The Edvocate

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Edupedia
    • Pedagogue
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2023 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Post a Job
  • AI Powered Personal Tutor

logo

The Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Edupedia
    • Pedagogue
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2023 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Post a Job
  • AI Powered Personal Tutor
  • 13 Hacks to Teach Kids to Take Pride in Their Schoolwork

  • How Can Schools Help Students Process Racial Trauma?

  • 10 Ways to Help LGBTQ Students Thrive

  • Helping School Districts and Families to Better Engage With Each Other

  • Corrective Feedback: Everything You Need to Know

  • Research Questions About Software

  • Most Interesting Sociological Imagination Essay Topics To Write About

  • Essay Topics Related To Socialization

  • Good Essay Topics On Social Stratification

  • Simple & Easy Social Security Essay Topics

Education ReformOnline Learning & eLearning
Home›Education Reform›Online Credit Recovery Programs

Online Credit Recovery Programs

By Matt Strader
September 16, 2022
0
Spread the love

Over one million students drop out of high school in the United States each year (Pettyjohn & LaFrance, 2014). When students fail to earn credit in a course, the likelihood of them dropping out increases drastically (Frazelle, 2016; Oliver & Kellog, 2016). To support students in staying in school, 71% of high schools in the United states offer online credit recovery (CR) programs (Pileggi et al., 2020). These CR courses help students quickly regain credits and increase the likelihood that they will graduate.

The success of credit recovery programs is contingent upon many factors, from how each program measures success to how funds are used to support the program. There is no consistent definition of success across credit recovery contexts (Rickles et al., 2018, Nourse, 2019). Some programs define success as the student earning lost credit, while others define success as preparedness for future learning and student persistence to graduation. Nourse (2019) and others highlight the relationship of quality content to student outcomes, but there is little discussion in the literature about what would constitute quality CR content. This article highlights some considerations related to the quality design of online CR products. For those purchasing online CR programs, these suggestions could be used as evaluation criteria for content to maximize the impact of the product. Broadly, these suggestions are grouped by their relationship to academic content, scaffolds, and content structure.

Design Considerations for Online Credit Recovery Content

The academic content of online CR programs should clearly be rooted in the belief that all students can achieve grade-level work and expectations. Content should include the depth and breadth of content that would: 1) support student success in future courses in the content area and 2) foster educator belief that the content is appropriately rigorous for the grade level. Instructional strategies should be pedagogically sound and research-based. Content should emphasize active learning; this includes strategically using technology to support exploration and construction of knowledge,  rather than simply converting lectures and textbooks onto a digital platform. Interesting and relevant experiences that motivate learning of academic content and processes should be offered to students. Activities should be thought-provoking and dissuade students from copying and pasting the answer from an online resource; students frequently seek help by accessing the work of others online, so content should engage them with personal, meaningful learning. It is key that students are aware of what they will learn and why, as well what is expected of them to successfully complete the course.

Online CR content should provide scaffolding and resources for students to maximize their success. Some students may have content gaps and need remedial instruction to access grade-level learning, including modeling, explanations, or supplementary activities. To support CR teachers in addressing content gaps, materials should include teacher-facing materials that help address differentiation. Students need to spend their cognitive resources on the content, not the technology. Programs should provide simple and intuitive user experiences, as well as in-product tutorials that help students develop the technological skills and digital literacy needed to use the program. Finally, content should provide students with early experiences of success in the program so they begin to develop a sense of self-efficacy and motivation in their online learning.

The structure of the content should support students in both gaining lost credit and acquiring sufficient academic knowledge for future coursework. Online CR programs can employ mastery learning by using assessment data to remove mastered content, thereby reducing redundancy and disengagement. Students earn credit faster when they are not required to study previously mastered content. Assessments for mastery learning should be rigorous enough to ensure that students have learned skills to the depth needed for future content within the domain. Customization features that allow instructors to add, omit, and organize content also support right-sizing the content for each student. Programs should have features that allow instructors to learn about students’ identities, skills, and areas for growth to plan for individual support. Programs should offer useful reporting that aids instructors in data-driven decision making. Features that provide real-time data to instructors about students’ progress and alert the instructors when an interaction may help a student can drastically increase effectiveness.

Conclusion

Online credit recovery will continue to be an important strategy in decreasing dropout rates and encouraging student persistence in high school. When designing a credit recovery program, it is important for each program leader to define the metrics of success within their context. After defining success, leaders should align funding, staffing, scheduling, grading, and content decisions to their definition. When thinking about content for online CR, designers and decision makers should consider the academic content, scaffolds and support, and the structure of the program. High-quality content will provide grade-level work, support students in achieving that work, and be customizable based on students’ needs.

References

Frazelle, S. (2016). Successful strategies for providing online credit recovery in Montana. Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest.

Nourse, D. (2019). Factors influencing student academic performance in online credit recovery. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership 4(1). https://doi.org/10.46767/kpf.2016-0030

Oliver, K., & Kellogg, S. (2015). Credit recovery in a virtual school: Affordances of online learning for the at-risk student. Journal of Online Learning Research 1(2), 191-218.

Pettyjohn, T., & LaFrance, J. (2014). Online credit recovery: Benefits and challenges. Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, 1(1), 204–219.

Pileggi, M., Turner, A., Liu, L., Fontana, J., Philadelphia Education Research Consortium (PERC), & Research for Action. (2020). Recovering credits in the school district of Philadelphia: High school student credit recovery utilization in 2018-19. Philadelphia Education Research Consortium.

Rickles, J., Heppen, J. B., Allensworth, E., Sorensen, N., & Walters, K. (2018). Online credit recovery and the path to on-time high school graduation. Educational Researcher 47(8), 481-491. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X18788054

Previous Article

List of Character Traits and Examples

Next Article

Preparing for the Next School Year

Matt Strader

Related articles More from author

  • Online Learning & eLearning

    The Metaverse and eLearning

    March 17, 2023
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Online Learning & eLearning

    YouTube Rises Above All Else in Learner Learning at Home

    March 31, 2022
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechHigher Education EdTechOnline Learning & eLearningTrending Topics

    30 Incredible ELearning Tools, Apps, and Platforms

    June 24, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Online Learning & eLearning

    Remote Learning’s Hidden Security Risk

    April 22, 2022
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Online Learning & eLearning

    What Works for Tracking Learner Progress in ELearning

    May 13, 2022
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Online Learning & eLearning

    Remote Learning and ELearning Planning

    May 3, 2022
    By Matthew Lynch

Search

Registration and Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Subscribe to The Edvocate Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • 13 Hacks to Teach Kids to Take Pride in Their Schoolwork

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 27, 2023
  • How Can Schools Help Students Process Racial Trauma?

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 27, 2023
  • 10 Ways to Help LGBTQ Students Thrive

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 27, 2023
  • Helping School Districts and Families to Better Engage With Each Other

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 27, 2023
  • Corrective Feedback: Everything You Need to Know

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 27, 2023
  • 18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 3, 2017
  • The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 29, 2016
  • 7 Benefits of STEM Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 12, 2019
  • What is Culturally Responsive Pedagogy?

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 21, 2016
  • pass or fail

    Black Boys in Crisis: Why Aren’t They Reading?

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 16, 2017
  • School Evaluation For Special Education What Parents Need to Know
    on
    December 27, 2022

    A Guide to Norm-Referenced Tests

    […] Norm-referenced tests – ...
  • Effectively Educating Diverse Student Populations: Strategies That Work - Applead Hofu
    on
    December 21, 2022

    6 Ways to Implement a Real Multicultural Education in the Classroom

    […] as to successfully ...
  • The Importance Of Sight Words In Early Reading – GoGreenva.org
    on
    December 21, 2022

    Understanding Letter Recognition and It’s Role in Preliteracy

    […] between letters, numbers, ...
  • Online Education in Chennai - Birla Brainiacs
    on
    December 20, 2022

    The Advantages and Limitations of Homeschooling

    […] Online Education in ...
  • Advancing Technology Education in Rural High Schools Across ... - The Tech Edvocate - VSAY .IN
    on
    December 20, 2022

    7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    […] technology advancements have ...

Ask an Expert

  • Ask An Expert

    How Dumbed Down Education Is Creating a National Security Crisis

    Spread the loveFor the past few decades, our country’s educational system has seen both struggle and tremendous change. With the various ailments plaguing our educational system, education reforms have attempted ...
  • Ask An Expert

    21 Inspirational Quotes That Nelson Mandela Made About Education

    Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. One of my heroes is the late-great Nelson Mandela, who ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyCareer ReadinessChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFirst Year TeachersFreshHigh SchoolK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingParent & Family TechParental InvolvementParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformPreK-12Special EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachers

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 7: How Digital Age Teachers Can Win Over Parents

    Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. One of the most integral parts of this collaborative team ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...

International Education

  • International Education

    The Opportunities in Teaching Abroad

    Spread the loveAs education becomes more globalized, teaching abroad has become an increasingly viable and appealing career option for many educators. The allure of teaching abroad is evident in the ...
  • International Education

    PISA (The Program for International Student Assessment): Everything You Need to Know

    Spread the loveThis program assesses 15-year-old students schooling in countries that form part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  The evaluated skills include science, math, and reading. Some ...
  • Education FoundationsInternational Education

    4 Reasons You Should Study Geography

    Spread the loveUsually, people are under the wrong impression that geography does not offer many job opportunities, and there are no jobs for a geographer. They think that studying geography ...
  • International Education

    How International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs Work

    Spread the loveThe International Baccalaureate Program is a very intensive pre-college program in which when students get involved, they get college credit. Unlike most other learning initiatives, this program deeply ...
  • International Education

    Globalization: Everything You Need to Know

    Spread the loveGlobalization is the growing interconnectedness of countries around the world. It involves increasing communication and various forms of interaction between people of different nations, ethnicities and cultures. There ...

Early Childhood Education

  • Early ChildhoodTeachers

    19 Tips for Teaching Kids to Not Interrupt Classmates During Learning Experiences

    Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to teach kids not to interrupt classmates during learning experiences? If so, keep reading. 1. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore ...
  • Early ChildhoodTeachers

    20 Ways to Teach Kids to Take Care of Their Personal Property

    Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students to take care of their personal property? If so, keep reading. 1. Observe the learner while they are performing schoolwork ...
  • Early ChildhoodTeachers

    13 Ways to Teach Students Appropriate Mealtime Manners

    Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? If so, keep reading. 1. Train the learner in appropriate mealtime etiquette (e.g., speaking with an empty ...
  • Early ChildhoodTeachers

    20 Strategies to Encourage Students to Take Care of their Personal Property

    Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? If so, keep reading. 1. Praise the learner for appropriate care of personal ...
  • Early ChildhoodTeachers

    14 Strategies to Teach Students Appropriate Mealtime Manners

    Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? If so, keep reading. 1. Praise the learner for demonstrating appropriate mealtime behaviors: (a) give the learner ...

Gifted and Talented Education

  • Gifted and Talented Education

    How to Reform Gifted Education

    Spread the loveGifted children are those who demonstrate exceptional potential in one or more areas of intelligence, such as academics, arts, athletics or leadership. Such children have advanced cognitive development ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Twice-Exceptional: What Does it Mean?

    Spread the loveTo be twice-exceptional is to be exceptionally gifted in some academic aspects while being below average compared to peers in other aspects. As a matter of fact, such ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    A Guide to Talent Search Programs

    Spread the loveThe Talent Search Initiative has as its aim; the identification of high-performing students by organizing specific tests. Different avenues are then provided for these students to channel their ...
  • Gifted and Talented EducationK-12

    Homogeneous Grouping: What You Need to Know

    Spread the loveThis term refers to the grouping of students by mental capability, aptitude, or hobbies. For instance, gifted students are placed in one group, and students with special needs ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Cluster Grouping: What You Need to Know

    Spread the loveThis term describes a manner of classifying gifted students to place them in properly segmented classrooms. For example, about five to seven extremely bright pupils with comparable skill ...

Black Boys in Crisis Series

  • Black Boys in Crisis

    Are Boys of Color Being Set Up to Fail By Schools?

    Spread the loveThe educational system in the United States has long been criticized for not providing equal opportunities to boys of color. It is no secret that Black and Latino ...
  • Black Boys in Crisis

    The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males

    Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Compared to their middle-class counterparts, it ...
  • Black Boys in CrisisDiversityEquity

    7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools

    Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It should come as no surprise that their children face the same ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...

RSS Matthew on Education Week

  • Au Revoir from Education Futures November 20, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction October 17, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools October 2, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? September 27, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention September 10, 2018 Matthew Lynch

About Us

The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of America’s P-20 system.

That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning.  The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation.

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact

The Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.