SerpApi.Org
High school seniors in districts across Tarrant and Parker counties will now have the opportunity to become college ready in English language arts at Weatherford College without taking a placement test.
The Texas Education Agency approved Weatherford College’s new Texas College Preparatory English Language Arts course for high school seniors in more than 30 districts across North Texas last week. The course will eliminate the need for an English placement test for incoming college freshmen at Weatherford College and allow them to begin earning college credit immediately.
In order for college students in Texas to begin earning college credits from English courses, they must pass the Texas Success Initiative exam, which dictates which level of college English they are equipped and allowed to take. If students do not score high enough, they are placed in a remedial course they must complete before earning credit.
With nearly 20% of high school juniors and seniors in Tarrant County not meeting college, career and military readiness standards, Weatherford College’s new program hopes to bridge that gap and allow students who might otherwise face additional testing or delays entering college a clearer path forward.
“We are excited to expand the opportunities available to our partner school districts and their students,” said Shannon Stoker, Weatherford College’s department chair of foundational education and dual credit. “This approval allows us to provide another meaningful pathway to college readiness while strengthening the partnerships that help students successfully transition from high school to Weatherford College.”
Weatherford College now becomes the ninth higher education institution in Texas to offer a similar type of preparatory college course for current high school students. Those who successfully complete it will be considered college-ready in English at Weatherford College and can enroll in credit-bearing courses without taking a placement test. School districts in the partnership with Weatherford College include Azle ISD, Aledo ISD, Keller ISD and Weatherford ISD, among others.
Leaders at Weatherford College also hope the course will eventually expand partnerships with school districts in Tarrant and Parker counties. The course is classified as a college preparatory class rather than dual credit, so teachers are not required to meet college faculty credentialing standards, giving districts more flexibility in how they offer the course.
During the 2024-25 academic year, 361 students at Weatherford College enrolled using an English language arts waiver. That number figures to jump significantly after the creation of the preparatory course.
The course also comes as Weatherford College has strategically increased its enrollment in recent years through several expanded programs. It was the fastest-growing college in North Texas from 2024 to 2025 after increasing enrollment by nearly 10% for the fall 2025 semester, when it enrolled 7,242 students. The school also added new bachelor’s degree programs and built a new 116-bed residence hall on campus.
High school seniors in Fort Worth ISD and other Tarrant districts have become increasingly more college and career ready in recent years, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. In the 2023-24 school year, the most recent data available, 82.8% of Fort Worth ISD students were deemed college ready, and 82% of students were also deemed college ready in English language arts through the TSI exam. Both of those numbers eclipsed the statewide percentage of 70%.
