Thinking & Advocacy
Since joining the Achieving the Dream Network in 2004, Alamo Colleges District has been recognized nationally for its sustained commitment to student success, earning Leader College of Distinction status in 2019. That long-standing focus on expanding opportunity is reflected in the district’s innovative approach to dual credit access — a priority that is gaining increasing attention across the K–college landscape as institutions work to strengthen college readiness, accelerate credential attainment, and advance economic mobility for students.
In the following blog, Sara Mann, chief high school programs officer at Alamo Colleges District (ACD), and Dr. Amy Bosley, president of Northwest Vista College, one of the five ACD community colleges, highlight how ACD’s Dual Credit Faculty Expansion Project is removing barriers to dual credit and expanding access to college-level learning. Their work offers a timely example of the kinds of cross-sector partnerships and student-centered strategies that institutions will explore at ATD’s upcoming K–College Institute.
Sara Mann
Dr. Amy Bosley
This graduation season, a new kind of student is preparing to cross the finish line in Texas.
Seventeen high school educators who began their journey in summer 2025 as part of the Alamo Colleges District’s Dual Credit Faculty Expansion Project’s 18-hour credentialing pathway are nearing completion of their credential — earning the qualifications needed to teach college-level courses in their own classrooms. Their achievement marks more than a personal milestone; it represents a powerful expansion of opportunity for the students they serve.
The demand for high-quality dual credit opportunities in Texas continues to grow. These programs save students time and money, improve college readiness, boost completion rates, and facilitate economic mobility — especially for first-generation and underserved students. Yet one persistent barrier has limited their reach: a shortage of qualified instructors.
A new approach to expanding dual credit access
The Dual Credit Faculty Expansion Project (DCFEP) was designed to remove that barrier.
Through the program, the Alamo Colleges District forged a first-of-its-kind partnership with St. Mary’s University, making a strategic investment in teacher credentialing that delivers both immediate and long-term returns for students, school districts, and the regional economy. Funded by the Alamo Colleges District’s Student Success Fund, the initiative will invest $1.4 million over two academic years to prepare up to 100 high school teachers with the flexible graduate-level instruction — provided by St. Mary’s — required to teach dual credit in high-need schools.
DCFEP offers two fully funded pathways that are delivered fully online and asynchronously in a cohort model, making them accessible without disrupting educators’ work in the classroom:
- 18-Hour Content Pathway (12 months) for teachers who already hold a master’s degree
- Master’s Degree Pathway (24 months) for teachers with a bachelor’s degree, through a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from St. Mary’s University
Scaling impact across classrooms and communities
With the first DCFEP cohort boasting 17 students in the 18-Hour Content Pathway and 38 in the Master’s Degree Pathway, and with 40 additional slots across both pathways planned for the second year, the impact of the investment grows quickly. By year three, the program is projected to reach approximately 1,750 students, with each participating educator able to teach multiple dual credit courses per year. Over a 10-year career span, a single newly credentialed teacher could help hundreds of students graduate high school with 15 or more college credits — saving each student an estimated $1,500–$2,000 in tuition at current in-district rates.
At scale, that translates into millions of dollars in savings for families, faster time-to-degree for students, and fewer barriers to completion. For school districts, it strengthens college-going cultures and deepens partnerships with higher education.
This innovative project is an important element of Alamo College District’s 29×29 plan, to enroll 29,000 dual credit students annually by 2029. And, 29×29 is part of Alamo College District’s support of a larger county-wide goal to achieve a 70% postsecondary enrollment rate for the high school class of 2030.
Delivering value for students, educators, and the region
Completing just 15 hours of dual credit before high school graduation can save students a semester or more of tuition and fees. Just as importantly, it builds confidence, momentum, and a sense of belonging in college — all critical factors in persistence and completion.
The benefits extend beyond students. For educators, DCFEP provides a fully funded pathway to earn the graduate coursework — or a full master’s degree — required to teach dual credit, enhancing both professional growth and long-term earning potential. For the region, these teachers will collectively serve thousands of students over time, strengthening the workforce pipeline and supporting economic vitality.
DCFEP is grounded in the Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) framework from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University, which emphasizes four pillars of equitable dual enrollment:
- Targeted outreach to underserved populations
- Alignment with high-value academic and career pathways
- Structured advising to support student success
- High-quality instruction to build confidence and skills
By expanding the number of highly qualified instructors in high-need schools, DCFEP strengthens each of these pillars — ensuring that more students can access rigorous, pathway-aligned coursework where they are.
Just as important, the program removes financial barriers. Educators who complete the program and fulfill a three-year service commitment incur no tuition costs, making DCFEP both a professional development opportunity and a long-term equity investment. Each cohort of teachers extends the impact, opening access for successive groups of students who will have the chance to start college early, save money, and see themselves as college-ready.
Where these newly credentialed teachers serve is critical. Participating districts commit to placing them in schools with historically low dual credit enrollment and college-going rates. This ensures that expanded capacity translates directly into expanded opportunity — particularly in communities that have had the least access.
This graduation season, as this first cohort of educators complete the program and prepare for their new roles, they carry that opportunity with them.
Their achievement is not an endpoint. It is a beginning — one that will ripple outward through classrooms, schools, and communities for years to come, ensuring that many more students will one day cross a graduation stage of their own, already on a path to what comes next.
Discover more strategies to build or strengthen dual enrollment efforts at ATD’s upcoming K–College Institute: Dual Enrollment That Delivers, to be held July 21–23 in San Antonio, Texas. Attend the Alamo College District’s session on the Dual Credit Faculty Expansion Project, including perspectives from the college’s school district and university partners, to learn more about this innovative effort.