Public Schools within the Texas
Education Agency administer what is known as the TAKS Test - Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. This test was created
to monitor the performance of each student based how well they have been instructed on the overall subject matter. Each school
who administers this test receives educational funding from the state. Although students are held back from passing to the
next grade or even graduating if passing scores are not achieved, this was NOT the intent of the test.
Texas Preparatory Academy chooses to remain
a NONpublic school with the TEA and will maintain a private status by generating its own funding through the collection of
tuition donations and various other types of funding (ie. grants, federal, state, private donations). Because of it's NONpublic
status, TPA is NOT REQUIRED to administer the TAKS test. It's ONLY requirement to retain TEA status as well as TEPSAC and
TAPPS, is to maintain it's accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (Please note that MANY public
schools DO NOT maintain their accreditation status with SACS making it more difficult for the average student to attend a
4 year college or university.)
Recently there has been an influx of high school establishment in order to accommodate that graduate
who does not have a passing TAKS score. Unfortunately, with out an accreditation, their are nothing more than a "diploma mill"
by providing a graduate with a diploma for a nominal fee.
Texas Preparatory Academy welcomes the non- passing public graduate but, because it is an
ACCREDITED school, it has certain requirements - both academic and attendance in nature. Students are encouraged to enroll
at FIRST notification so that they may have a minimum of one semester of attendance at TPA. TPA is NOT A DIPLOMA MILL. In
cases where the registrar of the public high school informs the student to "wait until spring, then you can go to this school
that gives you a diploma", TPA would NOT fall into this category.
The following requirements must be met in order to be a graduate of Texas Preparatory Academy;
Potential graduate
must complete English Composition 1301
Potential graduate must complete College Algebra
Potential graduate
must have a minimum of 180 seat hours consisting in measure to 1 semester of attendance.
In the case where potential graduate is also
an NCAA Clearinghouse Athlete, said potential graduate MUST complete his/her last (8th) semester at Texas Prep.
