Early College High Schools (ECHS) are open-enrollment programs that allow students least likely to attend college or who wish to accelerate completion of high school to combine high school courses and college-level courses while participating in rigorous and accelerated instruction.

Royal Early College High School allows students to receive an Associates’ Degree when they graduate from Royal ISD, at no cost to their families. The program allows them the opportunity to complete a Bachelors degree just two years after high school if they choose to do so.

Royal ISD Early College High School’s primary focus is providing students from underrepresented backgrounds (i.e., at-risk, low income, and/or first generation college attendees) with the opportunity to earn 60+ college credits free of charge while attending high school. As a designated Early College High School we target students from underrepresented backgrounds; however, we encourage students of all backgrounds to apply.

All Early College High School artifacts shall be published on the ECHS's website (under corresponding Benchmark) and made available to TEA upon request. The artifacts shall be maintained in accordance with the local records retention policy. *Not all Benchmark design elements require a published artifact.

Mission

The mission of Royal ISD Early College High School is to prepare students to be critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and confident leaders while receiving rigorous and relevant instruction that results in the attainment of an associate’s degree and promotes personal responsibility for life-long learning and philanthropy.   

Goals

1. Provide dual credit at no cost to students
   
   

2. Offer rigorous instruction and accelerated courses
   
   

3. Provide academic & social support services for student success
   
   

4. Increase college readiness & reduce barriers to college access
   
   

5. Offer service-learning and internship opportunities in the community

About the ECHS Blueprint

ECHS programs are required to adopt the design elements in each benchmark and meet OBMs to receive the Texas Education Agency (TEA) ECHS designation.

• TEA's ECHS Blueprint identifies five benchmarks which serve as the foundational elements of the model and describes essential design elements for each benchmark.

• The Blueprint outlines the required design element artifacts to be published publicly and made available to TEA upon request.

• The Blueprint defines outcomes-based measures (OBMs) for required data indicators related to access, achievement, and attainment.

Early College High School Designation Process

The TEA designed a designation process for ECHS under the authority of Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.908(b) (2019) and Title 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §102.1091 (effective 2007).

• Designation is the process by which the TEA determines whether a school can fully implement the design elements of each benchmark and meet the OBMs.

• Designation, through the Program Application Cycle (PAC), is an annual requirement for ECHS programs.

Royal ECHS met all measured OBMs in the 2022-2023 school year, and earned DISTINCTINCTION in Access and Attainment OBMs (with Achievement not being measured by TEA in the 2022-2023 school year).