Information on the program was presented at a Sept. 15 school board meeting. The program will be offered in partnership with Collin College.
“Through our partnership with Collin College, we are excited to announce the Collegiate Academy of McKinney, set to launch in the 2026–27 school year,” McKinney ISD Superintendent Shawn Pratt said in an emailed statement. “This innovative program will give our students an outstanding opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree.”
The specifics
A collegiate academy is a specialized high school program that enables students to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree, or at least 60 college credit hours, concurrently, said Javetta Jones Roberson, the district’s coordinator of Advanced Academics and Collegiate Partnerships, at the meeting.
The program can provide a pathway to college for underserved students, allowing for a head start on college coursework as well as decreased college costs, she said. The creation of a collegiate academy within McKinney ISD was sparked when a district visioning committee was researching opportunities to create additional pathways to promote college and career readiness, Jones Roberson said.
“Looking at our job and labor market statistics, we see that there is a need for this shift,” she said. “Intentional support throughout the collegiate academy will build support for our students, and build success for them as well.”
Diving in deeper
The first year of the Collegiate Academy of McKinney, or the CAM, will be open to rising ninth grade students, and will be expanded up one grade level each year until the 2029-30 school year when all grade levels are included.
The CAM cohort will include 150 students per grade level, with 50 admitted per high school campus, district officials said. When all high school grade levels are included in the program, the districtwide cohort will include 600 students.
The program will give students in the academy a mix of dual credit and MISD courses, including advanced classes and electives, for each year of high school. Collin College professors already teaching dual credit courses on McKinney ISD campuses will also teach CAM courses, Jones Roberson said.
CAM students will still be able to participate in career and technical education courses and University Interscholastic League activities such as athletics, fine arts, clubs and more. Classes for CAM students will be available at each high school campus, and 11th and 12th grade students in the program may also take classes at a Collin College campus, Jones Roberson said.
All students within the cohort will also have a dedicated Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, elective that will provide instruction on the framework and strategies for WICOR, which stands for writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading, as well as college readiness skills. Students in the cohort will also be provided access to college visits, guest speakers and study groups, the presentation states.
“We’re trying to be as holistic as possible here and think about our students' pathways beyond McKinney ISD,” Jones Roberson said.
What they’re saying
- “At McKinney ISD, we are committed to creating high-quality programs that expand opportunities for our students, and the collegiate academy is another example of our continued efforts to innovate and prepare them for a successful future,” Pratt said.
- “With open enrollment that's taking place now, this will be a great asset to bring more students within the district in order for them to take advantage of this,” trustee Larry Jagours said.
- “Some of our students could actually graduate with both an associate degree and a certification in a trade ... both of them when they graduate from high school. That's phenomenal,” trustee Kenneth Ussery said of CAM students having access to CTE courses.
The district’s current dual credit offerings are available throughout a student’s high school career and can differ based on the student, with over 50 traditional dual credit course options available, according to the presentation.
The academy will differ from dual credit as students that participate in the CAM are required to apply for the program during their eighth grade year and commit to the collegiate academy for all four years of high school, the presentation states. Students in the program will also be grouped with their cohort for classes.
Looking ahead
The application period for the 2026-27 school year will be open to rising ninth grade students beginning Dec. 8. For more information on the program, visit www.mckinneyisd.net/page/collegiate-academy-of-mckinney.
