Yesterday, we told you about the news that J.L. Long’s TAKS test scores last year qualified it for a return trip to the state’s “academically unacceptable” list. Meanwhile, Long’s Site Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM) has been in the process of raising funds to bring a non-profit organization into the school to target parents (particularly Hispanic parents) of neighborhood students and give them better tools to help their children succeed.
The Concilio non-profit offers a program titled “Parents Advocate for Student Excellence (PACE)” in offering tips about creating effective home learning environments, volunteering with schools and interacting with school teachers and staff. The idea is to help Long parents boost their students’ success rates. The organization says participation can boost Hispanic student high school graduation rates to 90 percent from the DISD average of 53 percent for Hispanics.
The SBDM is trying to raise $10,000 to fund the program, and initial pledges have been received from neighborhood families, as well as O.M. Roberts Elementary and Woodrow Wilson High School. If you’d like to help or if you need additional information, contact Ben DuBose or Vince Murchison with Long’s SBDM.
