Online credit recovery courses are big business for education companies. Unfortunately, they may not deliver on promises to schools and students.
These programs enable students to take courses in a variety of subjects to “recover” credits lost and receive a high school diploma faster than they might in a traditional classroom setting.
Critics claim many recovery courses are not rigorous and cheating is a problem.
The gap in educational achievement is growing between rich and poor, according to a new book published by Stanford University’s Center for Educational Policy Analysis.
Family income has become a significant factor in predicting children’s academic achievement, says the author Sean F. Reardon.
Through our work with educators we have seen several technology-based programs that emphasize phonics, fluency, and decoding but not many that focus on actual comprehension.
This is unfortunate because for students to increase comprehension skills, they need to learn to tackle, rather than avoid, grade-appropriate texts.
The new Common Core Standards for English Language place a strong emphasis on writing. In the United States, forty-five of the fifty states, plus certain territories, have adopted the new Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Students will need to learn how to write narrative and expository paragraphs and essays.
Fortunately, teaching with Merit’s Punch writing programs is a well-established method to accomplish this task.
The Punch writing programs guide students step-by-step through the writing process. Built-in prompts help organize ideas into complete, concise works, as well as promote self-editing.
Student writing is automatically stored in online portfolios that are easily viewable by students and instructors.
Follow the links below to learn more about the Punch writing programs:
One of the most striking aspects of the Merit Online Learning system is the wide range of student levels instructors use the system with successfully. Merit Online Learning is used in elementary school classrooms, secondary schools, English language learning programs, and colleges.
Many of our users work with students with a wide range of abilities within one class. The need to personalize instruction is paramount.
Built-in tracking enables students to quickly get to the right level of challenge. It advances them when they are ready or provides additional work if needed.
Educators and students everywhere want the same thing – an opportunity to succeed. Personalized instruction, combined with real-time assessments, can make a difference.
Teachers are often challenged about how to use data to monitor student learning.
We are able to monitor all students who use the Merit Online Learning system. Data does not have to complicate teaching. Data can easily answer a few simple questions about students.
Viewing student work in the Merit Online Learning system helps answers these questions. Educators can easily see pupil progress and see how well they are doing.
The Merit support team helps educators learn to how to monitor students’ progress and make data manageable.
Merit Software is seeking a limited number of beta users for a new online writing instruction program.
Open Punch helps students learn to write paragraphs on Narrative, Fact-Based, or Opinion topics. Instructors may assign their own writing prompts (within certain parameters). Merit trainers are available to assist with this process.
Open Punch is a 100% web based learning tool with built-in tracking! It is platform independent and is accessible with popular browsers such as IE, Firefox, and Safari. iPad and Android tablets also run the program.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Merit Software.
MORE ABOUT OPEN PUNCH
The program orients students to think about the purpose of the paragraph to be written. Students are guided to enter an appropriate topic to write about.
Using words or phrases, not sentences, students put their ideas about the topic they have chosen into the Pre-Writing Notepad.
Students choose a word or phrase from the Pre-Writing Notepad and use it in a sentence.
While students check their work, the program encourages them to improve their writing by using the revising tools: Add, Change text, Remove, or Move.
Student writing is automatically stored online, making it easy for instructors to view and check work.
In a recent blog post, the New York Times addresses the growing and passionate interest students from India and China, particularly Indian students, have in top American colleges and universities.
A number of questions about applying to American colleges and universities were submitted to admissions officials at the University of Pennsylvania. As expected, a key difference for Indian students as opposed to their American counterparts is the varying levels of English (particularly academic English) preparation.
Merit Software’s web-based programs are being used in several learning organizations and universities in India, as well as other non-native English speaking countries. Two vocabulary programs that have been successful are Confused Words Fix-Up, which helps students understand commonly misused English words, and Vocabulary Stretch Online, which helps students recognize challenging words in different contexts, and understand where many English words come from.
Both programs cover a wide range of English words. They are self-paced and self-advancing. Students apply words as they learn them, and receive immediate feedback while they work.
Related Links:
Merit Software is offering Reading Skill Builder and Grammar Fitness for just $5 each per level (regularly $27 – save 70%). Offer expires Friday, December 16, 2011 at 5:00pm EST.
For Home Users:
To take advantage of this offer, visit either the Reading Skill Builder or Grammar Fitness page, add the programs to your shopping cart, and use Promo Code 5525 at checkout.
For School/Institutional Users:
This offer is available to the first 25 schools that enroll. To get started, read more about the the limited-time offer and set up your personal consultation with a Merit Software representative.
Earlier this month the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report on 4th and 8th grade reading and math scores were released by the U.S. National Center for Educational Statistics. Reading scores continued to show no progress.
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