An ounce of prevention, a pound of paperwork.

Dropout discussion is all the rage in Texas these days. A new report finally has some good news for the Houston Independent School District. The district has been criticized recently for artificially lowering its dropout rate through misclassifying how students left school. But a report from the watchdog assigned to check the district's record-keeping, Texas Education Agency's Marvin Crawford, concludes that if the district follows its new procedures, considerable improvements should occur in the reporting of dropout rates. In August, Houston was given six months to improve its record-keeping on dropouts or face having its state rating lowered.

Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Perry has unveiled a new statewide dropout prevention program. The $130 million public-private initiative is getting financial assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Grants will be set aside for special programs at high schools where more than half of sophomores have failed the first administration of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.