Schools designed to serve students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out

The HISD Board of Education will consider a proposal Thursday to create a partnership with Houston Community College to open two Middle College High Schools focused on serving students who are in danger of dropping out of school or who have already dropped out.

“This is an excellent way to give our most at-risk students more opportunities to continue their studies in a challenging environment that prepares them to contribute to Houston’s strong economy,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said.  “By studying side-by-side with college students on a college campus, these high school students will begin to see themselves as college material for the first time, and that has real impact on their lives.”

These two campuses would open in January 2014 with no more than 150 students each in grades 9 to12.  HISD would recruit students who have already dropped out or have been identified as being at-risk of dropping out.  The campuses would be located at the Felix Fraga Academic HCC campus and the Gulfton HCC campus.

The Middle College High Schools are part of HISD’s broad dropout prevention plan that also includes Grad Labs on every high school campus, where students can take credit recovery courses online to get back on track for graduation, and High School Ahead Academy (HSAA), an innovative program for over-aged middle school students. The ultimate goal of HSAA is to enable students to graduate from high school within a timeframe that is in line with peers of their same age group.

The board’s regular monthly meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 8, 2013 in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street).

For a full copy of the Board meeting agenda, click here.  The board meeting will be carried live on HISD’s website and on the HISD Channel, which can be found on Comcast Channel 18 or AT&T Channel 99.