HISD chief launches plan to quickly cut dropout rate

Online credit-recovery program will let students redo failed classes

A new $1 million-plus initiative could help reduce Houston's dropout rate by at least 3 percentage points before this year's senior class graduates, Superintendent Terry Grier said Thursday.

As his first major initiative as Houston ISD chief, Grier is launching a credit-recovery program similar to ones he headed up in San Diego and Greensboro, N.C.

Houston ISD's new program will add so-called graduation coaches to each high school. Those teachers would oversee credit-recovery computer labs, where struggling students will spend part of their school day redoing classes they failed.

“This will transform education,” Grier said, adding that he expects the new software in these labs to eventually be used for advanced classes, summer school, SAT preparation and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tutoring.

Houston's high dropout rate — about 20 percent by some measures — is tops on the agenda for Grier, who took on the challenge of making sure more inner-city students earn their diplomas when he accepted the job as HISD superintendent in August.

His predecessor Abelardo Saavedra made strides with the issue by heading up a citywide walk to locate students who don't return to class each fall, hiring dropout recovery specialists and encouraging the creation of small, specialized high schools.

A districtwide online credit-recovery initiative will further the effort because it allows students to work at their own pace in a flexible, comfortable environment, Grier said. It should help those who have dropped out because of attendance issues or personal problems, he said.

Board member Diana Dávila said she's concerned that not all students will succeed in online classes. Children who aren't strong readers or who are not comfortable with technology, for instance, might have a tough time in the self-paced classes, she said.

Grier acknowledged the concerns, placing the burden on the new graduation coaches to identify students who may need extra help.

“This will help a lot of kids, but it will not help everyone,” he said. “It's like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and this is a major piece.”

Grier oversaw the launch of a similar program last year in the San Diego school district. In its first year, students recovered more than 4,500 credits — earning an average score of B in 81 days, he said.

The credit-recovery initiative, which is estimated to cost between $1 million and $2 million, should be operational by the end of December. A software company will be chosen after demonstrations are held next week, and hiring of 27 graduation coaches should also begin this month, officials said.

While many HISD campuses already offer some type of online credit-recovery program, this initiative streamlines the software and adds the graduation coach to support students' work, officials said.

“I've been asking for this stuff for five years. Hearing about it is great,” board member Manuel Rodríguez said.

Lamar High School Principal James McSwain said he's thrilled with the districtwide plan. About 150 students participate in online classes that Lamar offers after school and on Saturdays.

“This is a shift in thinking,” he said. “It's very much the right thing for us to do.”

jennifer.radcliffe@chron.com