Portland, Ore. (June 30, 2008) – As schools face the challenges of improving student achievement on high-stakes tests and reducing dropout rates, particularly when state and federal officials are considering changes to the way graduation rates are calculated, online credit recovery programs are a means to help all students succeed. Aventa Learning, a leading provider of online curriculum and instruction for schools and districts, has significantly expanded its online credit recovery program for high school schools to address the needs of at-risk students and English Language Learners.

Aventa Learning Credit Recovery provides schools with a robust online credit recovery program that adapts to students’ learning needs, supports English language learners, and provides schools with flexible implementation options to help all students reach their full potential. Credit recovery is designed for students who fail required courses and must make up credits needed for graduation.

According to numerous published reports, approximately one-third of high school students – and nearly half of Hispanic students – do not graduate on time. Dropping out of school is correlated to a number of negative social and economic outcomes, including unemployment, low income levels, poor health, and incarceration. School leaders are looking for ways to support all students and improve graduation rates.

Denver Public Schools’ Online High School used Aventa’s online credit recovery program in the 2007-2008 school year, and is expanding the program for summer school and the coming school year to reach more than double the students it had previously. Mike Clem, social studies teacher and advisor for the Denver Online High School, stated:

“We selected Aventa’s program because it is tailored to fit our needs, and aligns with the district’s mission to offer standards-based curriculum and instruction. The program also individualizes instruction, allowing students to proceed at their own pace and work only on their areas of need. Our goal for the program is to improve graduation rates and keep students on track to complete high school in the expected four-year timeframe, or we risk losing the students who fall behind. Once students fall behind, they don’t see how they can catch up; they become frustrated when they don’t experience much success and drop out. The online credit recovery program helps us overcome this situation.”

Aventa Learning Credit Recovery offers flexible implementation options to meet the varying needs of schools, minimizing staffing and facility costs while offering an enriching learning environment for students. Schools can opt for different levels of online teacher support, ELL support, and testing and reinforcement of standards mastery.

The online courses provided through Aventa’s credit recovery program offer a media-rich curriculum with engaging graphics, animation, sound and video, and interactivity to foster comprehension and accommodate multiple learning styles. More than 20 courses in six subjects areas are available through the program.

Since students’ knowledge and skills vary greatly, Aventa’s program uses a diagnostic approach to teaching and learning. Formative and summative assessments are conducted throughout the course to establish a student’s strengths and weaknesses, and to validate standards mastery. Lessons and course materials are organized based on student performance on diagnostic tests. Course content is delivered on-demand so students can proceed at their own pace.

Another benefit of the program is the support provided to ELL students to ensure their academic success. Some of the instructional strategies and technologies incorporated in the program that are designed for ELL students include:

• Use of non-linguistic representations (timelines, word webs, cause-effect diagrams, physical models, manipulatives, etc.)

• Pre-teaching of vocabulary to increase comprehension of new material

• Use of cloze activities that provide repetition with support gradually removed

• Access of activities in drag and drop graphic format

• Use of graphic organizers that students manipulate to complete activities

These enhancements were designed leveraging the expertise of Aventa’s ELL Advisory Council, including Damon Hands, assistant principal at Ball Junior High in North Orange County, Calif. who is responsible for administering the school’s ELL program, and Cameron Kistemann, an ELL teacher at McClintock High School in Tempe, Ariz.

More Information

For more information about the Aventa Learning Credit Recovery Program, go to www.aventalearning.com. Watch an online video at www.aventalearning.net/CreditRecovery/cr video.html for an overview of the program. Pricing starts at $1,400 for 10 seat licenses. Training packages for online teachers and student mentors are also available.

About Aventa Learning

Aventa Learning is a leading provider of online curriculum and instruction for schools and districts. The company offers one of the largest catalogs of online courses, including core curriculum, electives, foreign language, and Advanced Placement for middle school, high school and credit recovery. More than 1,000 virtual schools, charter schools, school districts, and state education departments across the United States rely on Aventa to offer expanded educational opportunities to their students, help at-risk students succeed, and accommodate students’ unique scheduling needs, without adding staff or classrooms.

About KC Distance Learning

Headquartered in Portland, Ore., KC Distance Learning (KCDL) is a leading provider of online and distance learning programs for the K-12 education market through its company brands: Keystone National Middle School, Keystone National High School, Aventa Learning, and iQ Academies. Over its 30-year history, KCDL has enriched the lives of more than 200,000 students, helping them reach their individual learning goals. KCDL offers online curriculum and instruction for middle school and high school students directly to families, including core, honors, foreign language, and Advanced Placement courses. KCDL also provides to educational institutions and agencies a complete credit recovery program, middle and high school courses that augment existing school curriculum, and comprehensive virtual school solutions. KCDL also partners with public school districts to offer a public, statewide tuition-free online education for students in grades 6-12 who want an alternative to a traditional school.

Contacts

KC Distance Learning
Pamela Kislak
503-731-5404
pkislak at klcorp dot com
www.kcdistancelearning.com

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Charlene Blohm
608-839-9800
charlene at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com

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