Credit recovery enrollment rose 13% since 2017, raising questions about graduation rigor
By Lily Altavena:
High school credit recovery has long been a controversial stop on the way to graduation for some of America’s struggling students. Champions of these programs say they help vulnerable students graduate when they otherwise wouldn’t, and some superintendents say they’re an important tool. But while the programs may help more students cross the finish line, skeptics say they also allow students to skate through while accomplishing little academically.
The number of students enrolled in credit recovery courses increased by 13% following the pandemic, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of federal data comparing the 2017-18 and 2023-24 school years, the most recent data available. The 2017-18 data reflects the closest collection taken prior to the 2020 COVID-19 school shutdowns.
In North Carolina, the number of students enrolled increased by 173%, from 16,882 to 46,133 in the 2023-24 school year. In Maryland, enrollment increased by 75%.
Here is a 2024 ESTIMATE of the Wisconsin high schools with the most students taking credit recovery to graduate.
Most, but not all, are alternative schools. And were ~20% of virtual high-school students using it for credit recovery?
