Texas Scholars History
In 1989, recognizing the many challenges facing Texas’ students and employers, business and education leaders established the Texas Business and Education Coalition to influence the direction of state education policy, improve student performance, and address the educational challenges associated with preparing a diverse student population for highly skilled careers and jobs in a global economy.
In 1992, the TBEC Board established the Texas Scholars program as its primary community outreach activity. The program was modeled after the Longview Global Scholars program that encouraged students to take a Recommended High School Program (RHSP) consisting of 24 credits of rigorous course work while in high school. The success of the program prompted the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas legislature to make Recommended High School Program the default course of study for all entering high school freshmen beginning in the 2004-05 school year.
After the adoption of the RHSP as the default course of study by the legislature, the Texas Business and Education Coalition established a Blue Ribbon Committee that reviewed and recommended changes to the original Texas Scholars Recognition Program. As a result of committee’s work, the Texas Scholars: High School and Beyond program was changed to encourage students to complete four years of mathematics and science and to start taking post-secondary courses while in high school.
