Student Retention Times

STUDENT RETENTION DATA informs the leadership team about current withdrawal patterns, compares them with previous year, and highlights emerging trends across the school year.

STUDENT RETENTION TIMES ARCHIVE is a one-pager that consolidates all published Student Retention Times volumes from Volume 1 through the most recent Monday release.

Dear Principals,

As we align our student retention timelines and prepare for the upcoming school year, you will receive a detailed email today outlining clear expectations, required action steps, and deadlines for the New Student Onboarding process. These instructions are designed to ensure alignment, accountability, and consistency across the HPS network. It is essential that all campuses follow the outlined guidance to provide a structured, welcoming, and high-quality onboarding experience for every newly enrolled student and family.

Each principal is required to complete the following two action steps:

STEP 1: Send the “Welcome to Harmony” document to new families.
STEP 2: Organize and host a New Student Onboarding in May.

Thank you for helping us welcome our new families.

When students experience a true sense of belonging—through positive peer relationships, caring educators, inclusive environments, and meaningful engagement—they are more confident, motivated, and committed to their academic journey. By intentionally creating spaces where every student feels seen, heard, and empowered, we strengthen not only individual success but also long-term retention. Belonging is not an added initiative; it is the foundation that drives persistence, achievement, and a thriving school culture.

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Hand in hand, we kindle the spark of tomorrow.

At Harmony, we rise — not alone, but as one.
Retention begins in relationships that help us belong.
More than words — it is presence, persistence, promise.
Our journey unfolds with courage that carries us forward.
No fear can loosen the ties that hold us here.
You can hear the future growing in our voices.

Dear Campus, District and Central Office Leaders,

The HPS Student Retention Action Timeline, designed to provide clear month-by-month and week-by-week guidance to strengthen student persistence across our campuses.

Please review it carefully with your team and integrate these actions into our planning and weekly practices. To ensure alignment and consistency, a dedicated tab has been assigned to each group—campuses, districts, and the central office—outlining roles and responsibilities.

Our shared goal is to raise student retention rates by focusing on proactive, student-centered practices.

Thank you for your leadership and continued commitment

✅ Overall Network Improvement – The HPS Network withdrawal rate decreased by -0.1%, reflecting steady progress in strengthening student persistence across campuses.

✅ Largest Gains – The most significant improvements were seen in:

• North TX Secondary (↓ 1.15%)

• Houston W (↓ 1.16%)

These districts made notable strides in reducing student withdrawals, showing the positive impact of targeted retention strategies.

⚠️ Areas for Focus – Some regions showed slight increases in withdrawal rates, signaling the need for further analysis and intervention:

• Houston S (↑ -3.75%)

• Houston N (↑ -1.31%)

While these changes are modest, they indicate areas where additional support, communication, and retention initiatives could be beneficial.

✅ Overall Improvement – 48.6% of campuses (36 out of 74) improved their withdrawal rates, showing steady progress in student retention across the network.
✅ Top Performing Districts – North TX EL (70%) and North TX Sec (62.5%) achieved the strongest improvements.
⚠️ Areas for Focus – Houston S (66.7%) and South TX (66.7% declined) had the highest percentage of campuses with increased withdrawal rates, signaling the need for targeted support and intervention.

✅ Significant Improvements – High school withdrawal rates decreased the most (0.1%), followed by elementary school (-0.21%), showing strong gains in secondary student retention.
✅ Overall Positive Trend – All grade bands EXCEPT 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th grade showed decreases in withdrawal rates, highlighting network-wide improvement.
⚠️ Areas for Focus – Middle school improved the least (-1.32%), suggesting an opportunity to strengthen early-grade retention strategies.

Enrollment:

• 13,581 new students joined HPS this year.

📌 Home Visits:

• Only 6284 new students (46.3%) received a home visit.

• That means nearly 7 out of 10 new students have NOT yet had a home visit

ACTION REQUIRED

✅ Prioritize home visits for all new-to-HPS students who have not yet been visited.
✅ Target campuses with the highest new-to-HPS withdrawals for immediate intervention.
✅ Strengthen connections in the next 5 days (phone calls, home visits, parent meetings, student check-ins).
✅ Track withdrawals daily to identify at-risk families and act fast.

Dear HPS Family,

I am excited to introduce the Education & Retention Articles Dashboard, a collection of resources and best practices for educators, leaders, and counselors dedicated to strengthening student retention, fostering engagement, and supporting long-term success.

The goal of this dashboard is to provide principals, educators, and staff with easy access to thought-provoking research and best practices that can support our collective mission of improving student retention across HPS. If you enjoy reading and exploring new ideas, I encourage you to browse the articles at your convenience.

Dr. ATAS

STUDENT RETENTION TIMES ARCHIVE: A one-pager that consolidates all published Student Retention Times volumes from Volume 1 through the most recent Monday release.

WITHDRAWAL 9/20 TO RECENT MONDAY: A comparison of student withdrawals by campus and district from September 20 of the previous year to the recent Monday.

STUDENT RETENTION DASHBOARD: A comprehensive tool designed to help us better track, analyze, and improve student retention across our schools. It will serve as an essential resource for all stakeholders as we continue to work towards our retention goals.

STUDENT RETENTION DATA: Provides a campus and district view of comprehensive student retention, performance data, and demographics analysis of the previous year.

NEW STUDENT ONBOARDING: A guide to ensure that every new student receives a warm, supportive, and comprehensive introduction to the school.

WELCOME TO HARMONY: As sample welcome message template to help you create your own personalized outreach to new parents.

STEPS TO IMPROVE RETENTION: A guide to create a clear, professional, and visually appealing resource that captures attention while effectively conveying the 10 key retention strategies.

STUDENT RETENTION ACTION TIMELINE: A guide Designed to provide clear month-by-month and week-by-week guidance to strengthen student persistence across our campuses.

EDUCATION & RETENTION DASHBOARD: A collection of resources and best practices for educators, leaders, and counselors dedicated to strengthening student retention, fostering engagement, and supporting long-term success.

• You are invited to share your best practices, success stories, and pictures showcasing how your campus fosters student retention. Your contributions will help inspire and guide other campuses in their efforts.
• Please send your submissions by Thursdays to Dr. ATAS at batas@harmonytx.org to ensure inclusion in the upcoming issue. I look forward to highlighting the great work happening across our schools!