“The proof of NovaNET’s success is in the numbers of users who achieve their goal - whether it be to complete required credits to graduate, or just to complete some credit lacking before going to the next grade level, or to earn the credits needed to achieve an adult diploma. There were 25 diplomas saved in one period from March to June for graduating seniors. That is HUGE success. There were 92 people earning credits to complete grade requirements. There were 16 adult diplomas given from this program. ALL of these successes came through NovaNET in the space of several months. As a goal achiever, it can’t be beat!”

— Jackie Kearns, Coordinator, GED/Adult Diploma Program and Manager, Join, Inc.

Highlights

• With the help of NovaNET, 87 percent of the seniors who had one semester to make up a credit in order to graduate finished on time.
  
• Since implementing NovaNET, Humboldt County School District has reduced its dropout rate by 7 percent.
  

Profile
The GED/Adult Diploma is an adult education program within the Humboldt County School District located in the city of Winnemucca, a rural area of northern Nevada. The program enrolls 350-400 students.

All told, Humboldt County Schools enroll 3,650 students within 12 sites. The ethnic breakdown of the district is 77 percent Caucasian, 22 percent Hispanic, and 1 percent Native American.


Challenge
Humboldt faced the challenge of providing adult diploma students with the opportunity to earn credit in all subjects, as well as the ability to offer credit remediation to high school students faced with an unfunded mandate.


Goals
Goals for the Humboldt program are to have every in-school student pass the Nevada State Proficiencies, make credit remediation available to every student ages 14 to 18, and to make an adult diploma program available to anyone aged 16 and above.


Solution
The GED/Adult Diploma program combines adult secondary education completion with job training for individuals age 16 and up. On average, there are 150 learners in the program per year district wide across five sites.

NovaNET comprehensive online courseware was implemented in 2000 using a combination of Title 1, Federal, and District Board of Education funds. Money from the Adult Diploma Program budget was also used for the purchase. All NovaNET program subjects are used and aligned to the Nevada State Standards.

Administrators refer in-school students for credit remediation and those dropping out to the adult program. District teachers are aware of NovaNET’s benefits and actively recommend it as a solution for those target student groups with the greatest need for such a program.

Students enjoy using NovaNET because they can go at their own pace, repeat processes as needed, and experience success.

To monitor student progress, the coordinating teacher collects weekly reports, keeps a grade record, and collects off-line assignments, grading and reviewing them with students. Usage summaries come into play for completion of reports which are required by grants.

To address accountability issues, the supervising teacher issues a supplement to the student’s transcript at either the adult center or the high school when the student completes a credit or half of a credit.


Results
In 2003, as a result of the GED/Adult Diploma program and the help of NovaNET, 87 percent of the seniors who had one semester to make up a credit in order to graduate completed their credit on time. In addition, 17 adults earned diplomas and were honored at a public completion ceremony. News of the program results were so positive that seventy-nine people registered for summer use.

Factors that made the program successful included:

• Positive attitude on the part of the administrators and coordinators
• Willingness to write funding grants
• Parents’ enthusiasm to follow their students
• Professional concern on the part of the NovaNET teachers to see the program’s potential and put it to use

“NovaNET has made teachers at the GED/Adult Diploma program aware of students’ positive reaction to electronically delivered learning tools,” says Kearns.


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.