Every student in Temple High School’s Class of 2026 is considered college, career or military ready based on state requirements.
TEMPLE, Texas — As the latest senior class at Temple High School prepares to walk the stage at graduation, they are also celebrating an impressive milestone.
Temple ISD announced that Temple High has reached 100% in College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) based on state requirements, meaning every single student in the Class of 2026 is ready to take the next step in their military, career or education journey.
There are various ways to achieve CCMR qualification, according to the district. Students can earn the classification by reaching certain requirements in ELA/Reading and Math on the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), reaching certain scores on standardized college admission tests like the SAT or ACT or earning an associate’s degree before graduating high school.
Students can also reportedly qualify by earning industry-based certifications and completing a certain number of credits in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, earning specific scores on International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP) exams or completing required hours of dual credit or dual enrollment courses. TISD said students can also enlist in the military.
Additionally, special education students who graduate with a completed Individualized Education Program (IEP) or an advanced graduation plan are also recognized as CCMR ready, according to the district.
Temple ISD said CCMR numbers “not only signify the student readiness for post-graduation paths, but they are also important to a campus' accountability ratings with the state of Texas.”
“Our goal has always been to prepare students for life after high school and this validates that we did it,†said Dr. Jason Mayo, Principal of Temple HS. “In the eyes of the state, one hundred percent of our kids are ready to go off to college, career and the military. That is something we can celebrate, and we are really proud of the hard work we put in. Every kid is important, and their future is important to us. I am really proud of our team and happy to see what the kids do after they leave Temple High School.â€
THS celebrated its students’ accomplishment during a CCMR breakfast on May 21, where students received their CCMR cords to wear at graduation.
 “We are really excited that our students will get a chance to celebrate their hard work,†said Dr. Barbara Epperson, Associate Principal of Temple HS. “It also helps build confidence in our students that when they enroll in college, they are ready, or if they enlist in the military, that they are prepared, and the same thing with the workforce, because they already have certifications, and in some cases, job offers. Students take a lot of pride in the CCMR cord and have been asking about them since August.â€
Temple ISD said the high school has made a “concentrated effort” over the past years to improve CCMR numbers, forming a team of experts, implementing a system to track student progress and introducing individualized plans to each student.
Last year, Temple ISD reached 98% CCMR qualification, according to the district. The district said nearly 50% of the Class of 2027 has already reached the milestone as well, with the program now extending to other grade levels, even to some 8th graders.
Temple ISD said Temple High School representatives were even selected to present about the school's approach to CCMR at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Midwinter Conference earlier this school year.
