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Operation Graduation 2024 helps absent students drop back in

Everyone knows that the high school years aren’t always easy. For many, frustration starts with the juggling act of keeping grades up in both core classes and electives. For others, it is the pressure to excel on the athletic field or court, after grueling morning training sessions or practices after a long day of school.

Many students work part-time jobs to support their families. Some anxiously attempt to fit into friend groups and feel forced to follow trends on Instagram or Tik Tok. There are many reasons that lead teenagers to drop out of school.

The most recent data by the Washington, D.C.-based showed in 2022 that there were roughly 2.1 million high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 nationwide. The statistics show that the dropout rate is particularly high among minorities, those who are economically disadvantaged and who speak a language other than English, according to the San Antonio-based (IDRA).

The problem exists in 91��Ƭ��, too. To tackle this critical issue, the district held its annual Operation Graduation – one of many initiatives designed to increase the graduation rate of its high school students. The effort, which has evolved from a campaign conducted by several big districts 14 years ago, encourages absent students to drop back in.

Recently, for about three hours, caravans of dropout prevention specialists, administrators, school board trustees and teachers left Arlington, Bowie, Lamar, Martin, Sam Houston and Venture high schools to visit homes of 120 unenrolled students.

Among the volunteers was Jeanna Hereth, a special education social studies teacher at Bowie. She has participated in Operation Graduation almost every year since she joined 91��Ƭ�� nearly a decade ago.

“I have seen firsthand how much of a difference it makes for our students, including students I have taught in the classroom. I have seen a range of reactions when I arrive at students’ homes. Some are a little wary and indifferent, but most have been receptive,” Hereth said.

Joined by her husband Mike, Hereth said she “lucked out this year” in being able to contact some students. She recalled how one of those individuals “really struggled with understanding how he received his credits.”

“Due to my close work with my contact students, I was able to explain to him how he acquired his credits and make him understand that possible credits is not the same as actually acquiring the credits. Although he is about to leave the country, he stated that he will re-enroll when he comes back,” Hereth said.

Hereth added that while visiting the home of one student who had dropped out, she and her husband stumbled upon another student who had taken the same path. She said the former 91��Ƭ�� student had “given up on getting his diploma.” She and her spouse made the student want to reach out to see what options he still had.

“Moments like this make all the difference and make this program worthwhile,” Hereth said.  

Huddling up

Helping teenagers who struggle to make the transition from high school to future schooling and financial success takes teamwork. For this year’s Operation Graduation, Bowie assistant principal Dr. Keith Johnson prepared Hereth and about a dozen volunteers for the home visits inside Bowie’s cafeteria. This included the new 91��Ƭ�� superintendent Dr. Matt Smith and deputy superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collins, both experiencing Operation Graduation for the first time. Chief academic officer Dr. Steven Wurtz and Arlinton ISD board member Sarah McMurrough also went on the journey.

Johnson, a 32-year educator who has participated in the program for many years, displayed a visual presentation to explain the full process to the participants. He even explained the best methods for approaching the students who had quit school. For example, Johnson advised the volunteers to select a door greeter and to have the other person stand back, so they would not appear “too intimidating,” Johnson said. 

China Williams, a Bowie student outreach services specialist, participated in Operation Graduation for the third straight year. She said many students are shocked when volunteers arrive.

“The reaction is disbelief because students and families feel like it’s too late,” Williams said. “This program is vital, as many students don’t understand that there is an opportunity for them to return or the various other resources that are there to support them.”

On that day, she teamed up with Ricardo Gomez, a dropout prevention specialist who works closely with at-risk students from Sam Houston, Seguin and Bowie high schools. Williams said the two were able to visit 10 families, connecting face-to-face with six students who had dropped out.

“We were able to recover at least three students … A success that stood out to me was a particular student, who was working to support his family – who is so close to graduating – agreeing to come back to finish for better job opportunities,” Williams said. 

First time, no luck

On that Saturday morning, Bowie assistant principal Alicia DeVaull drove the new superintendents Smith and Collins around for miles to the different students’ homes. However, each time that the two stepped out of the white Chevy Suburban, they couldn’t contact students as they were not home. Their team had to leave door hangers, which featured information about how to re-enroll in school.

“While I’m disappointed that we didn’t get to have any student contacts today, I’m super impressed by the focus of the fact that every student matters,” Smith said,

Before taking over as the 91��Ƭ�� superintendent this past January, Smith served many years in leadership roles for school districts in central Texas, Oregon and Arizona. Yet Smith said he had never seen such a dropout prevention program with such a “coordinated effort on a Saturday, throughout the entire district,” like Operation Graduation provided on that day.

“I don’t know that many districts have the staff and the people that care like Arlington,” Smith said. “And you can tell from the conversations in the cafeteria this morning – and during our ride-arounds in the Suburban today – that there is a passion just to make sure that the kids are set up for success in the future. And I think that is special.”