Credit Retrieval
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Grades in Credit Retrieval should be limited to D's and C's.  B's, and possibly A's should only be available for extraordinary circumstances.

Students struggling in a conventional semester class may simply stop working in order to get an easy A or B in credit retrieval.  This would be a reasonable decision for a student.  To act otherwise would be foolish.

If a student is in credit retrieval because of illness or one-time circumstances and was earning a B or an A before coursework was interrupted, then adjustments in grading can be made.

Of course, grades are the professional choice of the instructors involved, but a simple statement of suggested policy would be readily understood.  Furthermore, conventional teachers would not appreciate easy A's in Credit Retrieval.  This will also regulate grading behavior of teachers.

Finally, this is a unresolved problem for summer school.  Higher performing students can get easy A's or B's because the courses are geared toward underperformers.  If the courses aren't, then many students may likely fail again, which would seemingly suggest that dropping out of school is a wise decision for them.

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Math courses are the easiest to implement in credit retrieval, because of the need for accelerated learning.

Two pieces of software are appropriate:  iPass and ALEKS.  iPass is best for basic mastery through 7th grade math and ALEKS is perfect for 7th Grade math through Pre-Calculus.  These products are available as general licenses at $40 per year per license, not student.

Students earn 10 credits, when the online course is completed, or if taking the first semester only, a percentage, such as 60%.  If a student needs partial credits in the second semester of a course, then the course should normally still be completed.  This can be an issue, but if the student intends to take more math, then this rule needs to be followed for competency concerns.

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Students in concurrent enrollment, taking a credit retrieval course, who have not already taken the course, should not be rewarded with grades better than a C.  See Credit Retrieval.

Students in a Concurrent Enrollment course who haven't taken the course previously pose a risk to summer school student morale and comprehensive high school student and teacher morale.

The impact of Concurrent Enrollment on Summer School will generate concerns and policies that will be violated.  The temptation to help students  is too strong.  For example, if students can travel overseas during the summer, shouldn't the district accomodate them?  It will be hard to say no.  Of course, poorer students who don't travel get to sit five hours a day. Equity suffers; especially since summer school policy is so strict on attendance.  Vacations are not allowed!

The way around this is to treat Concurrent Enrollment as a Monte Vista Academy class, not as a credit retrieval class.  For example, Carnegie Learning's online software would be more appropriate than ALEKS because of its richness for a math course.

Monte Vista Academy, the honors section of Monte Vista High School, would strive to offer a-g courses, many of which would be online.  UCCP offers the appropriate coursework.  These courses are more challenging than credit retrieval courses.