Roseville High School expanded its math credit recovery this year, offering more in-school credit recovery courses for IM1 and IM2 and introducing for the first time in-school credit recovery for IM3. 

Last year was the first year RHS offered in-school credit recovery courses as an alternative to the after-school program offered through Independence High School. Each math credit recovery class holds a little over 20 students per period, mostly composed of seniors. 

Independence High School teacher Tom Moorehead believes that this will give students more access to the help they need to understand the material.

“The concept is very similar [to after-school recovery]. It’s the same,” Moorehead said. “The big advantage on site is that the students meet with their teacher every day, where credit recovery here at Independence, you only meet once a week.” 

Last spring, over 100 juniors and seniors signed up for in-class IM2 credit recovery as an alternative to the after school program. 

However, more students signed up this year than the in-school offerings could accommodate. As a result, counselors gave seniors priority over juniors so seniors can pass the course and graduate. Juniors who did not make it into in-class recovery were dispersed into the regular integrated math courses, where they will retake the entire course, rather than recover the credit at their own pace. 

Senior Vanessa Cochran is currently in the credit recovery class, and prefers it to retaking the course.

“It’s easier for me, because I like to go at my own pace and not have to wait for anybody,” Cochran said. “So it’s easier for kids that can do things on their own, but harder for kids who need help.”

Independence’s after-school credit recovery program has changed as well. In the past, credit recovery was offered once a week over the course of 16 weeks and students had to make up all 10 credits of the course, even if they were only missing 5. Now, credit recovery is offered twice a week over the course of six weeks, and students can make up just five credits if that is all they are missing.

However, according to Moorehead the after school program does not have as many students as previous years. He believes that this is because the program started this month, rather than in August as it has in past years, which he believes might have impacted how many students chose that as an option.

“I think a lot of students may not know about that,” Moorehead said. 

With credit recovery options expanding, Moorehead believes students need to choose the option that will best help them learn the material. 

 “Retaking a course on site does have its advantages especially if you need more time with the teacher,” Moorehead said. “If you need more instruction, I think that’s the first place to go. I think credit recovery gives an opportunity for students who are maybe just missing a couple parts here and there.”