Short presentation about credit-recovery

1. Transformation of Credit Recovery Models and the Future of Online Credit Recovery in Secondary MathematicsMathematics Prepared for Online Schools and Online Schooling for K-12 Course through Teachers College at Columbia University May 1, 2011 By Gus Steppen

2. Overview This presentation will highlight some key developments in online credit-recovery programs for secondary mathematics including: Why? What is the history of the need for credit recovery? What does it look like? I have taught in NY, currently teach in RI, and did some research into what different models of credit recover look like. When? When does credit recovery typically happen and is that changing? How is credit measured? What earns “credit”? Providers? Who provides districts and individuals with these opportunities? Secondary Math? Is it easier to justify online credit recovery as a viable means to make up coursework versus other disciplines? The future? What will secondary math credit recovery programs look like in future years?

3. Credit-Recovery Programs Why Evidence Graduation Rates are low Pressure on districts/schools to increase graduation rates Alternative strategies may offer different paths for students to succeed Nearly 1/3rd fail to graduate with a diploma (Dessoff, 2009) Initiatives like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top cite the need and sense of urgency to improve graduation rates Sales in the credit-recovery line of courses created by Aventa Learning have increased 8-fold from 2008 to 2010 ( Zehr, 2010)

4. What does credit-recovery look like? In New York City, we were developing subject-specific packets and work for students to complete to recovery semesters of credit more than 3 years ago Some of the credit-recovery programs have come under scrutiny about their validity (Gootman, E. & Coutts, S., 2008) in the media and by state regulators Some initial programs were tied mostly to “seat time” and there were various and inconsistent models The southeast had been planning credit recovery programs as early as 2007 and had set goals to offer online English and and Algebra II coursework both initial and credit-recovery courses by 2010 for at least the state of South Carolina (Edmunds, J.A., & McColskey, W, 2007) Rhode Island (the state where I teach) lags behind other states in terms of general virtual learning opportunities but seems to be on track to increase opportunities for credit-recovery including online options (Morse, B, 2010)

5. Credit-Recovery Timing Typically done for Seniors near graduation. However, there is evidence of at-risk students taking advantage of these programs when they are many credits away from graduation or they have had some pattern of disciplinary problems that keep them from a traditional program. However, a program in Chicago is focusing on targeting ninth graders, particularly in Algebra I for credit-recovery earlier in their high school career so they do not fall behind or move on without being prepared skill-wise (Catalyst Chicago, 2008)

6. How is a credit measured?Seat Time…Standard Time When I was involved in a committee in NYC for credit-recovery program, there was a specific seat time requirement involved with the credit recovery and I have seen evidence of similar programs With the development of more uniform common standards between states, especially in mathematics, it seems that we could develop some more measureable criteria for what could qualify to earn a credit and how it could be measured.

7. Credit Recovery Providers For profits District Specific In this course, we identified many of the players who are leaders in virtual learning opportunities. A quick google search will provide results for many of the key online education providers. These providers are leading the way to a certain extent of what might define credit recover. The general movement seems to be that depending on the region of the country you are in, different districts develop relationships with external credit recovery programs and many develop their own.

8. Secondary math as a good example of a good discipline to implement online credit-recovery As mentioned in an earlier slide, with the general movement toward common core standards, it would seem easier to define what success looks like for different districts and different states in terms of mathematics standards. Understanding of Math should be easier to “measure” uniformly, at least in terms of common tests. However, there should be careful attention paid to using multiple data points to determine how well students know the material. As some articles point out, credit-recovery can boil down to repeated test-practice to move students toward a familiar exam which is not a true measure of mastery.

9. The Future of Credit-Recovery in Rhode Island At the time of the writing of this report, I have not been successful so far in conducting a skype interview or touching base with the person I had intended to interview. I do have plans to do so this week, so I may update this presentation. Also, my research did not provide me with many data-rich articles about successful credit recovery programs or evidence-based evaluations of credit recovery programs. However, there was one interesting proposal that was just funded by the institute for educational science that should fill in some of the gaps in the near future. A $3,000,000+ grant to study: Assessing the Efficacy of Online Credit Recovery in Algebra I for At-Risk Ninth Graders Can be retrieved at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=1115

10. Bibliography Gootman, E. & Coutts, S. "Lacking Credits, Some Students Learn a Shortcut" New York Times (2008). Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/education/11graduation.html?_r=1 Barbara C Morse, "Virtual education in Rhode Island's K-12 public schools: Current status and perceptions of administrators" (January 1, 2010). Dissertation & Theses Collection. Paper AAI3397945. http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI3397945 Zehr, M. "Districts Embracing Online Credit-Recovery Options" (2010). Available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/06/21/36credit.h29.html?tkn=XSUFoZ2OLISPfyJ2JJWyumPCim6gdIi7BqUX?&cmp=clp-edweek Catalyst Chicago, "Online Credit Recovery for 'First Time Freshmen" (2008). Retrieved from http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/RUSSO/index.php/entry/998/Online_Credit_Recovery_For_?%22First-Time%22_Freshmen Dessoff, A. "Reaching Graduation with Credit Recovery" (2009). Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2165&p=2#0 Edmunds, J.A., & McColskey, W. (2007). Levers for change: Southeast Region state initiatives to improve high schools. (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2007–No. 024). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs