Cobb County Public Schools
Marietta, Georgia
(Pearson Digital Learning NovaNet)
 

“NovaNET meets the academic needs of at-risk students while building confidence, independence, and self esteem. I received calls from parents thanking Cobb for offering NovaNET. When parents take the time to call and thank you, that’s when you know you have a valuable program.” 

— Connie M. Allen, eLearning Coordinator, Cobb County Public Schools

• From August 2000 to July 2002, 652 students utilized NovaNET^® from Pearson Digital Learning and earned 580 half credits toward graduation by completing 22,977 lessons. 
• In 2002, the Cobb County Summer School issued 91 half credits to its NovaNET students, a substantial increase from the previous summer because students came into the program with a better understanding of what was expected of them.
• With NovaNET, Cobb County Public Schools has been able to reach Special Ed, At-Risk, ESL, transfer students, and others to increase basic skills, recover credits, and graduate.

City/District Profile
Cobb County Public Schools is located just across the Chattahoochee River from Atlanta, Georgia. The school district is among the largest three school systems in Georgia and the 28th largest in the United States. Cobb County is one of the fastest growing districts in Georgia; the county student population is nearly 96,000 and grows an average of 2,700 students per year. The district consists of 61 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 13 high schools, and 8 program learning centers. Eighty-one percent of the graduates in Cobb County pursue a post-secondary education.

To deal with the increasing growth of the district, residents passed a 1-percent sales tax for education in September 1998 that provides funding for 12 new schools and renovations for nearly every Cobb County school facility. 

Parental and community involvement is high priority in the district, as demonstrated by 100 percent PTA participation in many schools, local and system-wide Citizens Advisory Committees, and the Partners in Education Program implemented in every school.
 

Challenge/Goals
The stated mission of Cobb County Public Schools is: 

To guarantee a quality educational program for all students in a challenging, secure environment. We, as professional, caring educators, will provide a relevant, integrated curriculum. Our students will become critical thinkers who are knowledgeable, skillful, and responsible, and who can succeed as life-long learners in a richly diverse society.

Solution
The Cobb County Public School NovaNET motto is: 

A second chance with high expectations.

Kameeka Williams, NovaNET teacher, and Mary Ann Eads, lead teacher.

In August 2000, H.A.V.E.N. Academy implemented 16 ports of NovaNET in its lab. Dale Gaddis, Area Assistant Superintendent, supported adding 40 additional ports in January 2001 at Osborne and Sprayberry high schools. The Summer School of 2001 continued to offer 56 ports of NovaNET. Gaddis, inspired by the success at Osborne, HAVEN, and Sprayberry, encouraged the board to enlarge the program. In January 2002, 10 additional ports were implemented at Central Alternative School. Night School began using the ports that were available in the evenings. For the 2002-2003 school year, 141 NovaNET ports will be implemented at the Adult Education School, Campbell High School, McEachern High School, North Cobb High School, Oakwood Open Campus High School, Pebblebrook High School, and South Cobb High School.

During the 2000-2001 school year, 163 students used NovaNET. The following year, 489 students were able to benefit from the program. 
 

Osborne High School and NovaNET
Established as Olive Springs Community School in 1881 and renamed Robert L. Osborne High School in 1936, Osborne is the oldest high school in the Cobb County School System.

Dr. U.S. Davidson, Jr., Osborne’s Principal, is dedicated to reaching every student, and NovaNET is a part of meeting that mission. “NovaNET has provided students the opportunity to regain credit. NovaNET reaches the students who do not function well in a regular classroom setting, and offers them individualized instruction. Since Osborne is a block school, NovaNET allows transfer students the opportunity to earn half credits so that they do not fall behind,” says Davidson.
 

Dr. U.S. Davidson,  Principal, Osborne High School

To be selected for the NovaNET program at Osborne High School, students need to complete an application and go through an interview process. Seniors receive top priority (especially fifth-year students), and a good attendance record from the previous semester is required for acceptance. Flexibility is part of the program; if a student starts NovaNET and decides that computer learning is not for him or her, the student is moved to a traditional classroom. Osborne’s teachers worked with the district coordinator to develop a selection process based on the previous semesters’ results. Osborne’s counselors discuss NovaNET with students who have a specific need for the program (failing a course, for example). During the interview, the program goals and expectations are clearly defined. 

Osborne also uses NovaNET for basic skills improvement, particularly with students from a nearby group home. Since using NovaNET, these students have increased basic reading, writing, and math skills by an average of 29 percent. 

In addition, Osborne students are using NovaNET as a supplement to prepare for the Georgia End of Course United States History Test, ESOL, and to improve study skills in reading, math, science, and social studies.

Tara Lavizzo, Achievement Center Director at Osborne, has been working with the NovaNET program since its implementation, and has been vital to creating a structure for other schools to follow. She has created pacing charts, guidelines, and classroom policies to make the most of the NovaNET program. Lavizzo attributes the success of the NovaNET program to “clearly defined expectations, program processes, and committed and motivated students.” She says, “Teachers also need to be flexible in order to move quickly from one subject to the next and be able to reinforce what NovaNET is teaching.” 

NovaNET is a powerful asset for staff as well as students. Cobb eLearning Coordinator Connie Allen says that Susan Strickland may be Cobb’s greatest “staff success story.” Strickland was a technology-challenged guidance counselor when the program was implemented at Osborne. In spite of her technological challenges, Susan has encouraged many students to try the NovaNET program. Her interest in the program led to her becoming a teacher in the night and summer school. Susan is currently a guidance counselor/department chair at South Cobb High School, and a strong proponent of the NovaNET program.
 

Night School
Traditionally, Night School at Cobb County has offered only a few courses. Since NovaNET was added—Cobb refers to it as NovaNET@Night—the number of classes offered has dramatically increased without increasing the number of teachers needed. During the initial semester, spring 2001-2002, 22 students attended Night School, all earned credit, and all graduated or made substantial progress towards graduation. According to Ralph Costen, Night School Principal, “NovaNET has provided new opportunities for students to meet their academic needs.”
 

Summer School
During 2001, the first summer NovaNET was offered, 70 students earned over 64 half credits. As Cobb began preparing for summer 2002, 206 parents and students contacted Connie Allen to inquire about NovaNET and summer school. Students entered summer school with a better understanding of the expectations and all of the students earned credit. Cobb issued 91 half credits in the summer of 2002, a major improvement from the previous summer. According to Mandy Mooney, Summer School NovaNET teacher, “Student progress is monitored both online as well as in person. They are encouraged to stay on track and are reminded how many modules they need to complete.” 

Student excitement with NovaNET is apparent in the Summer School program. Susan Strickland recalls one of many special NovaNET moments, “One of my first NovaNET students wanted to make sure that she could take home her NovaNET notebook to show her friends. She had been bragging about it, and her friends didn’t believe she was working that hard in summer school!”

Wade Scholes, Principal,  Oakwood High School

NovaNET and Credit Recovery
Traditionally, students who fail classes retake those classes in the same environment where they have previously been unsuccessful.

Cobb County Schools offers NovaNET as an alternate option for retaking failed courses. The students like NovaNET because they are able to work at their own pace. Failing a class does not mean that students failed to master every objective. Students take the pretests for each section. If the pretest indicates that the objectives were mastered, the student moves on to the next lesson. If not, they complete the lessons at their own pace to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. In the words of one student, “NovaNET was easier because you cannot move on unless you understand…I did much better on tests in NovaNET than in the regular classroom.” NovaNET offers a different learning environment for those who need to recover credit. 

Amber, a credit recovery student, likes NovaNET because, “You can work at your own pace. NovaNET teaches you step by step, little by little. NovaNET helps you to understand the material. If NovaNET was in all classrooms, students wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask questions and it gives the teacher and student an opportunity to have a better relationship. I enjoyed it!”

Mandy Mooney, Summer School NovaNET teacher also thinks NovaNET works very well for credit recovery. “Several students told me they prefer learning this way because they didn’t have to spend time on material they already knew. I was also surprised by how well this program worked for students with learning disabilities. The pace kept their attention and they had a definite goal toward finishing the course.”

The support of Pearson Education Technologies ensures NovaNET is implemented with the highest efficiency and least amount of disruption to Cobb’s students and staff. “Pearson Education Technologies has been readily available throughout our implementation. Our sales representative has assisted Cobb with offering ideas, insights, and support for implementation. The materials provided are very helpful,” says Allen.
 

A Word from Cobb County’s eLearning Program Coordinator
When Cobb decided to implement NovaNET, Area Assistant Superintendent Dale Gaddis hired Connie Allen to coordinate the program. Connie’s background includes working with at-risk students, developing curriculum, leadership, and marketing. According to Allen, “My job is to let the people in the district know about NovaNET and our success with the program. I encourage principals to choose teachers with determination, compassion, versatility, and flexibility.” On a district level, Connie Allen monitors each school’s success by using the NovaNET usage, pretest, and posttest reports, and teacher feedback. She says the reports help her to know what is happening at each site. She also says NovaNET is successful because it brings Cobb’s compassionate, dedicated teachers together with a strong, online curriculum. Students are actively engaged in learning, staying focused and motivated. “After failing Algebra II twice in a traditional classroom setting, one NovaNET student who then used NovaNET to pass the course felt confident enough to help other students with the modules she had completed. NovaNET gives Cobb students the opportunity to retake courses in a different setting,” says Allen.

Students, teachers, counselors, and parents are delighted with the program. As Allen walks through the halls of the NovaNET schools, she hears students talking about the program, and always stops to listen. They say things like “It’s really great!” and “You take pretests and only work on the stuff you don’t know.” and “It is online but a teacher is there to help you.” 

Allen decided to survey the NovaNET teachers on the program, and was overwhelmed by the response. She said teachers are often too busy to answer surveys, but the NovaNET teachers all responded. They love their jobs. Some teachers wrote entire pages about NovaNET. “These busy teachers found the time because they feel so strongly about the program,” she concludes. 

Results
 

South Cobb student Bernard Allen  gives Ms. Fortenberry a high five  to celebrate his success using NovaNET.

From the Teachers’ Perspective
Cobb County’s NovaNET program is successful in part because of the teachers chosen to work in the NovaNET labs. As the district roles out the program, teachers are vital to developing policies that work for the students and staff. The teachers chosen for the program understand that credit recovery students have already failed, and need encouragement and support. When asked about their job, NovaNET teachers have defined their role as cheerleader and coach, and view the program as an opportunity to individualize education and develop a strong connection with students. The program has given them the opportunity to meet the needs of students in multiple subject areas. Here is what some of them had to say about NovaNET:

When asked how teaching NovaNET compares to traditional classroom teaching, Debra Jones from Osborne High School replied, “I listen more. I am more analytical. NovaNET allows me to analyze students’ individual needs, fill in any learning gaps they have and help them become successful learners.”

According to Kim Fortenberry, teacher at South Cobb High School, “NovaNET allows students to work at their own pace. While our students enjoy working independently, they still require one-on-one help, instruction, and encouragement. I am glad to say that I have several students who acknowledge their success with a high-five or some form of celebratory gesture every time they pass a test. A computer will never replace that for the student or teacher.”

Debra Jones,  Osborne High NovaNET teacher

According to Susan Strickland, “The teacher is key. Keep in mind these are kids who have transferred to a new school system, experienced failure in a subject before, or both and they need the TLC. The teacher must be part cheerleader, part drill sergeant. The program is good and the instruction is sound, but the teacher is even more important. Students must be self-motivated, not self-taught. There is an enormous difference.”

When asked what NovaNET teachers are doing differently than when they were traditional classroom teachers, the reactions were positive. They now feel they have more individualized time with students, feel more connected to them, and believe their students truly master the material. 

Debra Jones, NovaNET teacher at Osborne High School says, “The NovaNET classroom is more individualized than a traditional classroom. Students are given the opportunity to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. They truly master the material. I prefer teaching NovaNET because it is more effective. I feel I make a difference.”

Gary Herlinger, NovaNET teacher at Central Alternative High School says, “As a NovaNET teacher, I have a managerial position where I am a cheerleader and facilitator rather than a dispenser of information. In NovaNET, I am working and learning along with my students.”

The Student Perspective
NovaNET benefits student learning, but it also teaches independence, determination, and teamwork. Here is what Osborne students said about their NovaNET experience: 

“It helped me learn how to be self-sufficient and be able to work and learn on my own.” 

—NovaNET credit recovery student

“A significant part of the class was the ability to help other classmates. Students throughout the classroom helped one another by sharing their knowledge of each subject. That helped tremendously.”

—NovaNET credit recovery student

“NovaNET gives a whole new definition to the word ‘teach’.” 

—Osborne High School Senior

“NovaNET has given me the opportunity to graduate on time. All I needed was to retake a math class to be able to graduate. It is hard for me to pay attention in class and go along with the flow of the lessons. NovaNET lets you take each lesson at your own pace, until you actually understand every aspect of it. NovaNET makes it possible for a student to get back on track. I will now be able to graduate with my class.”

—Special Education NovaNET student

Staff, students, and parents value the NovaNET program in Cobb County Schools. Students are continually monitored and reviewed to ensure the courses meet Cobb standards. Since an 80 percent is required to move on to the next lesson (10 percent above traditional classroom expectancy), the bar is raised for students taking NovaNET lessons. “Both teachers and students are extremely positive about the NovaNET program”, says Allen.
 
 

Cobb County District Results for NovaNET August 2000 - July 2002

652 Cobb County students earned 580 half credits with NovaNET from August 2000 to July 2002. This was accomplished with the completion of 22,977 lessons.

For more information on how Pearson Digital Learning can help you achieve results, visit http://www.pearsonedtech.com/ or call 888/627-5327; Canada and other international locations: 800/400-6192.

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