There are currently 151 students across McKinney ISD's three high school campuses enrolled in the first cohort of the Collegiate Academy of McKinney, said Javetta Jones-Roberson, McKinney ISD's coordinator of advanced academics and collegiate partnerships.
Jones-Roberson gave a presentation updating the MISD board of trustees on the program, which launched at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, at a Sept. 14 meeting.
The overview
Around 200 students applied to be part of the first cohort, said Shelly Spaulding, assistant superintendent of public relations, communications and support services.
The program, also called the CAM, was created with MISD’s Strategic Plan in mind and aligns with the goals of creating college-, career- and military-ready students, according to Jones-Roberson’s presentation.
“We were really intentional about how we were implementing our Collegiate Academy of McKinney,” she said.
The academy follows the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, and all students enrolled in the CAM are also a part of the AVID program with a dedicated AVID teacher, Jones-Roberson said.
“They implement AVID principles throughout the school year in their courses,” she said. “They have college visits, guest speakers [and] study groups. We really wanted to ensure that important piece is embedded within the model.”
A closer look
Each high school campus has a dedicated administrator to support the program, per the presentation. Students enrolled in the CAM begin the program in 9th grade and take a mix of MISD courses, dual-credit courses and advanced courses, Jones-Roberson said.
During their freshman and sophomore years, students take dual-credit courses at their home campus, and will receive free transportation to Collin College to take dual-credit courses during their junior and senior years, per district documents.
“The purpose of that piece is to ensure that they still have a high school experience while being a college student,” Jones-Roberson said.
Students in the CAM this year are also involved in sports, fine arts, clubs and more, she said.
The impact
Students enrolled in this program will gradually increase the number of dual-credit courses they take, starting with two in 9th grade and increasing up to eight courses while in 12th grade.
“We want them to have their associate’s degree once they finish and graduate high school,” Jones-Roberson said.
Students in the CAM can also receive college credit by scoring a 3 or higher on advanced placement exams.
Quote of note
“I am so proud of this program,” trustee Kenneth Ussery said. “I’m very proud of our students who are stepping up to push themselves to make this achievement. I think it’s great.”
