Late last summer, then-interim Principal Al Clark invited dozens of older students who had dropped out or been kicked out of Austin to return to the school. Classes meet from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. He makes himself available to evening students who want to talk or need help with non-school problems. For example, he has accompanied some students to court dates. The Alliance offers a comprehensive strategy that takes in school management and curriculum, student assessment, and the school's relationship with the local community.
All parties are concerned about program overload at Austin, though.
However, he believes that SAS and the Alliance's program are complementary. Phil Hansen, intervention chief in the board's Office of Accountability, says that while he's impressed with the Alliance, any partnership is very much in the talking stage.