The Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP) recognizes students who demonstrate levels of performance equivalent to college students or work done by professionals in the arts, sciences, business, industry, or community service. Advanced measures focus on demonstrated student performance at the college or professional level and student performance is assessed through an external review process. Students must complete the requirements found in 19 TAC, 74.13 and receive any combination of four of the following advanced measures defined in DAP: original research/project (limit of 2), test data, and/or college courses.
The State Board of Education (SBOE) has articulated the requirements to obtain advanced measures through test data, college courses, and original research/projects. These requirements are:
Test data:
a score of three or above on any of The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) examinations;
a score of four or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) examination; (currently no campus offers an IB Program)
a score on the PSAT that qualifies a student for recognition as a Commended Student or higher by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation; as part of the National Hispanic Scholar Program of The College Board; or as part of the National Achievement Scholarship Program for Outstanding Negro Students of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. A student must score approximately 200 or above on the PSAT to be a Commended Student.
College courses:
may only be granted in courses approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and only granted when a student earns a grade of 3.0 or higher on courses that count for college credit, including tech prep programs. The approved courses are included in the Community College General Academic Course Guide Manual.