ODYSSEYWARE

Starting in 2009, a new law took effect in South Dakota requiring high school students to stay in school until age 18. Not the only state to follow the trend of raising the legal age to drop out, South Dakota educators are asking themselves how they can get students back and offer them the sort of program that will not only allow them to get a diploma, but make it realistic and practical. 

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When we think about dropout prevention, meeting the needs of each singular student is the immediate goal. Unfortunately, America’s dropout problem has a further reaching, rippling effect that lasts for generations. Consider the following:

• Because high school graduates are less likely to commit crimes, increasing the high school completion rate by just one percent for all men ages 20 to 60 would reduce costs in the criminal justice system by $1.4 billion a year (American Youth Policy Forum, 2006).

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Just when graduation looked hopeless for credit-deficient students in Lodi, California, school administrators provided a lifeline. According to the Stockton Record and Recordnet.com, students at Lodi Unified high schools will have access to ODYSSEYWARE for credit recovery.

This opportunity comes in the wake of budget cuts which necessitated discontinuation of the summer school programs which helped failing students catch up and recover the credits they needed to graduate. Fully online classes will be offered first to students closest to graduation, then to others for whom the credits are not quite as critical.

With ODYSSEYWARE, these students can log on at school or at home but must take tests in staffed computer labs.

According to Kevin Anderson, who teaches math at Elkhorn Elementary School and has been a district teacher coach,

“I’ve taught summer school for about 10 years without computers, and I was really surprised how well [online classes] went. Engagement of the kids was just really unbelievable. I didn’t have to say anything, and they would come in and turn the computers on and start work without any instruction.”

ODYSSEYWARE is happy to welcome Lodi Unified to its family of partners. It’s our mission to reach kids where they are, and our online curriculum allows students with diverse needs to succeed academically. If your district is faced with budget cuts and funding challenges, an ODYSSEYWARE education specialist can work with you to find a solution that meets your needs.

As school administrators struggle to stay on budget while still providing students with a quality education that meets their diverse needs, school districts in South Dakota have found a practical solution in ODYSSEYWARE.

As reported on Keloland.com in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, seniors at Viborg High School are now able to take an economics class that would not have been available without online curriculum.

According to Viborg/Hurley superintendent Patrick Kraning, they “use it to augment what we do live in class, or it can act as a replacement for a course that we don’t have a person physically there to offer, so it gives us a flexibility.”

ODYSSEYWARE also offers options for kids who struggle in the traditional classroom with a credit recovery program that gives them an opportunity to pass the class and graduate on time.

Many ODYSSEYWARE students are finding academic success with Prescriptive Credit Recovery. Working at their own pace, they are able to test out of material they understand while revisiting subjects in which they aren’t proficient. 

Our tech support team offers the following tip to streamline the process: 

When a student using ODYSSEYWARE is assigned a course in the CRX mode, the student should always access his course by clicking on the link for the course at the bottom of the homepage, instead of using the “my courses” button.  

This will allow the student to take an “alternate” or “pretest.” Based on the results of the test, the student will either test out of the unit or be placed directly into that current unit. If the student tries to access the course by using the “my courses” button, the student will see all units skipped. Conversely, the teacher side shows assigned. While this can be confusing, it is the design of ODYSSEYWARE CRX mode. 

If a student does not test out of the unit, be sure the student clicks on “Finish Assignment” when he completes the final review.  Clicking on “Continue to next assignment” will take the student to the first lesson in the next unit and will not generate the next “alternate” or “pretest.”

For other tech support questions, visit www.odysseycare.com, email support@odysseycare.com or call 800-821-4443 to speak to one of our technical support specialists.

Many students across rural America are falling through the academic cracks, and dropping out of school before getting diplomas. But Peach County High School students have been given a second chance to graduate with their class due in part to their use of ODYSSEYWARE to recover credits. 

According to Bruce Mackey, principal of Peach High School, the success of these and other students proves,

“Yes you can do something with your life and make something out of yourself, regardless of your circumstances.”