Online Learning is Helping Curve a Pathway for Aldine Students, Providing Choices and Opportunities

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The effects of an impromptu switch from traditional in-class learning to online learning during the pandemic led to many Aldine ISD students falling behind in class, which led to the loss of credits and the jeopardy of graduating on time. However, unconventional difficulties call for unconventional solutions, and online credit recovery has been innovative in giving Aldine students an opportunity for choices. Spearheaded by Shanaya Anderson, the online learning department created an easier way for students to regain credits they may not have earned in a
traditional classroom.

“Online learning is placed across all high school campuses. Students are placed in a lab and work on a course to regain credit. The course is designed to cover all of the content for a particular class, and the student is able to work on the course at their own pace, which allows them to work on more than one class.” said Anderson when asked how the process of online credit recovery works.

This past school year, numbers show an increase in success with online credit recovery since the spring of 2020, when Aldine saw a drop in the recovery completion, going from 46 percent to 86 percent, with nearly 12.000 students earning half credits this past year. The online alternative allows students to balance school and personal lives by giving them choices and opportunities. The students who are enrolled in the program have access to work 24 hours a day. The open availability helps AISD students that might work nights get ahead and also serves as an introduction to college since the coursework is offered online. Also, of the neighboring districts, Aldine offers the most labs, providing students that are enrolled in the program for the initial course credit an opportunity to catch up. Those students will also have a lab teacher and a virtual teacher. 

Anderson and her team go above and beyond to ensure the students enrolled in the program are served correctly by “searching for teachers that are motivators, and that come with a coaching mentality.”

When asked about Anderson and the online learning department, Chief Academic Officer Todd Davis spoke very highly of her and what the department does for Aldine students.

“She flys under the radar, but she has a huge impact, and sometimes the program doesn’t get the recognition it deserves,” Dr. Davis said. “Online learning saves the students from not falling off the tracks. They are designing the structure and providing all the support to help get students over the hump within the program.”

Students can register for the credit recovery program by contacting their counselors at their respective campuses. Click here for more information on the online learning department and its vision.