Funding Credit Recovery in High School

Updated August 2024. Original guide launched July 2021.

Many high school students struggle with absenteeism and course failure, resulting in high demand for credit recovery to reach on-time graduation. School district leaders must rethink the way they approach credit recovery classes to account for these acute and widespread needs. 

Our downloadable guide shows that successful credit recovery programs provide sufficient student support, target needed competencies, and offer much-needed flexibility. The guide provides concrete examples of staffing and scheduling models that you can implement today and improve over time, and it explains how leaders can strategically invest in credit recovery in high schools for long-term change. 

What Is Credit Recovery? How Does Credit Recovery Work in High School?

When students fail a course required for graduation, they can retake the class to recover credit. These credit recovery classes can take place during or outside of the school day. 

Some high schools also offer alternative pathways to graduation with flexible approaches to credit accumulation, such as competency-based courses and out-of-classroom experiences. High school students can succeed in credit recovery if their teachers and leaders provide sufficient support, target needed competencies, and offer flexibility when scheduling programming, including offering virtual credit recovery options. 

Download Our Guide on Credit Recovery in High School to:

• Better understand credit recovery programs and how they work. 
• Find out how to strategically schedule and staff for credit recovery. 
• Explore real-world schedule examples that enable successful credit recovery. 
• Learn how you can invest in credit recovery in high school—and how to avoid common investment pitfalls. 
• Discover how to continuously improve your credit recovery strategy so that it’s effective and sustainable in the long term. 

Additional Resources and Real-World Examples of Credit Recovery:

Helping Students on the Road to Graduation: A Q&A Session on Credit Recovery with DC Public Schools.

DCPS administrators Shemia Anderson and Liz Wiemers Smith highlight how the district improved its credit recovery program by providing greater access and flexibility for students to help them get back on track to graduate, while keeping the academic rigor high.

High School Graduation Is Down. There Are No Quick Fixes.

Online credit-recovery programs are popular, but many shortchange students. Check out this piece co-written by our President and CEO Karen Hawley Miles for Education Week on how to best provide online credit recovery for high schoolers.

Designing Education Podcast: Recapturing Lost Credits.

Listen to this conversation between our President and CEO Karen Hawley Miles and Dr. Robert Balfanz, who discuss credit recovery and the challenges schools face as they try to get students back on track.