These are high school courses that offer college-level content and examinations created by the College Board. Students with qualifying scores on the exams could earn college credit. AP college credit is recognized by colleges and universities around the world

These high school courses are offered by authorized IB World Schools and are designed to develop global thinkers who engage in the Diploma Programme curriculum. These courses are only offered through the Garland High School IB magnet program. Testing criteria is required for application.

Dual credit academic courses are designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) for transfer among community colleges and public four-year colleges and universities.

Dual credit workforce education courses are courses that have been designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) as workforce education (technical) courses offered for credit and continuing education units (CEUs).

Students taking dual credit courses of either type are enrolled in a college course and receive simultaneous credit for the course from both the college and high school. 

Students are enrolled in

• Two different institutions
• One course
• With one instructor
• Earning one grade

Students earning 15 semester credit hours or more of dual credit academic and/or workforce courses are encouraged to select a field of study or guided pathway to identify course sequencing toward a certificate and/or degree.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students an introduction to specific career areas and options for further education or immediate employment. These programs offer students the opportunity to earn industry certifications and college credit.

Earning even just a few college hours while in high school can represent big financial savings. They can also save time by helping college students advance faster through their college degree plan.

An associate degree is a college degree that can provide access to entry-level work in a field or provide a boost toward a bachelor's degree. Students participating in an early college high school program have the opportunity to earn one of these types of associate degrees while still in high school.

Both the AA and AS degrees have a high focus on academic core subjects while the AAS degree has more technical and workforce requirements.  

Associate of Arts (AA)

The AA degree is a good choice for students planning a career in fields such as education, history, psychology, economics, business, languages, fine arts, etc.

Associate of Science (AS)

The Associate in Science degree is a good choice for future architecture, engineering, math, science or technical majors.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

An AAS degree is generally more focused on a specific career or vocational field and does not necessarily provide students with the required coursework to earn a bachelor's degree.

Credit hour breakdown

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Student courses will have different requirements based on type. Both the Associates of Science (AS) and the Associates of Art (AA) degrees will have 42 academic core credit hours with 18 elective hours. The Associates of Applied Science (AAS) will have 15 academic core instead, along with 45+ CTE/Workforce credit hours.

Industry certifications are Texas Education Agency (TEA) designated workforce certifications embedded within Garland ISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses designed to meet the needs of industry. 

A certification is a validation that an individual possesses certain skills, usually related to an occupation and measured against a set of accepted standards. An occupation may have multiple certifications with different levels of expertise. An individual earns a certification by successfully passing a test or battery of tests. Certifications are not administered by an institution of higher education; instead, certifications are administered by a certification body, usually an organization such as a trade association or industry-approved testing entity.

A certificate is a formal award granted by an institution of higher education certifying the satisfactory completion of a higher education program. Upon completion, a certificate is valid without further action on the individual’s part.  Certificates are usually awarded in workforce education areas by public and private two-year institutions. In Texas, certificates can have different levels, often based on the number of hours required by the program:

• Level I certificate: awarded for completing a program consisting of at least 15 and no more than 42 semester credit hours. 
• Level II certificate: awarded for completing a program of at least 30 but not more than 51 semester credit hours

Level I & II certificates are awards within the Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD) Career and Technical Program offerings designed to meet the needs of industry and are available to dual credit students. Level I & II certificate 12- 45 semester credit hours programs are available at numerous comprehensive GISD high school campuses, the Gilbreath Reed Career and Technical Center (GRTC), and in most Pathways to Technology (P-TECH) programs.

• Minimum academic criteria

• Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS)

• No minimum academic criteria
• TEA-designated innovative high school magnet program
• Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS)

• No minimum academic criteria
• TEA-designated innovative high school magnet programs
• Workforce and academic semester credit hours
• Industry partnerships
• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Science (AS)