Area public school and college faculty are teaming up to help implement the state’s new College Readiness Standards into Central Texas public schools.

Their efforts follow an Aug. 1 conference held at the Eastview Campus and hosted by Austin Community College to discuss the standards and plan for implementation in the region.

“The U.S. Department of Labor reports that most jobs in the future will require education beyond the high school level,” said Dr. Mary Hensley, ACC vice president of college support and ISD relations. “We must ensure that students are able to begin college-level work without the need for remedial or developmental education.”

Approximately 260 ACC faculty and staff, superintendents, and representatives from area school districts attended the conference at which Texas Higher Education Commissioner Dr. Raymund Paredes discussed the need for new standards.

“If Texas doesn’t dramatically – not slightly or moderately, but dramatically – improve its education outcomes, Texas will fall behind in terms of economic competitiveness with other states and with other countries,” Paredes told the audience.
The College Readiness Standards address what Texas students must know and be able to do to succeed in higher education entry-level courses. The 79th Texas Legislature mandated the new standards in House Bill 1, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency jointly approved them in January.

“We have to expect more from our students, and we have to give our kids what they need to advance,” Paredes said.
ACC is now forming groups of Central Texas schoolteachers and college faculty, called “vertical teams” to plan for regional implementation of the new standards.

“Implementation of the College Readiness Standards will help all students be better prepared for success in college or in the workforce,” said Hensley, whose office is coordinating the Central Texas vertical teams.

To learn more about the Central Texas vertical teams or view the College Readiness Standards visit .