Overall, public education in Texas has much to offer. There are several regional aspects of public education in Texas that are highly beneficial to both students and parents alike.
Texas has long been known to have one of the best sets of state standards regarding agricultural education for its students. While agriculture is an elective and not a mandatory class in Texas, many students will have taken it at some point from middle school to high school. This provides a great pathway for building a foundation for students who wish to pursue this sort of career in the future. For many colleges, having a Texas-based agricultural education is a standard that sets students apart.
When it comes to athletics, Texas is arguably the top state in the entire United States. Football programs are a focal point of almost every public school in Texas, where the gate and concession money at the home football games typically covers most of the yearly athletic expenditures across the district. With more athletes than ever wanting to pursue college scholarships in their sport, this is a crucial aspect of Texas public education that can’t be overlooked. In addition to districts investing in their football programs, many other sports are typically found at each high school and junior high in the state. These include volleyball, basketball, baseball, track and field, wrestling, and a growing powerlifting trend that is getting bigger each year. All of these avenues provide extracurricular athletic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students each year.
Another major trend of Texas public education over the past 15 years has been dual credit courses for high school students. Specifically, many universities have worked closely with area high schools in providing an avenue for prospective college students to earn college credits while still in high school. Williamson County now proudly offers high school students the opportunity to achieve an associate degree upon high school graduation. Partnerships with the local community college systems provide this exciting fast-track method for becoming a college graduate. This strategy also provides students the opportunity to experience the college atmosphere and get a feel for what they are looking for in their college choice. This has been a huge success, not only in Texas but across the United States.
Texas education has much to offer. Whether a family chooses to attend public schools or a private, internally funded education path such as a charter school, Texas education has proven to be top-notch. An extreme focus on postsecondary success has improved graduation rates and helped to motivate more students to succeed on school curriculum and STAAR testing. For all of these reason, Texas has continued to move in the right direction when it comes to education.
