Dallas Independent School District held its first-ever fall graduation ceremony, and according to Dallas ISD News Hub, nearly two hundred seniors from the school district participated in the event.
The ceremony was the culmination of the Reconnection Plus + program at comprehensive high schools. The initiative seeks to provide an accelerated instructional plan for fifth-year seniors and students who are behind in their credits.
Led by Marcus Scott, the team behind the initiative reached out to students who had dropped out of school during the COVID-19 pandemic, convincing them to make their education a priority and create a path to graduation.
The team worked with Student Initiatives and Counseling departments to re-engage the eligible seniors. The two parties offered the students flexible schedules, provided face-to-face instruction, and kept them accountable in the online education environment.
According to Dallas ISD News Hub, 280 students had been re-engaged by August, with 197 from eighteen high schools certified to graduate. The remaining students are set to graduate in the spring.
“Students have worked hard to complete their coursework, and our facilitators have worked equally hard to keep them motivated,” said Jackie McFarland, executive director of district-wide Student Initiatives. “We are now about to experience the fruit of their labor with a Fall Graduation Ceremony.”
Following the program’s tremendous success, the school district is now planning to extend the Reconnection Plus + program for as long as necessary to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and address unfinished learning.
McFarland added the graduation was a “monumental event” because earning a diploma will unlock higher-paying career opportunities and access postsecondary institutions.