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In an algebra class of 30 students, one student takes the course for a second time. He sits in the back of the room, spending more time feeling lost than working on task. As he falls farther and farther behind, his class moves ahead without him. "I'm never going to graduate," he laments. "Why try? Why sit here and behave? Why come back tomorrow?" And once again, he slips into the cracks.

"One of the things we know from retention research is that if you retain a child or make a child take a class over again and don't do anything different for them, it tends to perpetuate a cycle of failure," says Eric Sparks, Director of School Counseling for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Raleigh, N.C.

To address the distinct but inter-related issues of academic success and student behavior, WCPSS sought to create a new educational model where students who were at risk of failing or dropping out could succeed and get back on track for graduation. It found such a solution in its own backyard.

WCPSS encompasses 122 schools and enrolls 109,000 students. Largely urban, it is North Carolina's second largest district and the 25th largest school district in the country, gaining more than 3,000 new students per year. In February of 2004, Wake County Superintendent, Bill McNeal was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators for leading the district in an ambitious effort to improve student performance. This effort has been so triumphant it has won attention around the country. McNeal continues to work for academic achievement and respect for diversity while reacting to rapid growth and working for community support.

Cary, North Carolina's very first high school, enrolls over 2,100 students in grades nine to 12. The school's Accelerated Learning Center (ALC) is a nontraditional educational environment created to serve the student who is not academically successful in the traditional setting.

A Plan for Every Student

"It is often the approach in the regular classroom—rather than the ability of the student - that causes some to get stuck in the system until they just give up," said Alan Trogdon, lead teacher for the Accelerated Learning Center at Cary High School. "In the ALC, it is not our intent to create overnight miracles or compete with the traditional classroom. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive program that gives students a second chance to perform without impugning their value as students from past failures. Here, we give students a fresh start and an opportunity to break the cycle of failure, instead making them take—and fail—the same class over and over."

At the heart of the ALC is Pearson Digital Learning NovaNET® computer-based education network. The NovaNET system is an online comprehensive courseware system that delivers thousands of hours of standards-based, interactive curriculum with integrated assessment, student management and record-keeping. The system acts like a personal tutor for each student. As students progress at their own pace, they receive continual positive feedback and instructive encouragement along the way.

"Once a student masters the objectives, he or she can progress to the next unit and not be bothered by what the rest of the class is doing," said Trogdon. "While our students must complete the same curriculum and objectives as other students, the material is presented in a different way - a way that works for each individual."

The NovaNET system's curricula are organized into units, each covering a distinct set of objectives. Each unit consists of a diagnostic and prescriptive pre-test, several NovaNET system lessons, and a post-test to confirm objective mastery.

Students are referred to the ALC by administrators, teachers, and counselors. Participation is an "opportunity," not a requirement. Each student must agree to meet the "expectations," not rules. There is a waiting list for the ALC, so students who do not meet the expectations are dismissed. Because instructors expect a lot, students give a lot in return.

"We have no discipline problems. Students work on task from bell to bell," said Trogdon.

Remarkable Results for the Accelerated Learning Center

At Cary High School, students earned 106 credits in the ALC in 1999-2000. The dropout rate decreased from 4.6 percent in 1998-1999 to 3.5 percent in 1999-2000.

"I know of 18 students who would not have graduated had it not been for the Accelerated Learning Center and NovaNET," Trogdon noted.

Another 12 underclassmen earned credits that directly led to their promotion, according to Gaye Adams, ALC counselor and coordinator. "The ALC helps students realize their academic potential and accept their scholastic responsibility to work and succeed," she said.

Moreover, students' improved performance has had a "ripple effect," spilling over into their other classes and activities as well as into their overall behavior - much to the delight of teachers, administrators and parents.

A Model for the District

To expand on Cary High School's success and take the program to the next level, WCPSS applied for and obtained a "Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant" from the federal government. With this funding, they extended the NovaNET system to all 18 high schools and alternative schools in the district, using Cary High School as the model for their implementation.

Part of WCPSS, Apex High School enrolls over 2,000 students in grades nine to 12. Apex began using the NovaNET system in July 2000 to teach English 9 through 12, and pre-Algebra through Algebra III in summer school. Twenty-four students attended summer school - and all 24 earned one full credit for their work. Of those students, three or four needed that credit to graduate and get their diploma.

All Grade Levels, All Subjects, All Day

Now, the NovaNET lab serves 24 students each period. Student from all grade levels come to the NovaNET lab to work on a variety of subjects, from English and algebra to social studies and science.

"I was very skeptical about the NovaNET system when I first saw it last summer," recalled Mary Newton, the NovaNET English supervisor at Apex High School. "Coming from a regular classroom, I thought I wasn't going to like it. But once I worked through some of the programs, watched the kids and listened to their feedback, I really liked it. NovaNET is great. It's augmenting students' learning with material that I never had a chance to get to in regular English classrooms. These students are getting more grammar than any of us teachers could ever cover in a year."

A Positive Connection Between Academics and Behavior

Thanks to programs like Accelerated Learning Center and the NovaNET system, Wake County public schools are expanding students' opportunities for success, as well as their own.

"By creating an academic environment that encourages and expects students to be successful, we are reaching those students we have had difficulty reaching in the past: students at risk of failure, students off track for graduation, and dropouts. We're helping them build confidence and academic achievement as they recover credits, improve grades, and earn diplomas," says Eric Sparks.

WCPSS - Headed in the Right Direction

A report issued in February, 2003 by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction showed that the dropout rate for WCPSS in grades seven through twelve fell from 3.07 percent in 1998-99 to 2.34 percent in 2001-2002. This reflects the lowest the WCPSS dropout rate has been since the state and school system began gathering the data in the early 1970s.

In the Wake County Public School System, the number of ninth to twelfth grade students dropping out fell from 1,024 in 2000-01 to 1,020 in 2001-02 while the student population increased from 101,000 to 104,000.

The dropout rate in Wake County has decreased due to efforts by teachers to address the needs of individual students by helping them grow and improve academically, and offering quality programming in alternative schools. NovaNET labs have expanded the use of self-paced, computerized learning opportunities, and students have been able to 'catch up' when they have fallen behind in subject areas.

Contact us for additional information on how Pearson Digital Learning can help you achieve results with NovaNET.