Board approves Graduation Alliance pilot to reach Northside dropouts

The Northside ISD Board of Trustees approved an application and waiver Tuesday to continue Irene Chavez Excel Academy and to pilot a partnership with a national vendor, Graduation Alliance, to locate and enroll former Northside students who are over-age and under‑credited.

The vote: At the June 24 regular meeting, Trustee Bobby Blunt moved approval of the application and pilot as discussed; Trustee Karen Freeman seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote.

The matter in brief: Superintendent Kraft introduced Irene Chavez Excel Academy as the district’s dropout‑prevention program serving students who are 17 years old and either behind in credits or otherwise off pace for graduation. The board heard that in 2024–25 some 386 students attended Excel and the campus recorded a 95% graduation rate for students served in that program during the reported year. Principal Darren Calvert described the program and emphasized its role for students who had left district campuses or who were otherwise not engaged in traditional programs.

Why it matters: Graduation Alliance is a third‑party education provider that locates students who have left school, provides asynchronous online instruction, tutoring, technology and case management, and reports credit completion back to the district. The district will submit lists of former students to the vendor under a data‑sharing agreement; Graduation Alliance will attempt outreach, deliver coursework and help returning students accumulate credits so they can become eligible to attend Excel and graduate in a Northside ceremony.

What trustees were told: Calvert said Excel’s model primarily serves three groups: students who are age‑eligible with 17 credits and passed EOCs; a group behind their cohort on credits who remain on campus for interventions; and a third group who are over‑age, under‑credited and not on any campus. "They find these students. They educate these students. They provide the technology for the instruction. They provide tutoring," Calvert said of Graduation Alliance. Dr. Jerry Woods added that the company reports credits back to Northside so the district can create official transcripts and, where appropriate, bring students back into district pathways.

Policy and logistics: Board discussion covered student eligibility, age limits (the board was told some providers serve students up to age 26), financial mechanics (the vendor is paid a share of average daily attendance (ADA) for recovered/credited courses), and whether open‑enrollment students outside district boundaries could be included later. Administrators said the pilot would begin conservatively — targeting local over‑age students at neediest campuses — and expand if the program proves effective. Staff said the vendor has approximately a 50% success rate nationwide.

Ending: Trustees approved the application and directed staff to proceed with standard data‑sharing agreements and reporting procedures so the pilot can begin recruiting in early fall. The board will receive updates through the academics committee and regular board reporting.