Hartford Public Schools Adds Blended Credit Recovery Program
As part of a new initiative to bolster high school graduation rates, Hartford Public Schools has launched a new grant-funded blended learning credit recovery program.
The program is an extension of an existing initiative for at-risk students called "Choosing to Succeed High School Graduation Initiative," and was developed through a partnership with Apex Learning, an online course provider. Credit recovery classes at Hartford are designed to be smaller than others at the district, with no more than 20 students, to enable more 1-to-1 learning.
More than $13 million in grant funds from the US Department of Education helped pay for the so-called Student Success Centers, where classes are held. Last year, 80.4 percent of the seniors participating in the program earned their diploma.
"Our credit recovery blended learning program has proven to be a tremendous asset to the goals of the district," said Sonia Dinnall, the executive director of college and career readiness at the district, in a statement. "Students who may have left high school prior to completion are now graduates with a brighter future. Academic rigor coupled with flexibility is key to the success of at risk students."
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Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.