Policymakers in Texas have established a solid foundation for high school transformation through efforts to support college and career readiness for every student in the state. To that end, the state has enacted policies to align high school diplomas with college entrance requirements and to provide every high school student with opportunities for advanced coursework and work-based learning.

Texas policy requires all school systems to offer students the opportunity to earn 12 or more semester hours of college credit through different course options, including dual credit, International Baccalaureate (IB), and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Eligibility is open to all students enrolled in high school who meet the prerequisite course requirements. Additionally, Texas is one of a handful of states that has implemented an automatic enrollment policy requiring eligible students to “opt out” of middle school advanced mathematics courses rather than requesting to be admitted to them. The state’s commitment to the college and career readiness of its high school students also extends to the state’s data and reporting systems, which capture disaggregated information about postsecondary enrollment and attainment by high school.

Texas state leaders can accelerate high school transformation efforts by creating a state Portrait of a Graduate that reflects the broad set of competencies all graduates should have by the time they leave high school, and launching a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led high school redesign.