Earn Your Diploma with New HISD REAL Program

HISD announces accelerated diploma program HISD REAL to help disconnected students earn high school diploma

Style Magazine Newswire | 8/18/2022, 4:40 p.m.
Houston Independent School District, in partnership with Eight Million Stories, Inc., will be offering a new education option called HISD …

Houston Independent School District, in partnership with Eight Million Stories, Inc., will be offering a new education option called HISD REAL. The primary goal of HISD REAL is to support disconnected students in earning their high school diploma through re-engagement strategies and innovative ways of learning.

“REAL is an accelerated diploma program that meets students where they are and allows them to reimagine what they can become by focusing on academics, workforce and life-readiness skills in a non-traditional school setting,” said Bianca Clark, REAL Program Manager.

Students must have at least 12 credits or be classified as 11th grade and zoned to one of the following high schools: Chavez, Milby, Wheatley, Sterling, Worthing, or Yates to participate. Eligible students will receive accelerated credit recovery, internship opportunities, College and Career Readiness advising, full wraparound services, and many more services to bolster their academic and post-high school graduation success.

“Our wraparound services reflect a program that ‘wraps its arms around’ students, providing them, not just with a great education, but with support and the extra services they need to be made whole,” said Marvin Pierre, Eight Million Stories Executive Director.

Unlike traditional education options, students in the HISD Real program attend a shortened school day from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with accelerated learning to achieve positive outcomes.