This incentive encourages parents and teachers to discuss college as a real objective for students, and offers students a reason to perform well academically. Project GRAD has been highly successful. The rates of high school graduation and college enrollment have quadrupled in these Houston schools in the past three years, and student test scores have improved dramatically. The community now embraces college attendance as the rule, not the exception. Walhalla High School, is an 850-student New American High School located in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Students can choose between the two programs or participate in both.
The Tech Prep focus prepares students for entry into technical degree programs in college or for immediate entry into a chosen career. If a student is interested in a technical engineering field requiring a 4-year college degree, then he or she will take both College Prep classes and Tech Prep classes. An important component of this program is experience in the workplace. Walhalla High School's reform has been extremely successful. The most telling evidence of this is the fact that 100 percent of Walhalla students say they are going to continue their education.