Avalos P-TECH School Earns TEA Designation With Distinction

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The TEA recognition highlights Avalos P-TECH School’s college- and career-readiness efforts.

Avalos P-TECH School earned a Designation With Distinction from the Texas Education Agency, reflecting rigorous state standards and strong P-TECH implementation and student outcomes.

This recognition highlights the campus’s dedication to empowering students with college and career pathways, work-based learning, and opportunities to graduate with a diploma, college credit, industry certifications, and other valuable credentials.

Aldine ISD Class of 2023 grad and Avalos P-TECH School alum Emiliano Paz is seen working in the NDT field.

Avalos P-TECH School opened in August 2019 as one of Aldine ISD’s Choice Schools and as a career and technical education campus. It was among the first schools to open under Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, who began as superintendent in July 2018.

Dr. Goffney said the recognition reflects the district’s commitment to preparing students for life after high school.

“When we talk about our students graduating with choices and opportunities, Avalos P-TECH School is a shining example of success in action,” Dr. Goffney said. “This distinction affirms the extraordinary efforts of our students, staff, and campus leaders, and it highlights the value of strong college, career, and military readiness pathways. Through P-TECH and CTE programs, our students are earning credentials and realizing how bright their futures can be.”

Aldine ISD, UHD, and Lone Star College launched the cybersecurity degree-pathway with the 2+2 Program in 2025.

At Avalos P-TECH School, those partnerships include the East Aldine Management District, Lone Star College, and BakerRipley. Campus leaders also work with industry and workforce partners, including NDT Hero and Momentum Education, to connect students with work-based learning opportunities beyond the classroom.

The P-TECH blueprint includes six benchmarks that guide campus implementation. TEA uses outcome-based measures on access, attainment, and achievement to support improvement and determine status.

Dr. Cierra B. Nickerson, principal of Avalos P-TECH School, said earning the Designation With Distinction was an intentional goal for the campus during the 2025-26 school year.

“This was our team’s goal from the start of the year,” Nickerson said. “As a P-TECH campus, we follow a blueprint and must meet benchmarks. I am incredibly proud of our teachers, staff, and students, who worked together to strengthen systems, expand opportunities, and reach this distinction.”

For Avalos P-TECH School, earning the TEA Designation With Distinction means the campus met specific outcome-based criteria, including targets for college credit hours earned, end-of-course (EOC)performance, student persistence in skills pathways, college readiness, and career and technical education outcomes, such as student certifications. Collaboration with a TEA coach ensured all practices aligned with the required P-TECH blueprint.

The campus’s student outcomes reflect that work. According to campus leaders, 100% of students met college, career, and military readiness requirements, completed college applications, and were accepted into college. Students earned 6,189 dual-credit hours; 85 students earned an associate degree; and 36 students earned industry certifications. They also completed more than 8,000 volunteer hours. Among graduates, 23 are headed to Ivy League universities, 68 will attend selective universities across the nation, and nine students received full-ride scholarships to the University of Houston-Downtown through the “Grow Your Own” initiative.

Tiffany Atkins, Avalos P-TECH School’s student initiatives coordinator, said the campus supports students throughout their pathways by providing continuous, real-world industry exposure.

“As students progress, this engagement evolves from classroom guest speakers and site visits to active professional development, including mock interviews and networking for scholarships and internships,” Atkins said. “Ultimately, this pipeline culminates in formal interviews for job offers upon high school graduation.”

Atkins said helping students stay on track requires strong academic and student support systems.

“Compressing six years of education into four requires robust curriculum support,” Atkins said. “To ensure early college readiness, Avalos students engage in rigorous Texas Success Initiative preparation during Foundation Forward. When extra help is needed to maintain this accelerated pace, the campus provides targeted interventions, including after-school tutorials, Saturday school, and summer college courses, to keep students firmly on track for graduation, industry certifications, and transferable college credits.”

Nickerson, who completed her first year as principal of Avalos P-TECH School during the 2025-26 school year, said the work is ultimately about helping students leave high school prepared for their next step.

“Our focus is ensuring Avalos P-TECH students graduate equipped with even more choices and opportunities to celebrate,” Nickerson said. “That means providing experiences beyond class, exposing students to careers, and showing how their pathways connect to their futures.”

One example is the campus’s cybersecurity pathway, which prepares students for high-demand careers by connecting high school learning to postsecondary coursework and industry expectations.

Sean Edwards, Avalos P-TECH School cybersecurity instructor, said the pathway bridges the gap between high school and the technology industry through a dual-credit curriculum aligned with Lone Star College.

“Students engage in rigorous, hands-on labs mimicking real-world cyber threats and networking scenarios,” Edwards said. “By combining academic theory with practical, industry-standard training, we ensure graduates step into the workforce or higher education with a competitive skill set ready to tackle modern digital vulnerabilities.”

Students in the cybersecurity pathway build skills in network routing, incident response, and ethical hacking. They also have opportunities to earn industry certifications such as Cisco CCNA and CompTIA Security+ while working toward an associate degree.

Edwards said students become more engaged when they can see how their classroom learning connects to future career opportunities.

“When students realize a classroom lab directly mirrors a task a professional cybersecurity analyst performs, their mindset shifts from compliance to ambition,” Edwards said. “They become driven, proactive learners. Seeing a clear pathway to financial stability and a prestigious career turns abstract concepts into tangible goals.”

The TEA recognition aligns with Aldine ISD’s commitment to college, career, and military readiness (CCMR). P-TECH and CTE programs are crucial because they help students build knowledge, skills, and confidence before graduation.

Atkins said the TEA distinction validates the campus’s intentional, campuswide framework.

“It proves our commitment to equity through a blind lottery, strategic staff placement, and rigorous academics,” Atkins said. “Furthermore, it highlights a robust ecosystem: providing the support systems needed for dual graduations, while leveraging key partnerships to deliver work-based learning opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.”

Avalos P-TECH will build on the designation by expanding CTE opportunities, strengthening student supports, and upholding TEA standards. Annual designation renewal is required.

“This distinction is a tremendous honor for our entire campus,” Nickerson said. “It celebrates the dedication of our students, families, staff, and partners. Most importantly, it inspires us, reminding us that every opportunity we create can open another door for students.”