What It Means
Credit recovery is a way for a high school student who failed a course required for graduation to take it again and earn the credit by completing its requirements. The U.S. Department of Education describes it as a path for students with a history of failing courses, so they don't fall further behind. Schools offer it online, in a classroom, or as a blend of the two, and often at times outside the regular school day.
Try It: Walk Through What to Do After a Failed Class
Buhata's suggestion: five steps to take when a required course is failed. Use Next and Back to move through them.
Step 1 of 5
Ask the school counselor which graduation requirement the failed course meets, and whether recovering it is needed this year.
Step 2 of 5
Ask which credit recovery options the school offers: online, blended (online work with an in-person facilitator), or a regular classroom.
Step 3 of 5
Ask how the recovered course shows on the transcript and whether the original failing grade stays in the GPA.
Step 4 of 5
Agree on a weekly schedule and who checks progress, since online courses can be done at different times.
Step 5 of 5
Put the finish date on the calendar and check in each week until the credit is recorded.
How Parents Say It
- "He's doing credit recovery for Algebra 1 this summer."
- "She needs to recover her English credit to graduate on time."
- "Is the credit recovery class online?"
The Breakdown
How schools offered it, 2014-15, per the Department of Education's 2018 issue brief
| Format | Share the brief reports |
|---|---|
| Online | 71 percent |
| Blended, online work with an in-person facilitator | 46 percent |
| In person, in a regular classroom | 42 percent |
The same brief says 89 percent of high schools offered at least one credit recovery course in 2014-15. The shares add to more than 100, so schools were counted under more than one format.
By grade (Buhata's suggestion)
| Grade | What to watch |
|---|---|
| 9th grade | A failed core class this early is worth recovering right away, before later courses build on it |
| 10th and 11th grade | Check each report cardReport card(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish. See more against the graduation requirements the counselor gives you |
| 12th grade | Ask in the fall which credits are missing, since recovery takes time to finish |
When to talk to the school. As soon as a report card shows a failing grade in a required course, ask the counselor for a meeting. If your child has an IEPIEPAn IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the written plan a public school makes for a child who qualifies for special education under IDEA. See more or a 504 plan504 planA school's plan of supports for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. See more, ask how accommodations carry into the credit recovery course.
Good to Know
Ask the school how the credit recovery course is taught and how much of the original course it covers. Graduation requirements and how a recovered grade appears on the transcript are set by your state and district, so get both answers in writing from the school. If the reason behind the failing grade was absences, Buhata's chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeismMissing so much school that it puts learning at risk, measured by the U.S. Department of Education as 10% or more of school days, excused or unexcused. See more page covers what schools count.
FAQ
What is credit recovery in high school?
A way to retake a required course a student failed and earn the credit toward graduation. Schools often offer it online, in a classroom, or as a mix.
Does credit recovery replace the failing grade?
That depends on your district's grading policy. Ask the counselor whether the new grade replaces the old one or both appear on the transcript.
How common is credit recovery?
Very common. The U.S. Department of Education reported that 89 percent of high schools offered at least one credit recovery course in the 2014-15 school year.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar, Tasks, Reminders
Add the credit recovery course's finish date to the Buhata Calendar and set a weekly Reminder to check your child's progress with them.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Report card
(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish.
- Chronic absenteeism
Missing so much school that it puts learning at risk, measured by the U.S. Department of Education as 10% or more of school days, excused or unexcused.
- Tutoring
Extra one-on-one or small-group teaching outside regular class time, to help a student catch up, keep up or get ahead in a subject.
- IEP
An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the written plan a public school makes for a child who qualifies for special education under IDEA.
- Parent portal
A school's secure website or app where parents sign in to see their child's grades, assignments, attendance and messages from the school.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education, "Issue Brief: Credit Recovery" (March 2018); National Center for Education Statistics, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, "Table M1. Percentage of 2009 9th-grade students whose 2009 school had a credit recovery program"
- www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/rschstat/eval/high-school/credit-recovery.pdf
- nces.ed.gov/surveys/hsls09/tables/credit_recovery_m1.asp
Last updated .