Garland ISD has reached a record achievement in preparing students for college, surpassing the district’s Texas Success Initiative (TSI) benchmark for the first time and outperforming neighboring districts. The TSI is a state-required assessment that determines whether students are ready for college-level coursework in reading, writing, and math.

“This is a big deal,” said Coleman Bruman, Executive Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning. “This year, we made TSI a districtwide focus, and it paid off.”

GISD reached a 39 percent TSI readiness rate, an increase from the district’s typical range of 28 to 32 percent in recent years. Historically, gains after January have been minimal. This year was different.

“We started at 28.8 percent in August, moved to 31.3 percent by January, and then skyrocketed to nearly 40 percent by May,” said Jacob Nuñez, Director of Innovation. “That’s almost an eight-point jump. That’s unheard of.”

“College readiness isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about equity,” he added. “When students are ready for college-level work now, they start on the same track as everyone else. That changes lives.”

Strategic planning and collaboration were key. The district introduced two dedicated TSI testing days for seniors, one in the fall and one in the spring, and partnered with MasteryPrep to offer boot camps that helped demystify the test.

“Before this year, many students didn’t even know they needed to take the test,” Nuñez said. “It’s about being intentional, aligning pathways, and making sure all departments are rowing in the same direction. With support from the top, it’s a perfect recipe for student success.”

Bruman credited the district’s strength in College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) as a major driver. Last year, 95 percent of GISD students met CCMR standards, and this year, high school principals took ownership of TSI goals.

“Our campus leaders were all in,” Bruman said. “They stepped up and said, ‘My campus will lead in college readiness.’ That was step one.”

From there, momentum grew. “The passing scores increased from two to five, then to 20. It just kept building,” Bruman said. “The more success we saw, the more energized the campuses became.”

That momentum is already reaching younger students. As part of a new pilot program at Brandenburg and Webb Middle Schools, eighth graders took the math portion of the TSI, and 33 percent passed.

“That’s a great starting point on our path to 60 percent readiness,” Nuñez said. “If 10 percent are already prepared before high school, we can focus on helping the rest catch up. Eventually, every student will meet the CCMR standard or pass the TSI. That changes the game.”

Looking ahead, Garland ISD plans to build on this success and reach 60 percent TSI readiness by 2030, aligning with the Texas Education Agency’s 60x30TX strategic plan.

“This year was leader-intensive. Next year, it will be systematized,” Bruman said. “We’re embedding clear curriculum expectations, using boot camps and targeted assessments, and holding monthly check-ins to stay focused. We’re streamlining what works.”

Nuñez added, “We’ve created roadmaps for principals and set clear expectations. Now, conversations about college readiness start much earlier.”

Bruman closed with a bold statement about the district’s vision: “We’re not doing college or career.”

Nuñez finished it: “We’re doing both.”

Garland ISD’s bold vision, strategic focus, and relentless drive are setting a new, unmatched bar in college readiness.