A District of Possibilities: Inside Alief ISD’s Choice Programs highlights how students shape their futures through innovative pathways in STEM, arts, dual language, leadership, and dual-degree opportunities.
Alief’s Choice programs are intentionally designed to match student interests, talents, and emerging career paths. Through these models, students discover strengths, develop identity, and build real-world readiness that extends long beyond the diploma.
Whether a student wants to perform on stage, create the next big invention, earn a college degree while in high school, explore leadership, or chart their own learning journey — there is a pathway waiting for them here.
PVAA – Where Talent Meets Training
Performing & Visual Arts Academy: Rees Elementary, Miller Intermediate & Albright Middle Schools
- Dance, theatre, music, and visual arts
- Productions, showcases, competitions
- Professional critique and portfolio building
Fast Facts:
- Fine arts students routinely earn regional and state recognitions, and the Fine Arts department has earned the coveted Music in Arts Education District of Distinction Award seven years in a row.
- Ideal For: Creators, performers, designers, storytellers.
STEM Programs – Inventing What’s Next
- STEM Campuses: Horn STEM Elementary and Olle Middle Citgo Innovation Academy
- Robotics and coding
- Biomedical and environmental science
- Engineering & makerspace lab models
Fast Facts:
- Alief STEM programs offer students the opportunity to participate in robotics teams and become student innovators.
- Ideal For: Problem-solvers, experimenters, future engineers, health scientists, and coders.
AECHS – Two Diplomas, One Future
- Alief Early College High School: National Blue Ribbon & Niche-Rated School
- Associate degree + high school diploma
- College courses at zero cost to families
- University transfer and career acceleration
Fast Facts:
- Many AECHS students graduate with over 60 college credits by the time they are 18.
- Ideal For: First-generation college students, academic accelerators, career-driven learners.
Kerr High School – Learning With Agency
- Kerr High School: National Blue Ribbon School & Niche-Rated School
- Studio-based learning
- Independent pacing & personalized instruction
- AP courses, fine arts, and academic studios
Fast Facts:
- Kerr has been nationally recognized for innovation, fine arts, and student-owned learning.
- Ideal For: Self-driven students, creators, collaborative thinkers, and independent learners.
TYWLS – Leadership Begins Here
- The Young Women’s Leadership School (Opening Fall 2026 with sixth and seventh grade students)
- Women’s leadership development
- STEM, entrepreneurship, and civic voice
- College-preparatory, crew-based advisory model and sisterhood culture
Fast Facts:
- TYWLS will be the district’s first all-girls school, designed to elevate student voice and confidence.
- Ideal For: Young women seeking empowerment, identity development, and pathways to leadership.
A Unifying Why
Although these programs offer different learning environments, they share one common truth: when
students choose their path, they discover their purpose.
Alief ISD’s Choice programs exist to expand access, honor individual strengths, grow talent, and spark future careers
From the stage to the studio, from engineering labs to early college classrooms, from leadership circles to arts showcases-Alief students are designing futures that match their dreams.
With PVAA and STEM campuses, AECHS, Kerr, and TYWLS, Alief students won’t just attend school —they will become innovators, performers, leaders, scholars, and world-changers, and that is the power of choice in Alief ISD.
Applications for the 2026-2027 are open for TYWLS through February 28th. Applications for the PVAA and STEM campuses, AECHS, and Kerr will open on January 7 and close on February 28th.
To learn more about the programs, please visit our Choice microsite at www.choice.aliefisd.net.
