Running Head: THE IMPACT OF CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAMS 1

The Impact of Credit Recovery Programs on High School Education

Jon Wilson

University of West Georgia

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Trotter, A. (2008). Online options for credit recovery widen. Education Week, 27. Retrieved from

http://www.apexlearning.com/info/EdWeek_CreditRecovery.05.08.pdf

In Trotters look at online credit recovery programs, he provides a broad overview of the

topic and the impact it is currently having public education, particularly in the state of Florida

which has developed an online educational program known as the Florida Virtual School for

grades 6 through 12. In his work, Trotter examines the reasons students enroll and participate in

credit recovery programs as well as the volume of students who engage in education through

these types of offerings.

The first issue that is tackled is the reason why students find themselves in credit

recovery courses in high school. From interviews conducted with Cindy Lohan, the eSolutions

manager for the Florida Virtual School, the papers states that 17 percent of students enrolled in

the states online educational format are participating in order to achieve grade forgiveness. This

means that they are trying to gain credit for courses they previously failed in order to graduate

from high school within their expected four years. However, the 17 percent statistic may be low

as the research used self-reporting which is not always the most dependable method for

information gathering, particularly when addressing high school aged students. With enrollment

in the Florida Virtual School expected to hit the 100,000 student mark within a year of the

publication, the number of students participating in credit recovery programs is likely to continue

to grow. Trotter notes that there is no national data on the amount of students who participate in

credit recovery education formats, but if 17 percent of the 100,000 students enrolled in the

Florida Virtual School are enrolled in credit recovery programs, that total would see 17,000

students alone participating. Combine that total with students from traditional public school

settings in the state and the number is likely to be significantly higher.

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While Trotters work and research provide a general overview of credit recovery

programs in Florida as well as the virtual learning opportunities those students have access to,

there are several instances in which clearer data could have been gathered and more detailed

conclusions could have been drawn. To gather information regarding the amount of students

participating in credit recovery, the researcher used a self-reporting methodology. Self-reporting

is generally one of the more unreliable ways to gather information as questionnaires are at times

not returned, filled out properly, or provide accurate information. In addition, Trotter relied on

interviews with those who head up the programs. While this provides necessary information

regarding the format and overall data, interviews with actual program participants would help

provide a better understanding of the effectiveness in helping students understand the content and

learn the information.

Overall, the research conducted in this study provided a needed general overview of

credit recovery programs in the state of Florida with statistical data on the amount of students

enrolled in the public virtual school of the state. While lacking in some areas, it does provide

some background into the growth of these types of programs and where credit recovery courses

may be headed next.

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Dessof, A, (2009). Reaching graduation with credit recovery. Retrieved from

http://www.apexlearning.com/info/Reaching%20Graduation%20with%20Credit%20Recovery

%2010-1-09.pdf

The method in which credit recovery programs are delivered to students is the main focus

of Dessofs research from 2009. While the intent of the credit recovery classes are the same (to

help students earn credit for classes they have failed or missed due to expulsion or incarceration),

Dessof explores three different ways in which the courses can be delivered to students from

different locations around the United States. While exploring these concepts of delivery, Dessof

also looks at the impact credit recovery has on student dropout rates and what credit recovery

classes are doing to help encourage students to stay enrolled and earn their high school diploma.

Dessof notes that 1.2 million students drop out of high school every year in this country.

That is an average of 7000 students per day choosing to end their high school careers without

obtaining graduation. In addition, nearly one-third of high school students fail to earn their

diploma. With these startling numbers, an increase in credit recovery programs has begun to

make a push to keep students in school and complete their courses. Dessof examines the

differences in face-to-face programs, fully online programs, as well as blended programs for

students attempting to recover from previously lost credit.

In looking at face-to-face programs, Dessof examined the Jackson School District from

the state of Michigan. Through conducting interviews with district administration such as the

Superintendent, Dessof notes that for students with major disciplinary issues it has been found

that using face-to-face interaction for credit recovery programs provides more structure and help.

Through the use of an after-school program, the Jackson School District utilizes the Michigan

Virtual School in order for students to receive credit. They spend the first half of the time with a
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certified teacher who delivers instructions before going to a lab to complete the course work.

With the fully online programs, Dessof explored the Florida Virtual School and its settings.

While the entire format is online, with students completing the courses at their own pace over the

course of an 18 week semester, teachers are available by phone and e-mail to help students in

areas they are struggling. Again relying heavily on interviews with administration, Dessof notes

that the highly interactive format of the courses, with students participating in mini-games for

assignments with little reading, make it functional and engaging for students, encouraging them

to be active participants. The final type of course format explored is blended, with the focus

being on the Omaha Public School System in Nebraska. With more heavy alliance on interviews,

Dessof notes that Omaha builds its own online credit recovery curriculum for students who work

in labs during designated times with the aid of teachers who facilitate and monitor the learning.

While Dessofs work provides a clear overview of the different types of credit recovery

programs, it does lack severely in a few areas. One major issue is he only uses one form of

methodology in gathering information, and that is through interviews. In addition, he only

interviews district administrators and not students who are actually participating. Also, by only

using interviews there is no hard statistical data on the rate at which credit recovery programs are

successful or to what extent they are helping to lower dropout rates, as the title of the article

suggests. While the article does provide necessary information as to the different formats credit

recovery programs can take as well as how those formats function, it severely lacks in data and

clarity of conclusions.
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Gorder, L. M. (2008). A study of teacher perceptions of instructional technology integration in

the classroom. Delta Pi Epsilon, 50. Retrieved from

http://mollymckee.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/A%20Study%20of%20Teacher%20Perceptions

%20of%20Instructional%20Technology%20Integration%20in%20the

%20Classroom.pdf/346803186/A%20Study%20of%20Teacher%20Perceptions%20of

%20Instructional%20Technology%20Integration%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf

The current trend in credit recovery programs in schools today is to use some form of an

online format. With that in mind, the integration of technology into modern day classroom

settings has been a major focus of research to see the extent to which teachers are embracing the

notion of engaging students through the use of technology. Gorder tackled the issue of teacher

perceptions of integrating technology into classroom instructional practices in order to see if

there is a relation between certain teacher characteristics such as gender, age, experience,

content, etc. and the level to which teachers integrate technology into their lessons.

In order to conduct the study, Gorder focused on teachers in South Dakota who attended

the Advanced Technology for Teaching and Learning Academy and taught K-12. This came to

approximately 300 teachers who were distributed the survey, of which 174 returned it completed.

Upon receiving the data, Gorder used the Technology Integration Matrix in order to analyze that

information and draw conclusions to her study. The matrix consisted of two questions. The first

question determined how teachers integrate technology into their classroom as well as how they

utilize it. This information was gathered using a 35 question survey distributed to the teachers.

The second question looked at a comparison of teachers age, gender, teaching experience, grade

level, content are, and educational level.

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The findings Gorder concluded with were very interesting as the research concluded that

technology was used by teachers for professional purposes and the facilitations and delivery of

instruction, but it was not being integrated effectively into teaching and learning. When looking

at the information regarding characteristics, Gorder found that there was no statistically

significant difference in how technology was integrated in the classroom. Demographic and

personal characteristics had no real bearing according to the study. However, there was a

difference in the grade-level use of technology. Secondary teachers in grades 9-12 were found to

use and integrate technology more than teachers at the elementary and middle school levels.

The research done by Gorder was very detailed and provided a helpful look at the

integration of technology in the classroom and the characteristics that contribute to its use. This

is beneficial when looking at credit recovery programs as most of these programs are delivered

through online formats and require the integration of technology into the learning environment.

A weakness of the study was the sole use of surveys for the research gathering. Teachers can

overstate their use of technology in the classroom in an effort to make themselves looks better

and more progressive. It would have been beneficial for in class observations to be done in order

to see the extent of technology integration. In addition, a comparison of student success and

achievement between classroom which integrated technology and those that do not would have

been helpful to see what type of impact these tools are having in the classroom. Overall, the

research was certainly beneficial and provided a better insight into how teachers are beginning to

operate with new forms of technology at their disposal.

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Gingerich, D. (2003). Does technology increase student learning? Research for Better Schools,

7. Retrieved from http://videoserver.atlanticava.org/aboutus/currents_0701.pdf

In her study, Gingerich searches to find what, if any, impact technology has in the

classroom on student achievement and learning. In order to draw her conclusions the author of

the article combs through previous studies, of which there have been many, to paint a picture of

how instructional technology impacts education. This is relevant to credit recovery programs as

many such programs rely heavily on the integration of technology into the classroom with online

formats dominating the landscape.

The primary method used by Gingerich to search for conclusions in her research was by

collecting and organizing data from previous studies of the topic and compare them in order to

draw inferences. Through the analyzation of five different studies on the topics from various

researchers across the country, Gingerich concluded that her meta-analysis study of previous

research revealed that technology does produce a small but positive effect on students and their

achievement level in the classroom. This falls in line with what most school districts state as they

push new technological classroom efforts in order to further advance student achievement.

However, Gingerich was not able to provide a strong positive correlation which so many have

searched for. Credit recovery programs today, whether they be face-to-face, blended, or fully

online rely heavily on new modes of technology through online formats and virtual schools in

states such as Florida and Michigan.

While Gingerichs study provides a general overview of previous research and attempts

to find a correlation between them, it does lack in the fact that the researcher does not provide

statistical data of her own or a more thorough methodology to which clearer inferences could be

drawn. It is useful research in the fact that she is able to conclude that one of the driving factors
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to effective use and integration of technology in classrooms is the educators ability to learn and

use various modes of technology. This demonstrates a need for professional development for

staffs as newer and newer innovations make their debut and find their way into the classroom.

This is relevant to credit recovery as programs retool and redesign their online curriculum for

recovery programs to engage students in various differentiated forms. It is necessary for teachers

to go through training and professional development for credit recovery programs so they may

act as a facilitator in a technology based, student-centered learning environment.

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10

Roblyer, M.D. (2006). Virtually successful: defeating the dropout problem through online school

programs. Phi Delta Kappan, 88. Retrieved from

http://www.pdkmembers.org/members_online/publications/Archive/pdf/k0609ro1.pdf

In her article pertaining to online school programs, Roblyer explored the relationship

between online, digital learning formats and how they combat the issue of dropouts in the

American school system. Rather than exploring only online credit recovery programs, Robyler

explored virtual schools and their success rates among high school students pursuing their

diplomas through this alternative format. The goal of the study was to see a correlation between

virtual school programs and a decreased dropout rate.

Robyler first noted that there is a high failure or dropout rate associated with some virtual

schools and online programs around the country. It was reported in the study that some programs

see dropout and failure rates of up to 60%-70%, which would be considered a largely

astronomical percentage in any realm. This can be due to a number of factors, the largest of

which involves the type of students enrolled. Online programs whose enrollment consisted of

largely Advanced Placement (AP) students saw significantly lower dropout and failure rates than

that of programs that were made up mostly of credit recovery students. This does not necessarily

reflect well on the effectiveness of credit recovery programs in relation to traditional classroom

settings. However, credit recovery programs are geared towards students who are attempting

regain credits lost due to previous failures in traditional settings. Another possible explanation of

high failure rates comes from the time that the programs were surveyed. If surveys were

conducted during summer months, credit recovery programs are at maximum capacity with

students trying to graduate over the summer or trying to get back on track for the next year.
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While some programs do experience high failure rates, there are a significant number of

successful virtual education programs that helps students either get ahead in their studies or catch

up in recovering lost credits. Roblyers study credited five elements to this success. First, she

found through interviews of five successful state virtual schools that these programs help prepare

students for success through the use of rigorous content and highly qualified teachers who act as

facilitators and guides. In addition, the programs prepared teachers for success by introducing

them to new forms of technology for the classroom and training them in its proper uses. Thirdly,

the use of interactive and flexible course design which permits students to work at their own pace

through the content and complete the activities in their own time. The material is engaging

enough that students must be active participants in the course rather than just bystanders or

spectators. Also, these programs encourage the support of teachers and students as both must be

active in the digital format, asking and answering questions as well as preparing material for

effective use in the classroom.

Overall, Roblyers study is useful in providing background information as to what makes

the digital learning format that is the backbone of online credit recovery programs useful as well

as ineffective at times. However, her methodology is not always clear. It is apparent that she

relied on some interviews from administrative personnel in various virtual schools from around

the country. However, much of her data came from previous studies instead of original research

and did not provide as much insight into the conclusion on the relationship between online

digital education formats and dropout rates. Overall, the study provided solid information as to

the reasons for success and failures of online education but did not provide the hard statistical

data to support any correlation between internet based learning and dropout rates.