2. Credit Recovery States
Arkansas
Minnesota
California
Nevada
Florida
New Jersey
Georgia
North Dakota
Illinois
Oregon
Kentucky
Utah
Louisiana
Virginia
Maryland
West Virginia
Michigan
3. Action Research Problem
Schools spend a large amount of their budgets on credit
recovery (Summer School, Credit by Exam, and Saturday
Schools
What if students could recovery credits after the have
failed a six weeks report card?
Allow Students to understand concepts and material by
addressing it right away
Through my Action Research I want to identify a couple
items:
The difficulties and the usefulness of creating an
online credit recovery system for a grading period.
The obstacles that may prevent educators from
creating a successful recovery system
4. COMPUTER ACCESS
Do your students have a reliable computer and internet?
Can they use Microsoft Word?
Can they attach a document to an email?
Do they have an email?
Many students don’t have access to a
computer at home!
5. My Students
Do you have a computer at home?
Yes- 93% No- 7%
If Yes, Do You Have Internet?
Yes-73% No-27%
Do you know how to use Microsoft Word?
Yes-80 No-20%
Do you know how to attach a Word Document?
Yes- 61% No-39%
6. Find Access
Library
Often booked, hard to get into to.
Computer Access Lab-
Social Studies Classes have to wait for other Core classes
Computers On Wheels
Social Studies departments usually don’t have one
One on One Access
Have the students without access come in early and use your computer
7. Assignments
Take a test online
History Internet Scavenger Hunts
Udutu Lesson- With Videos
Followed By Presentation After School
Submit A Paper Online
100% Pass
Students Pass With A 70 Average
Rate
8. Easier the 2nd Time Around
Were you more comfortable completing the work the 2nd time through?
Yes- 100% No- 0%
Did you complete the work faster the 2nd time through?
Yes- 98% No- 2%
Can You Attach a Word document now?
Yes- 95% No- 5%
Is it easier for you to take the test online than in the classroom?
Yes- 89% No- 11%
Would you like other classes to do this?
Yes- 92% No- 8%
9. Educator Check List
Find a reliable source for internet access
Find time to accommodate student needs
Teach the basic skills they need to complete work
Don’t expect miracles the first time through
It gets easier the second time
10. Action Research Project
Conclusion
Successful if given enough resources to complete
Students enjoy a change of pace from the norm
Teaches computer based skills
Allows them to learn at their own pace
No classroom distractions at home
Have you ever had a student fail your class (presumably in the first semester), and had to retake it in during the summer
That student is lost for an entire semester and we address it in the summer?
Why? and at what cost to the student and your taxes.
Let me explain why an online credit recovery system would be beneficially to you and your students
Many states have adopted the credit recovery system. Florida has gotten rid of their summer school program and adopted solely the Florida Virtual School (FLV). In Texas, the have begun to develop an online learning system, but most school districts have not yet begun to adopt it.
In my school, many teachers have been resistant to this because it will affect their wallets, and even with an educational shortfall, we still have three high schools in our districts running separate summer schools.
Most teacher make $6720 for the summer school session. That figure does seem that large except that each core subject area has 5 teachers teaching. That figure jumps to $33600 per core subject.
There are four core subject areas. That figure jumps to $134400 per campus running summer school. My school district has 3 high schools. For all three high schools to operate only their core classes the figure is $403200.
Why not create an online class system to trim the budget? Even better, let's trim the number of students by creating an online recovery system after each 6 weeks!
I live near the Mexican border, in the poorest area of the country per capita, and the necessities for computers and internet come as a luxury to most students.
I found that most students have computers. Many do not have internet.
Prensky talks about the Digital Native, that students are already ahead of the game. I have not seen that yet. Many students can’t use Microsoft word in high school. Many cannot attach a document to an email.
Many of my students don’t have a personalize email. I had to set one up for them for this project.
Out of the 100 students that contributed to my study, only 68 had internet access at home.
80 could use Microsoft Word and 61% attach that document to their email.
This affected much of my project because most work was to be done at home. I had to switch it all up and find internet time for them.
The Library was often booked by the administrators.
The access labs were often reserved for the Business Careers and Internet Tech classes.
Social Studies is the stepchild of the school and we don’t have a Computers on Wheels (COW).
My classes had to barter for time with other teachers so that we could get computer time.
I treated this class as pass/fail. If the work was done, and done correctly then points weren’t deducted from their attempts. The only time points were deducted were from non completion. I figured that students that attempted the activities were going to learn something from the content. The real measure of knowledge came in the class presentation of the content (In the form of a tv news broadcast).
After the second cycle through the program I gave the students a survey on how they felt about the project. While most students felt it easier the second time through, I did have some issues with taking the test online.
11% of my students, whom many were “A” students, struggled on the online test. They preferred to take the test in class on paper.
The first step in creating a productive credit recovery system is to teach the teachers how to better reach their students through technology.  Many teachers thought that technology meant PowerPoint slides with pictures.  Technology can be Google maps incorporated with videos of a region of the world, while incorporating it into a class presentation of an area.  Teachers need to be taught how to use the gifts at their fingertips.
Second step is to create an online curriculum that engages the students on many levels.  The problem with classroom instruction is that over the years teachers become stuck in their teaching rut, unwilling to change.  This style may not be as conducive to learning as they think.  Why not take a step back and create a curriculum that is different from what they had in class.  After all, why place the same content on the web, in the same approach as the teacher.  If educators would spice up the classroom, theirs a good chance credit recover might not be necessary.
Third step is to educate the students to the basic skills of online work submission and how to use the Internet to their benefit.  Prensky calls students Digital Natives, but my research has shown that it only goes so far.  Students understand Myspace.com, but many cannot even use Microsoft Word on attach a document to an email.  Before a student reaches high school, they should be able to do most common tasks for Microsoft Office products.  I have seen first hand that assignments created by students with first hand knowledge of PowerPoint, are far more complex and engaging than those of less familiar students.  If teachers at the middle school level set a good foundation, teachers at the upper level can build and increase students’ computer skills.
Even given enough time to prep your classes and work with the classes the first time through, many schools could adopt this program in their classrooms.
Allowing the students to switch up the routine, would allow the students to become more engaged in the subject.
