Where Texas Scholars programs thrive, some business people have agreed to ask prospective employees for transcripts of their high school coursework and then favor hiring young people who have completed the Recommended High School Program of college-prep type courses. Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, four years of English, and two years of a foreign language are generally included. The program also encourages business people to give preference to hiring Texas Scholars for part-time and summer work during high school. Not surprisingly, after taking challenging college prep courses, some Texas Scholars decide to attend college after all. Funding for the Texas program comes from businesses and local employer foundations.
School districts bear the cost of labor in arranging employer visits to their eighth-grade classes.
The Chamber of Commerce and the school district are partners in the effort, and often there is a small team of mostly business leaders who guide the program. That handful of people is the key. For Arkansas Scholars to work, the program must be broadly understood by a lot of people in the community. It is hard work to get to this point. Recruiting excellent presenters to talk with eighth graders and persuade them to sign up for challenging high school courses is essential.