Figures from the August 26, 2006, "Reach Out To Dropouts Day" walk indicate volunteers convinced about six dozen students to return to school right away in Houston ISD, while contacting 524 more students and/or their parents. In Aldine ISD, about 57 students promised to return.
"It's quite a tribute to what Houstonians can do when they pull together," said Houston A+ Challenge Executive Director Michele Pola. The walk was sponsored by Houston A+ Challenge along with Wal-Mart, Luby's, the City of Houston, Centerpoint Energy, HoustonPBS, Mega 101, Univision, Litton Loan Services, AT&T Pioneers and Rohm and Hass Texas Inc.
The "Reach Out to Dropouts Day Walk" began in Houston ISD in 2004 as an outgrowth of the district's "expectation: Graduation" Summit in May of that year.
Aldine ISD held its first walk this year.
In Houston ISD, 20 high schools sent teams of community volunteers and HISD employees for the third year to speak with students in their homes who did not return at the start of school August 14. In 2004, the first year of the walk, eight high schools took part.
Participating high schools in Houston ISD this year were Austin, Chavez, Davis, Furr, Jones, Kashmere, Lee, Madison, Milby, Reagan, Sam Houston, Scarborough, Sharpstown, Sterling, Waltrip, Washington, Westbury, Wheatley, Worthing and Yates.
Houston's first lady Andrea White, a member of The Houston A+ Challenge Board of Trustees, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Abelardo Saavedra led the Houston ISD walk.
In 2005, Houston ISD recovered 1,300 dropouts through the walk and other efforts. More than 200 of the students who returned went on to graduate in May.
Participating high schools in Aldine were Aldine Senior High School, Carver High School, Eisenhower High School, MacArthur Senior High School and Nimitz Senior High School.
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News Coverage
Houston Chronicle
School/Company
Partners
Chavez HS/Centerpoint Energy
Yates HS/Litton Loan Servicing
Washington HS/AT&T Pioneers San Jacinto Council
Yates HS/Rohm and Hass Texas Inc.
Read Volunteer Reflections from 2005
"Reach out to Dropouts" Day is made possible in part by:
HoustonPBS
Luby's
Mega 101
Univision Radio
Wal-Mart
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