“I have been with adult education for a month. I have seen the students working at their own pace, feeling comfortable and not under much pressure. They don't have to worry about all the other things that come along with high school. It's just them and the computer.”
“For my ninth grade students desiring remediation in an alternative environment, NovaNET is the most efficient, educational tool we currently have available. If the student was unable to positively respond to conventional classroom instruction the first time, it makes little sense to merely repeat the same educational process the next year hoping for a totally different result. This year I have been able to witness academic progress— even from student’ having a bad day— because they are able to work individually on a one-on-one basis with the computer. In a conventional setting many of these students would not have been able to resolve their attitude issues in order to deal effectively with their aptitude issues. I do believe it may represent the last saving educational experience for many of our potential dropout students who have demonstrated an inability to function in a less structured classroom setting.”
“For us, NovaNET is essential… As a small alternative school we are limited, due to the size of our staff, in the variety of courses we are able to offer. NovaNET allows us to supplement our regular course offerings so that we can accommodate more students. In addition, since my students have behavior challenges, I have been able to remove them from the regular classroom if there is a problem and enroll them in the same NovaNET course, thus still allowing them the opportunity to earn this credit.” |
 Clover School District Clover, South Carolina
Clover High School faced several challenges with their credit recovery and summer school programs. The top priorities for the school were identifying at-risk students and potential dropouts, removing barriers to learning and increasing the graduation rate. The school needed to reach students before they dropped out. Another challenge was to close the achievement gap between students.
Clover High School implemented Pearson Digital Learning’s NovaNET® system in 2003. The system was funded by the District Board of Education, state funding, and school funding raised through revenues. Last year approximately 267 students utilized NovaNET, and the number is continually rising. All workstations utilize the Windows platform.
NovaNET has allowed students at Clover High School to work at their own pace, avoid the pressure of normal classrooms, feel more successful, and recover and gain credit toward their high school diplomas. Furthermore, at-risk students and potential dropouts have been given the opportunity to excel and graduate—and even further their education—despite personal setbacks.
Since implementing NovaNET in 2003, Clover High school has improved its graduation rates and annual dropout rates have also steadily decreased from 4.6 percent in 2004 to 0.6 percent for the 2006 school year.
Because of the positive results that Clover High School achieved with NovaNET, the program was also adopted by the district’s alternative school help students reach their respective education goals. The Knox Street Alternative School uses the courses offered in NovaNET to supplement the regular education classroom and to facilitate ongoing learning until the students are reassimilated into the regular education programs at various schools.
The Adult Education Center, Tricad, uses NovaNET for the diploma program and the NoveNET GED courseware to supplement and create an environment where individualized instruction is key. The courses vary from student to student in the diploma program, but offerings range from the core content areas to computer technology.
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a Success Story 
Since its implementation in 2003, NovaNET has been used to facilitate credit recovery at the high school level and for summer school implementation. The district’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation program has used portions of NovaNET as supplements for the regular education instructor. The school implemented two new hybrid learning classes to reach students who are repeating Algebra-IA and English I. These students are above average in age for their grade level and have a high risk factor for not graduating. Students in the hybrid classes utilize NovaNET three days per week and supplement the curriculum with in-class projects and alternative assessments. Additionally, students who have not passed portions of the State High School Assessment Program (HSAP) test have an instructional program tailored to their needs based upon current Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores and areas noted as deficient from the state test. 
For high school implementation, the program was open for eleventh and twelfth grade students who had failed a course required for graduation. Then the program opened to ninth and tenth grade students for all courses except science. Daily sessions are offered in an early bird course, during an open block, and after school. Second semester class block sessions have also been made available for credit recovery. The summer school program was open for high school students who had failed a course during the previous school year. There were four-week sessions available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Pearson Digital Learning and Clover School District have partnered together to meet the needs of the students. 
The district’s Challenge Program services at-risk students. NovaNET is used to provide continual learning for these students. Additionally, the NovaNET program is utilized by gifted and exceptional students to help with their education plans. 
Clover Junior High School, serving seventh and eighth grade students, is the newest site using NovaNET. The courseware provides remediation to students who scored below basic on the state tests. Other students utilizing NovaNET were recovering their credits lost due to failing grades. This year, the school has plans to utilize NovaNET to provide continual remediation to students who previously scored low or below basic on the state tests and are currently scoring below a proficient level in classes they are enrolled in.
