Implications of Virtual Credit Recovery on High School End-of-Course State Exams

Abstract

In the State of Georgia, high schools must administer End-of-Course (EOC) exams to students enrolled in the specific courses for accountability purposes. Students who fail these exams must retake the course until credit has been successfully earned. Through an analysis of paired pre-test/post-test data from a Georgia high school between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years, this study examined the influence of virtual credit recovery courses on high school student achievement on four focal EOC exams for students who initially failed a course. Findings indicated that virtual credit recovery had a statistically significant effect on student EOC exam scores, though none resulted in a mean score of proficient or above, indicating that these students may not have been prepared for subsequent coursework nor prepared for postsecondary coursework and future career paths. Conclusions and implications for course design are presented, including how artificial intelligence may be leveraged in virtual credit recovery courses in the future.