Credit recovery courses are for students who have taken a high school course previously, however, did not successfully complete it. This incompletion caused them to not earn credit hours towards graduation. It is an option offered to students by many public and private schools as a way for them to retake a course, and upon successful completion, “recover” the hours not earned the first time through. Credit recovery courses are typically shorter in duration than the traditional course since the student has sat through the course already and needs to prove mastery of topics not previously learned. A student must take a final exam at the end of the credit recovery course, and if an End of Course Test is required by the State of Georgia Department of Education in that subject, the student must take the applicable EOCT even if he/she passed it previously.
There are many options for students regarding how and where they can “recover” the course hours not yet earned. Online courses are available through various schools, school systems, and the Georgia Department of Education, however, the online environment for learning is not ideal for some students. Other options include students enrolling in an accredited private school or educational center to be retaught the material not mastered during the regular course of study. Some of these private educational schools and centers teach students in-person with an instructor and in a structured setting, while others provide students with a packet of work to be completed by the student at home with associated deadlines for completion for each assignment. A final exam is administered at the end of all credit recovery courses.
For parents who are looking at a credit recovery course for their student, they need to consider their student’s previous course grade, style of learning, level of discipline, the best mode of instruction for their student, and the time frame in which the student must recover the course credit hours. If the student has earned less than 60% the first time through a course, his/her school will likely not allow the student to take a credit recovery course, rather require an entire course be taken again after school hours, during the summer, or in an evening course. If a student learns best in a traditional class setting or lacks good study habits, educational priority, or personal discipline, an in-person credit recovery course is best. If a student cannot learn at a rapid rate, it is best to select a credit recovery course that allows for more time than not for the student to master the topics presented. I do not recommend online math and math-related science courses for students for credit recovery or for an accredited course of study since math is a skill subject and sequentially learned. These courses are best taken in an educational setting with a teacher and student working in-person together.
The fees for credit recovery courses vary and are typically based on the amount of instructional time, length of the course, and fees for technology use and/or textbooks. For more information on credit recovery courses in your community, search for accredited private schools, public schools or tutorial and test prep centers like mine at Total Learning Concepts. Be certain to check with your student’s school before registering for any credit recovery course to gain prior approval for the accredited school or center you have selected for your student. Most students’ schools have a “school plus” form for you to complete and for the counselor’s signature which you will present to your choice provider of credit recovery course work.
