Aldine ISD and OneGoal Expand Partnership to Reach More High School Students

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From 600 students to 6,000, the district and OneGoal will scale postsecondary success across seven high schools.

Alex Dailey, executive director for Texas, talks with students at MacArthur High School.

What began as an opportunity for a few hundred students is now becoming the promise of postsecondary access and success for thousands more, significantly increasing support and guidance.

For the 2026–2027 school year, Aldine ISD and OneGoal will expand their college access partnership to seven Aldine ISD high schools, reaching an estimated 6,000 students, a tenfold increase. The expansion integrates structured postsecondary planning and Texas Success Initiative (TSI) preparation directly into 11th- and 12th-grade classrooms across Aldine, Blanson CTE, Carver, Davis, Eisenhower, MacArthur, and Nimitz high schools.

This is a clear signal of the district’s and OneGoal’s commitment to helping students graduate with a plan, a pathway, and a future full of choices and opportunities.

A Proven Model, Now at Scale

The numbers tell a powerful story.

In the Class of 2021, 42% of Aldine ISD graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution. Among high school students who completed OneGoal, that number rose to 68% — more than 25 percentage points higher. By the Class of 2025, OneGoal students were enrolling at a 74% rate.

Across Texas, OneGoal graduates enroll at a rate of 67%, compared to 43% of their peers.

Yet beyond these figures lies something equally vital: time.

Research shows that the average high school student only receives about 38 minutes with an advisor to plan their college and career path. OneGoal transforms this into a structured, two-year experience in the school day, where students build plans and prepare for what’s next.

The expansion is made possible by a combination of the Priority Regions Grant, awarded through the Commit Partnership via the Gates Foundation, and direct OneGoal investments.

Students in the OneGoal classroom focus on college preparation, from financial aid to best-fit college searches and personal statements to college admissions testing.

What This Means for Aldine Students

Starting in 2026–2027, eligible juniors and seniors at the seven high schools will participate in OneGoal during the school day, getting time each week for TSI prep, college and career exploration, and planning.

The program is designed for students in the academic middle — those with strong potential but who need guidance and resources. These aren’t the top 5 to 10 percent with existing support systems, but students who are first-generation or who may never have met with a school counselor about their next steps. After graduation, OneGoal will continue to work with students during their postsecondary Year 1 to help them transition and network; this includes academic and social support from OneGoal. Students will leverage the skills they’ve built to persist and ultimately earn their degrees or credentials.

“These are students with big goals who just need the right structure and support to realize them,” said Dr. Autumn Boyd, senior executive director of postsecondary outcomes for Aldine ISD. “Expanding OneGoal ensures more students have that opportunity — not just to get into college, but to succeed once they get there and beyond.”

Inside the Classroom: Turning Plans Into Action

OneGoal Program Director Melissa Zamarripa leads her class.

At MacArthur High School, that work is already taking shape inside classrooms led by educators like Melissa Zamarripa — a MacArthur alumna and Class of 2006 graduate who now helps guide students through their own postsecondary journeys.

Each day begins with connection. A recent lesson used a local sports story to build engagement, then shifted to FAFSA completion, SAT prep, and personal statement development. Students worked on laptops, collaborated, and supported one another as they built real plans for their futures.

That morning, two OneGoal representatives joined the class: Alex Dailey, executive director for Texas, and Luke Wozny, who works to connect OneGoal students with community partners, employers, and career opportunities statewide. Zamarripa reviewed Class of 2025 college enrollment data — showing students the full range of schools their predecessors had attended — and reminded the class about recent scholarship opportunities that several students had already applied for.

For Dailey, the energy inside that classroom captures everything OneGoal is meant to do.

“We are turning each student’s ambition into direction,” Dailey said. “We are helping students become better informed, become their own advocates. They realize that they don’t have to ‘figure it out’ alone. They understand the importance of preparation, a system of like-minded peers and professionals. OneGoal is about creating hope and expanding possibilities.”

Wozny highlighted the meaningful industry partnerships OneGoal has built across Houston, all of which are eager to serve local students by providing insight into various career pathways. According to Wozny, Houston-area companies like Phillips 66 and Chevron have a vested interest in the community, sponsoring college tours and career days for OneGoal students. “Houston companies want to keep young talent in Houston,” Wozny added.

Junior Janelle Oviedo (in OneGoal t-shirt) talks with a peer.

That sense of possibility extends to the students themselves. Juniors Janelle Oviedo and Celeste Martínez said the program had already changed how they think about their futures — specifically, how to compete for a spot at the institution most aligned with their dreams, and why their personal statements matter.

Zamarripa, now in her fifth year of teaching OneGoal and her third group of Year 1 students, has seen firsthand the difference structure has made in the students OneGoal seeks to work with.

When intentional recruitment began, the change was dramatic. Within a year, every student enrolled in college, trade school, or the military.

“I grew up in the same neighborhoods that they grew up in,” Zamarripa said. “I probably have the same obstacles that they’re facing. Because I know how that felt, I don’t want students to feel like that. I want to be a resource for them.”

Today, her classroom demonstrates that transformation — a space where students not only plan their futures, but believe in them.

“We want to make sure we’re sending students out into the world so they can go out and be productive,” Zamarripa said. “OneGoal has allowed me to change students’ lives — and that’s what it’s all about.”

Click on the image to view the OneGoal video.

Aldine’s Commitment to Opportunity

For Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, the expansion reflects a larger vision.

“When I think about what this expansion means, I think about our students — the ones sitting in classrooms right now with big dreams and even bigger potential,” said Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney. “Expanding OneGoal means more of those students will have a real plan for what comes next. That is what Accelerate is all about: making sure Aldine students walk across that graduation stage not just with a diploma, but with real choices and real opportunities waiting for them. That is the #AldineStory I want all our families to see.”

The partnership aligns with the district’s Accelerate strategic plan, focused on preparing students for college, careers, and beyond.

From Aldine ISD to West Texas — and Beyond

Moné Walker is pictured far left as a 2020 Davis HS graduate, and far right, receiving her baccalaureate from the University of Texas-Permian Basin.

For some students, that support becomes something even more powerful: a launchpad.

Moné Walker graduated from Davis High School in 2020 during the uncertainty of the pandemic — a first-generation college student navigating a path no one in her family had taken before.

Today, she works as a pipeline controller in West Texas, managing critical oil and gas infrastructure, while also running her own jewelry business.

Her journey began in a OneGoal classroom.

There, she learned how to navigate financial aid, apply to colleges, and build a plan tailored to her goals. And when she left for college, that support didn’t end — mentors continued to guide her through FAFSA, coursework, and the everyday decisions that first-generation students often face alone.

“No one’s going hand me an opportunity,” Walker said. “Essentially, I have to work for it, or find them myself.”

This mindset, combined with timely support, enabled her to turn ambition into concrete action.

Now, she’s focused on giving back, helping the next generation of students understand what’s possible and how to get there.

A Promise to Aldine ISD Students

Expanding OneGoal from 600 students to 6,000 is more than growth — it’s transformation.

This is the result of intentional decisions by the district and its partner.

They decided postsecondary success must be a guarantee for every student — not a privilege for a select few.

Across Aldine ISD, this promise shows up daily in classrooms, conversations, and the real steps students take toward their futures.

This is the #AldineStory.

For more information about OneGoal at Aldine ISD, visit aldineisd.org/onegoal. To learn more about OneGoal’s work across Texas, visit onegoal.org/locations/texas.