Resources for Louisiana Educators to Support Effective Credit Recovery Programs
Resources for Louisiana Educators to Support Effective Credit Recovery Programs
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) has experienced success with its increased cohort graduation rate over the past several years thanks to efforts made by LA educators, including the Jobs For America’s Graduates (JAG) program, improved counseling, and improved data reporting. Now, in response to new requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the LDE aims to keep that momentum going with a goal of raising the statewide four-year graduation rate for all students and subgroups from where it currently stands at 90% by 2025. Additionally, the LDE is placing increased focus on high school students achieving proficiency in core subjects to support college and career readiness.
For Louisiana educators to successfully achieve these goals, creating effective and flexible credit recovery programs will become even more critical. These programs can exist in many different settings, including traditional high schools to help students graduate on time with their cohort, at the middle school level to bridge learning gaps as students prepare for high school, or at alternative schools to provide more flexible options for nontraditional learners. Leveraging online programs for these varied initiatives can help Louisiana educators view data faster, manage students and courses more efficiently, and save valuable time.
To help you get started, we’ve rounded up the information you need to know about credit recovery in Louisiana, as well as some of our most helpful credit recovery resources and details on Edmentum’s online curriculum programs, Courseware and EdOptions Academy.
Louisiana State Initiatives to Support Graduation Rates and Credit Recovery
Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)
This nationwide program is the largest dropout prevention and recovery program serving students from the age of 12-21. JAG-LA is an affiliate of the national program which promotes academic and skills attainment, civic responsibility, leadership development and social awareness that is necessary to becoming a responsible citizen and productive worker. JAG-LA supports Jump Start through curriculum, mentoring, and work-based learning.
Jump Start is Louisiana’s innovative career and technical education (CTE) program which prepares students to lead a productive adult life. Students in this program are required to attain industry-valued credentials in order to graduate with a Career Diploma. Schools receive the same accountability grade credit for preparing students for careers as they do for students achieving top academic honors.
Organizing, Planning, and Maintaining a Credit Recovery Program
Credit Recovery Program Planning Guide
This guide has been developed to help you evaluate the type of credit recovery program you are looking to offer, the students you are looking to serve, and the instruction and staffing that will be needed for a successful program implementation.
This workbook is helpful to use as you plan for a successful credit recovery program, whether your district is thinking about implementing a credit recovery program for the first time or looking to evaluate an already existing program. It will help you think critically about topics that affect the success of a program, such as needs analysis, curriculum evaluation criteria, defined evaluation plans, and much more.
[Best Practices] Implementing a Courseware Credit Recovery Program
In part 1 of our three-part credit recovery series, the Edmentum Professional Services team shares best practices on implementing credit recovery programs based on experience over the years partnering with countless districts. This blog post will help you think about topics such as the credit recovery selection process, logistics, and resources for educators who are hoping to implement or revamp a credit recovery program.
[Best Practices] Keeping Your Online Credit Recovery Program on Track
In part 2 of our three-part credit recovery series, the Edmentum Professional Services team discusses best practices on how to keep your credit recovery program on track. This blog post offers tips surrounding online program setup, progress monitoring, student collaboration, and student portfolios.
[Best Practices] Ongoing Credit Recovery Program Management
In part 3 of our three-part credit recovery series, the Edmentum Professional Services team examines the last step of credit recovery programs. After implementation is complete and your credit recovery program is on track, the next thing to think about is credit recovery program management. This blog post suggests best practices regarding progress and improvement reflection, educator group meeting topics, and customization options to successfully manage your credit recovery intervention program.
[Webinar] Implementing Minimesters for Credit Recovery
Watch this recorded webinar to learn about how schools and districts are leveraging virtual courses to offer “minimesters” where students can recover missing credits in a short period of time. And, with flexible, cost-effective, monthly, subscription-based courses from EdOptions Academy, you can implement this credit recovery model for as little as $80 per student.
Credit Recovery Quick Reads
How Online Courses Can Help Achieve Graduation Goals
Online learning, in standard classrooms as well as credit recovery programs, is not about finding an “easier” alternative to traditional courses; it’s about engaging different learning modalities, uncovering genuine interests, monitoring progress, tailoring pace, developing useful real-world skills, and achieving the ultimate goal of a high school diploma. For more blog posts like this, check out our collection of credit recovery blog posts.
5 Best Practices for Flexible Credit Recovery
All students have their own learning style—and the physical environment they are able to conduct their learning in can have a big impact on their success. For some students (very frequently, those who are at-risk or have fallen behind in credits), the traditional classroom is not the right fit. So, when designing your credit recovery program, consider offering students flexibility in regard to where and when they can complete their assignments.
Quick Tips for All Credit Recovery Stakeholders
This blog post provides credit recovery tips to the three categories of stakeholders most invested in these sorts of educational programs: administrators, instructors, and students.
Credit Recovery in Action
[Video] Expanding Digital Learning Opportunities in Akron, Ohio
Akron Public Schools’ digital learning coordinator, Marcie Ebright, shares how the district used Edmentum courses to expand its course catalog offerings and retain students who would have otherwise left the district in favor of online charter schools. The district reached the decision to partner with Edmentum based on positive feedback from teachers, interactivity from students, and the ease of students to follow Courseware.
Providing a Roadmap to Graduation and Beyond in Burlington, IL
Every student has unique learning needs, and no one knows how to address those needs better than teachers. So, when Central High School in Burlington, Illinois, wanted to employ a blended learning solution in its new credit recovery program, the ability to customize course content was at the top of its list of requirements, and it led the school to Edmentum’s solutions.
“What I’ve seen and what’s really, really exciting is that kids enter the [credit recovery] program not thinking of themselves as students and leaving with the goal of: ‘I’m going to attend college.’”
– Gillian Lachanski, Central Academy Coordinator
[Video] How Mentors Helped Facilitate an Engaging Environment in Akron, Ohio
Akron Public Schools’ online program mentor, Kelly Ford, provides an overview of how she is able to mentor, challenge, and support students taking online courses in a classroom setting.
[Video] Finding Solutions to Tough Challenges: The Nationwide Teacher Shortage
This video discusses why teacher shortages are occurring and how some states are tackling the issue head-on by thinking outside of the box. Learn how districts can ease the burden of their teachers, who are inevitably overwhelmed by teacher shortages, by partnering with Edmentum for first-time credit and credit recovery needs.
In this on-demand webinar, learn how EdOptions Academy, Edmentum’s fully accredited virtual school, can make a difference in your summer school program. Delve into how districts can expand their course offerings to meet a range of students' academic needs, including credit recovery, acceleration, and remediation.
Becoming a Beacon for the Community in Roselle, NJ
By offering students options of recovering missing credits and building relationships on a personal level, Abraham Clark High School has turned itself into a community beacon for what is possible through education. Learn how the school has implemented flexible, nontraditional credit recovery options to meet the needs of more students.
“We attribute the rise in our graduation rate from the monitor of students’ performance from the time they begin as 9th graders at our institution and the offerings of [Edmentum] courses that allows our students to make up or earn additional credits that would [lead] to on-track graduating credits.”
– Rashon Mickens, Principal, Abraham Clark High School
To learn about more effective credit recovery programs in action, check out these success stories!
Edmentum’s Credit Recovery Offerings
The Edmentum course catalog showcases the rigorous and engaging courses we offer for Louisiana students. Filter by state, subject category library, and grade level to find a course that resonates with your students’ needs. In need of a Louisiana–certified virtual teacher? EdOptions Academy can step in to provide a teacher of record. Courseware and EdOptions Academy provide the same research-based digital curriculum. With EdOptions Academy, however, that curriculum is paired with our highly trained, state-certified virtual teachers. Courses that are only offered through EdOptions Academy will be marked as such in parentheses next to the course names.
Edmentum's Credit Recovery Offerings
Learn more about how you can meet your students’ credit recovery and unit recovery needs with Edmentum in an engaging and attainable format. With the help of our courses, you’ll be able to:
- Identify unit and credit recovery needs
- Deliver high-quality, individualized instruction
- Monitor progress frequently
- Make data-driven adjustments
Credit Recovery with Courseware and EdOptions Academy
This brochure explains how Courseware and EdOptions Academy provide proven, effective credit recovery solutions to school districts. We offer a credit recovery learning solution that is ideal for:
- At-risk students
- Summer school
- Remediation
- Alternative school
Want to learn more about how Edmentum programs can support Louisiana educators and other LDE initiatives? Check out our Louisiana blog!
