are whole institutions dedicated to the model. All students at all campuses benefit from the same expectation: to graduate with meaningful college credit or a degree.

A National Outlier – Truly Texan!

Early college high schools have been implemented in many regions across the United States. The model supports students by exposing them to college environments during high school. One study funded by the U.S. Department of Education shows that students who attend early college high schools are significantly more likely to enroll in college and complete associate and/or bachelor’s degrees within six years of their expected high school graduation than their peers in traditional high schools. The impacts also are consistent across demographic groups, demonstrating strong effectiveness for students regardless of background. (Song et al., 2021)

Despite that growth, PSJA ISD’s model remains highly unusual in its structure, scale and philosophy. Most early college programs do not reflect the open-access, whole-campus and districtwide commitment seen in PSJA ISD.

A large share of wall-to-wall early college campuses nationally are operated by charter school networks. The campuses often serve targeted populations and are governed outside of the traditional public school system. While some promote the idea of open access, many require eligibility criteria, such as minimum GPAs, test scores and behavioral screenings. Others rely on application-based lotteries that, even when academically neutral, filter access based on awareness, family engagement or logistical navigation.

Among traditional public schools, very few fully meet the PSJA ISD principles. Most either limit early college participation to a select group of students or operate within traditional schools as partial programs.

Our recent review of national models indicates that fewer than 10 non-charter early college high schools allow open enrollment without a lottery or academic criteria. Even fewer operate as part of a districtwide system. Some function as stand-alone schools housed on college campuses without being integrated into a comprehensive public education framework.

PSJA ISD stands apart because it combines open enrollment with total inclusion. All students are given the same opportunity and are expected to rise to the challenge with the support they need.

The district’s results demonstrate what is possible and proof of what can be achieved systemically. In a time when educational opportunities are a central concern across the country, this wall-to-wall early college high school district offers a vision of public education in which no student is excluded from opportunity, and every student is prepared for success beyond high school.

Kickstart College-Ready – A Regional Partnership for Expansion

Recognizing the transformative power of the wall-to-wall early college model, IDRA and Region One Education Service Center (ESC), directed by Dr. King, have joined forces to expand the inclusive practices across the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.

With the support from Greater Texas Foundation, we designed Kickstart College-Ready to provide deeply embedded, sustained technical assistance to three other school districts.

Through coordinated coaching, mentoring and on-the-ground support, IDRA and ESC Region One will help school districts implement similar foundational elements that define these successes. This collaboration supports campuses seeking state early college designation for the first time, as well as assisting districts that already have early college programs to deepen their impact, expand their reach and strengthen sustainability.

What makes this effort unique is its alignment of vision, capacity and community voice. ESC Region One brings regional leadership and deep alignment with state priorities. At the same time, IDRA contributes decades of experience in systemic school transformation, asset-based engagement with families and evidence-based frameworks for scaling focused innovation.

Together, we will support district and campus leaders in Los Fresnos CISD, San Benito CISD, and La Feria ISD in co-designing early college structures that are grounded in local contexts and driven by high expectations for all students.

It is easy to see why this model deserves to be a point of pride for Texas. For nearly two decades, PSJA ISD has consistently delivered strong results, enabling thousands of students, not just the academically advanced, to graduate with associate degrees while still in high school. Its success lies in both its longevity and its effectiveness with student populations in school districts across the state.

This record of achievement leads families, educators and communities to ask a clear and urgent question: Why not in our schools?

Resources

Bojorquez, H. (2019). College Bound and Determined. IDRA.

Song, M., Zeiser, K., Atchison, D., & Brodziak de los Reyes, I. (2021). Early College, Continued Success: Longer-Term Impact of Early College High Schools. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness.

TEA. (2025). 2023-24 Texas Academic Performance Reports. Texas Education Agency.

Hector Bojorquez is IDRA’s director of operations and educational practice (hector.bojorquez@idra.org). Bobbie Sue Gonzalez, Ed.D., is the director of innovative school models at the Texas Region One Education Service Center.

FAQs

What is a wall-to-wall early college high school?

A wall-to-wall early college high school enrolls every student in a college-credit pathway, rather than limiting access to a select group.

How is PSJA ISD’s early college model different from others?

PSJA ISD guarantees open access, districtwide participation, integrated college and career pathways, and strong supports for every student.

Do students need minimum GPAs or test scores to participate?

No. PSJA ISD’s model removes GPA thresholds, placement exams and application requirements to ensure universal participation.

What outcomes has PSJA ISD achieved?

In 2023, 16% of seniors graduated with an associate degree, and more than half earned industry-based certifications.

Are early college high schools effective nationwide?

Yes. Research shows early college students are more likely to enroll in college and complete degrees than peers in traditional high schools.

What is Kickstart College-Ready?

Kickstart College-Ready is an IDRA and Region One ESC partnership supporting districts in adopting inclusive early college practices.

Which districts are participating in the expansion effort?

Los Fresnos CISD, San Benito CISD and La Feria ISD are working with IDRA and Region One ESC to strengthen early college pathways.

[© 2025, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the November-December edition of the IDRA Newsletter. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]