From early graduates to credit recovery, each student receives a plan that is tailored to what they require.

Frisco ISD’s RAIL program is serving students with a flexible, tailored approach to help propel them to graduation.

RAIL, which stands for Reaching All Innovative Learners, gives FISD students a chance to earn some of their credits online at an accelerated pace. Last year, there were 3,368 course completions in the program.

So who needs RAIL? As it turns out, a wide range of students, including those who:

Need credit recovery to graduate

Are using Lesson Mastery after the first or third quarter

Need or want to graduate early

Moved to Frisco ISD from another state or country

Were unenrolled for a period of time

Started the year late

RAIL is not a one-size-fits-all program. Each student’s experience is customized and tailored to what they require. And there’s a team behind each of these students — counselors, content teachers, Academy teachers and administrators — with them every step of the way to ensure they get what they need to achieve.

“All Frisco ISD students are our kids,” said Heather Andrews, a RAIL English teacher. “Whatever our students need, we’re able to identify it. There’s a sense of shared responsibility.”

RAIL Academy

Students take RAIL courses through Edgenuity, with premade content that’s customized by Frisco ISD for the District’s curriculum. Find a list of the courses.

Each high school has one Academy teacher to run the campus Academy, where students work on their online course, and one RAIL teacher who assists. RAIL teachers also hold free tutoring sessions open to all FISD students, not just those taking RAIL courses. Last year, almost 1,000 students attended tutorial sessions that were hosted by RAIL.

Academy's co-teaching model ensures students get the academic support they need, both in person during Academy and remotely from their content teacher. Students complete the online course in their Academy class and at home.

“When I see a kid struggling, I can get on a video chat with them within minutes, and we can look at exactly what it is they’re struggling with,” said Andrews, who works at Wakeland but is a RAIL English content teacher for the District. “Because of the amount of data we collect, as far as what works for students and doesn’t, a lot of times I’m able to narrow down what specific area that kid is struggling with. I can do a very focused mini lesson or reteach that can home in on that.”

The process often starts with counselors, who identify students who need a course offered through RAIL.

“RAIL gives us the chance to place students in an Academy period, allowing them to get caught up on necessary credits,” Panther Creek High School counselor Holly McFarland said. “I don’t know what we’d do without RAIL.”

How has RAIL benefited students? “In one word: Opportunity,” McFarland said.

Students’ perspective

At Lone Star High School, one senior in Shannon Alvarado’s Academy class is taking history, tech and health courses required for graduation. He said he appreciates the way Academy is structured and wouldn’t be able to graduate without RAIL.

“You can move at the pace you want to,” he said. “It’s awesome.”

Another senior taking chemistry in Alvarado’s class agreed. “I’m grateful they have this for us,” he said. “It’s freedom overall for people, so they don’t have to repeat the grade.”

Both seniors said they liked being able to ask Alvarado and their RAIL content teachers for help.

“When students come through Academies here in Frisco, I feel like they walk out knowing they were cared about, that we were here to get them what they needed, and they weren’t just a number to get through the line,” Alvarado said.

No matter the situation, RAIL teachers, administrators and counselors always find a way to help students who need it.

“We specialize in situations that can't be handled anywhere else,” said Dr. Michael Voth, coordinator of online programs and a former RAIL science teacher. “Our program is a standout for its flexibility, accessibility, scope and student support.”

By the numbers

In the 2023-24 school year:

1,139 - Credit recovery completions

2,228 - Original credit completions

105 - Senior Contract completions

109 - RAIL students served by special education services

112 - RAIL graduates

998 - RAIL tutorial attendees, including writing, science, math and test prep