A Guidance Counselor’s Guide to Credit Recovery

Posted by Laura Amendola on August 28, 2024

Credit recovery is an educational strategy that allows students who have failed or missed a course to retake and earn credit for it, enabling them to stay on track for graduation. It’s designed to help students who have fallen behind in their coursework due to various reasons—such as academic struggles, personal issues, or absenteeism—by giving them an opportunity to complete their education without having to repeat an entire grade.

 

Credit recovery programs often offer flexible learning options, including online courses and self-paced modules, allowing students to work at their own pace and focus on areas where they need improvement. These programs can be essential for helping students catch up with their peers, meet graduation requirements, and avoid the consequences of failing a course, such as delaying graduation or dropping out of school altogether.

 

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Students who are short on the credits they need to graduate may struggle to stay motivated to finish their high school education. A credit recovery program can give them the opportunity to earn their missing credits without setting them behind on their educational journey. Students can make up their credits during the summer months or even during the school year outside of traditional school hours. A program like Penn Foster’s is online and self-paced and therefore provides them the flexibility they may need to stay motivated.

 

When completing credit recovery through an online program, students can earn the credits they need without extra attention or potential ridicule from their peers. Success is within reach when students have the right access to education.

 

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When your school partners with a credit recovery program, the benefits are clear. You could find your school’s graduation rate improves with this added opportunity for struggling students to complete and pass their courses. It also can help open up teachers’ time to focus on lesson plans and grading rather than makeup work.

 

Penn Foster’s program is fully accredited, ensuring your school continues to meet educational standards when outsourcing credit recovery for your students. Creating a partnership can be a win-win!

 

Read more: How to Set up Online High School Classes: A Checklist for Guidance Counselors & Schools

 

For parents, it can be hard to see their children struggling in school. Credit recovery can give them peace of mind. They want their students to succeed, and this is a way schools can help their children do that. Online credit recovery programs can be an affordable option for parents as well, and sometimes the school may even take on the cost.

 

"Sometimes the school will pay the tuition for a credit recovery course for a student,” says Cathy Breymeier, High School Course Sales manager at Penn Foster Group. “There are different reasons why a school would pay versus having the parent pay the tuition. For instance, a school might pay in situations where they have a faculty shortage, and we can help fill that gap for them.”

 

Read more: Can Online High School Impact High School Dropout Rates?

 

Many students simply struggle with certain subjects or coursework, and that’s a common reason why they may need and benefit from credit recovery. This is of course not the only reason, though. Cathy shares, "We do have situations come up where a student is taking a year off from high school because of an illness or a bullying situation, and we can put together the courses that the student would need so that when they return back to school they're at the proper grade level."

 

It’s important to note, however, that the student and school are responsible for choosing the courses the student will take. "We work with the schools to put that list together,” Cathy explains. “We never assume or choose the credits that the student needs ourselves. We always want to make sure that whatever courses we're putting the student in is lining up with the school's requirements."

 

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With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why you should partner with an online credit recovery program. Penn Foster works with guidance counselors to help students open the door to success. To learn more about partnerships and get your school on its way to credit recovery success, reach out to our training experts!