Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz was one of several representatives who signed the collaborative DTC70 enrollment plan at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce headquarters in downtown Austin on Aug. 27. Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz was one of several representatives who signed the collaborative DTC70 enrollment plan at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce headquarters in downtown Austin on Aug. 27.[/caption]

Central Texas businesses, organizations and school districts signed a partnership agreement to increase the number of students who immediately begin college after graduating high school, known as direct-to-college enrollment.


Representatives from entities including Austin ISD and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce came together Aug. 27 at the chamber’s headquarters in downtown Austin to sign the DTC70 comprehensive plan and present it at a news conference. Austin Community College and University of Texas Ray Marshall Center also signed the plan.


The goal of the plan is to get the direct-to-college enrollment rate to reach 70 percent for the area graduating class of 2016, or 9,100 students.


“It’s a big goal, but it’s a goal that we’ve created collaboratively with superintendents and business leaders all over Austin,” chamber Chairman Gene Austin said.


Some of the goals outlined in the plan include the chamber providing labor market intelligence to school districts, and those school districts making the 70 percent direct-to-college rate a top priority for the 2015-16 school year.


Austin said the direct-to-college enrollment rate has remained in the 62 percent range since 2007. The direct-to-college enrollment rate for AISD’s class of 2014 was 61 percent.


AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz spoke about how a partnership was needed to help area communities improve. He said all the entities working on the DTC70 plan have come together to set an expectation for graduating high school students.


“It is a stretch goal but it’s worth it, and our kids are worth it,” Cruz said.