High Schools Of The Year: From Worst To First

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Concerned that Universal Global risked becoming a depository for the least motivated students, the district paid $8,500 in 1997 to bring in an acclaimed, privately developed program called AVID. It places C students in the most rigorous courses available, then gives them the support necessary to succeed, including an extra class period each day devoted to individual tutoring. All of Fox's 90 AVID students now plan to go to college. Senior Precious Wright, 18, was forced to move to Kansas after her grandmother, with whom she had been living, died last year. Wright was afraid that without the help of AVID, she wouldn't get into college. So she bought a bus ticket back to San Antonio and lives on her own, working eight hours a day after school to support herself. Last month she was accepted by Texas Woman's University.

A tired Cockrell, 57, plans to retire at the end of next year, satisfied that Fox Tech has lighted a path toward success for disadvantaged students--and for other schools that teach them.