Online courses for credit recovery in high schools: Effectiveness and promising practices
Prepared for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation
April 2017
Two important trends in American high school education are providing new opportunities for underserved students to access a high school diploma. Over the past decade, credit acceleration and recovery programs have become increasingly popular as schools seek ways to help struggling students catch up and graduate. Second, online learning has quickly gained traction as an alternate means of instructional delivery for high school students. Online credit recovery represents the convergence of these two innovations, offering flexible learning options for students with diverse learning needs.
How effective is online credit recovery at increasing student engagement and achievement? This study examines 24 Massachusetts high schools that developed credit recovery programs, and provides insights and best practices for teachers and districts looking to implement them.
