Expectation Graduation is an important piece of Mayor Bill White's education policy. The City of Houston is working with the school districts, including the Houston Independent School District and 11 other Houston-area school districts, to make sure all students complete high school and get the skills to attend college and find good jobs.
In May 2004, Houston First Lady Andrea White and HISD hosted the "Expectation Graduation" summit to develop ideas for lowering the dropout rates of Houston 's high school students. Thanks to the summit the Reach Out to Dropouts walk has become an annual event and Dropout Prevention Specialists have been recruited by HISD. The Dropout Prevention Specialists work on a personal level with the students and have a hands-on approach. They arrange meetings and home visits, help students find school uniforms, work out class schedules, arrange for child care and locate alternate schools if the student has special needs. In four years, over 6,000 volunteers have helped bring back over 5,500 students thanks to the Walk and the Dropout Prevention Specialists.
As a form of early intervention, Summer Opportunity Sessions (SOS) was developed to provide hands-on summer learning to students at eight Houston ISD elementary schools.
An E-Mentoring initiative with Communities in Schools Houston has been established and events are held throughout the year to reward students for their commitment to graduation.
Expectation Graduation is an important piece of Mayor Bill White's education policy. The City of Houston is working with the school districts, including the Houston Independent School District and 11 other Houston-area school districts, to make sure all students complete high school and get the skills to attend college and find good jobs.