Sept. 10, 2011 — More than 80 Klein ISD high school students were sought after during the annual Reach Out to Dropouts Walk sponsored by Expectation Graduation. For the third year, 78 counselors, teachers, administrators and district employees went door-to-door to homes to contact students who have not returned to school this semester or dropped out last year.

As a result of the walk, seven students expressed interest in earning their diploma by returning to school or participating in the 2nd Chance program. Meanwhile, 22 students were removed from the dropout list because they moved out of the district, are home-schooled, or fulfilled graduation requirements through an alternate program.

During the walk 41 students and parents were given information regarding options available through Klein ISD, as well as encouragement and resources needed to complete high school. Door hangers and brochures with campus contact information were also left for those families who were unavailable.

“Our district and campus staff has done a tremendous job at identifying and helping these students across the district as there are fewer students each year that we needed to reach,” noted Angie Mentz, the KISD high school completion specialist. “Dropout recovery efforts by the district have become more successful each year because Klein has an exceptional and dedicated administration and staff who want to see our students succeed.”

The 2nd Chance program is one of the district’s initiatives for helping students graduate. It is offered to those who may not have graduated with their class because they need additional credits or have not passed the exit-level TAKS. The 2nd Chance schedule is flexible, self-paced and offers evening hours, which provides these students an option for getting a high school diploma year round. More than 120 students have graduated from 2nd Chance since the inception of the program in October 2009.

The dropout walk has spanned to 24 Texas cities, including 12 regional cities and 18 school districts in Houston. The City of Houston reported the 2010 effort brought 237 students back on the day of the walk, with a program total of more than 9,997 students who have returned to school.

For information about the Klein ISD event and programs, click here. For information about the Reach Out to Drop Out Walk, click here.