of 2

Current View
BACKGROUND
North of Hartford, Connecticut, Windsor High School (WHS) serves 1,500 students in grades 9–12. In 2008, WHS started
the Learning Lab, an online learning program to support students who were at risk of not graduating on time and to support
students with special needs. Currently, 234 students in the Learning Lab use Edgenuity for credit recovery, initial credit, or
supplemental learning.
PROVIDING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Like many schools, WHS decided to offer an online learning program to help meet the needs of students who were not successful
in a traditional classroom. In 2014, however, WHS leadership felt its existing online program was not interactive or challenging
enough and began researching new online content delivery programs. Learning Lab Facilitator Catherine Lavallee and Principal
Russell Sills sought an online program that would not only be engaging and meet rigorous standards, but would also meet the
needs of learners with varying backgrounds. Windsor chose Edgenuity because its courses present content in multiple forms (text,
pictures, videos, digital interactions, and audio), allow students to express what they know in multiple ways, and carefully fade
support as students master skills.
Sills decided to implement Edgenuity courses with special education and school-phobic students. Special education and
school-phobic students use Edgenuity courses five to ten hours a week as part of their foundational curriculum. Depending
on the student’s individual education program (IEP), students may use Edgenuity’s math, language arts, or elective courses
in the classroom or computer lab during a 60-minute period. While in the classroom or computer lab, instructors explicitly
teach metacognitive skills such as self-monitoring, goal-setting, reading strategies, and note-taking to students. They also work
one-on-one with students to make sure students understand concepts and skills presented in lessons. Teachers help students
make their thinking more transparent by using graphic organizers. When necessary, instructors accommodate student needs by
providing oral, alternative written, or visual assessments.
Can an online program support students who
are hospital-bound, school-phobic, or who have
disabilities?
CHALLENGE: Students with special needs were struggling to
master content and graduate.
SOLUTION: An engaging online credit recovery, initial credit,
and supplemental learning program caught students before
they failed.
OUTCOME: After implementing Edgenuity courses, graduation
rates increased.
SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS
African American 52%
Caucasian 29%
Hispanic 13%
Asian 4%
Two or more races 2%
Special Education 30%
Research BriefWindsor High School
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
“Our special education team have really taken to Edgenuity. It has allowed us to provide even more personalized one-on-one
attention,” said Lavallee. “Edgenuity’s data lets us know exactly how to help students and when they should be pushed to achieve
their best.” Teachers use Edgenuity Web Administrator to monitor daily progress and achievement. If a student is behind in
pacing, teachers provide immediate positive reinforcement and strategize with students on how to catch up. In the lab, instructors
review session logs to see where students spend the most time in their courses, and provide offline one-on-one help with those
assignments. Teachers ask students to demonstrate their knowledge in multiple ways, including by giving oral explanations,
comparing and contrasting topics, and drawing diagrams. Once students show they understand the concepts, they are then
allowed to continue in their Edgenuity course.
GENERATING RESULTS
Preliminary evidence indicates that Edgenuity courses are having a positive impact on student achievement. After one year of
implementing Edgenuity courses, the graduation rate of special education students in the program increased from 64 percent in
2014 to 86 percent in 2015 (see Graph 1).
The key to the program’s success, according to Sills, was blending Edgenuity’s courses with teacher support. “Our students say, ‘I
finally have someone who knows who I am and knows me as a learner.’ When students realized they could tackle more advanced
work and still receive teacher support, they excelled. They finally felt they could be successful in school.”
Graph 1: Windsor High School Special Education Graduation Rates
877.7CLICKS | solutions@edgenuity.com
Copyright © Edgenuity Inc.
2014 2015
64%
86%
61% 65%
22%
79%
Four-Year Graduation Rate
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

950066005 2210