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A Study of the Impact of Apex Learning Digital Curriculum on Credit Recovery Student Outcomes in Dallas ISD Year 2Dallas Independent School District, TX

December 2016

P 02 ApexLearning.com

A Study of the Impact of Apex Learning Digital Curriculum on Credit Recovery Student Outcomes in Dallas ISD: Year 2

IntroductionIn the 2014–2015 school year, Dallas ISD leadership discontinued

use of NovaNet and switched to Apex Learning Comprehensive

Courses as digital curriculum for the Reconnection Center

Program (Reconnect). Apex Learning provides self-paced,

personalized instruction aligned to Texas state standards

and designed to prepare students for state end-of-course

assessments. The purpose of Reconnect is to provide high

school students who failed a course in a core subject a means

to recover credit while remaining enrolled in the traditional

education program offered at the campus they attend. The goal

of Reconnect is to keep students on track to be promoted and to

graduate with their cohort.

Reconnect is offered district-wide in 38 comprehensive, magnet,

and alternative high schools to students identified as at-risk of

dropping out according to state criteria. Two course options

are available through Reconnect: Credit Recovery and Original

Credit. Students who failed a six week, semester, or full year of a

course enroll in Credit Recovery courses. High achieving students

wanting to accelerate the accumulation of credits needed to

graduate enroll in Original Credit courses.

Eligible students are assigned to Reconnect for one or more class

periods, including before and after school periods, at their school

campus. Students complete Apex Learning Courses in computer labs

staffed by one to two teachers trained to implement the program and

the digital curriculum. Students are awarded credit after completing

the required Apex Learning Courses and passing the Assessment of

Course Performance (ACP) exam, a standardized district semester

exam that measure the taught curriculum in Mathematics, Reading/

Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, English as a Second Language

(ESL), World Languages, Technology, Health and Fine Arts courses.

This study examined the impact of Apex Learning Courses on ACP

exam pass rate and on-time graduation rate of 12th grade students for

Reconnection Center Program participants following the second year

of implementing Apex Learning Comprehensive Courses. Specifically,

the performance of Reconnect participants using Apex Learning

Courses in 2015–2016 was compared to Reconnect participants

enrolled in the program the year prior to the adoption of Apex

Learning Courses district-wide (2013–2014). Data used in this study were

available in Reconnect evaluation reports produced by the Dallas ISD

Department of Evaluation and Assessment published from the year

prior to adopting Apex Learning Courses (2013–2014) through 2015–

2016. Chi square goodness of fit tests were used to analyze the data.

District Enrollment (PK-12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158,604

Urban Locale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . City, Large

American Indian/AK Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 .33%

Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .35%

Black /African American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 .61%

HI/Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 .07%

White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .95%

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 .14%

Multiracial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 .56%

Economic Disadvantaged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 .74%

English Language Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 .89%

Students with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 .36%

Title l Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 .95%

Figure 1: Dallas ISD Demographic Characteristics

Dallas ISD, Dallas, TX



In the 2015–2016 school year, 6.8% of the district’s enrollment in grades 9-12 (2,689 students) used Apex Learning

Comprehensive Courses in the Reconnect program. The demographic characteristics (Table 1, Appendix) of

students participating in Reconnect include:

• 70% Hispanic/Latino, 56% male, 54% Non-LEP;

• 84% economic disadvantaged;

• 48% enrolled in 12th grade.

Do Reconnect participants enrolled in 12th grade using Apex Learning Courses graduate with their cohort at the same or higher rate as Reconnect participants enrolled the year prior to using Apex Learning curriculum?

Reconnect participants enrolled in 12th grade using Apex Learning Courses in 2015–2016 graduated with their

cohort at similar rates as 12th grade students participating in Reconnect the year prior to implementing Apex

Learning. Figure 2 shows the graduation rates for Reconnect participants enrolled in grade 12 for the school

years Apex Learning Courses were used trended higher than the graduation rate from the school year prior to

implementing Apex Learning Courses district-wide.

Figure 2

Pass Rates of ACP Exams Administered in Reconnection Center Program

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

18

2013-2014n=4,822

49.70%

2015-2016n=3,283

47.36%

2014-2015n=2,920

BEFORE APEX LEARNING AFTER USING APEX LEARNING

44.79%

†Statistically significant dIfference p < .05.

ResultsDo Reconnect participants using Apex Learning Courses achieve the same or higher pass rates on the ACP exams as Reconnect participants enrolled the year prior to using Apex Learning?

Reconnect participants using Apex Learning Courses in 2015–2016 passed ACP exams at significantly higher rates

than Reconnect participants not using Apex Learning Courses (Appendix, Table 2). Figure 2 shows the ACP exam

pass rates for the school years Apex Learning Courses were used and the school year prior to implementing Apex

Learning Courses district-wide.



Figure 3

Percent of 12th Grade Reconnect Participants Graduating On Time90%

85%

80%

75%

70%

18

2013-2014n=1,451

82.10%

2015-2016n=1,216

83.60%

2014-2015n=1,377

BEFORE APEX LEARNING AFTER USING APEX LEARNING

80.80%

Study DescriptionStudy Design

This study examined the effectiveness of Apex Learning Courses using a posttest only quasi-experimental design.

Data Preparation

This study uses extant data available in the Dallas ISD evaluation reports titled Reconnection Center Program

2013–2014, Reconnection Center Program 2014–2015, and Reconnection Center Program 2015–2016. No data

preparation was required.

The Treatment Group

Students participating in the Reconnection Center Program between school years 2014–2015 and 2015–

2016 served as the treatment group for this study. The outcome data reported for the treatment group

was available in the Dallas ISD evaluation reports titled Reconnection Center Program 2014–2015 and

Reconnection Center Program 2015–2016.

ConclusionAfter two years of implementing Apex Learning digital curriculum, the impact of Comprehensive Courses on

Reconnect participant student achievement is promising. The percent of students passing the ACP was significantly

greater than the year prior to using Apex Learning and the percent of seniors graduating on time continues to trend

higher than the year prior to using Apex Learning as well.



Outcomes Measures

Two measures of academic outcomes were used to examine the impact of using Apex Learning Comprehensive

Courses on Reconnect participant academic achievement.

• Assessment of Course Performance (ACP) exam pass rates. The Dallas ISD, Assessment of Course

Performance (ACP) exams are standardized district semester exams that measure the taught curriculum

in Mathematics, Reading/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, English as a Second Language (ESL), World

Languages, Technology, Health and Fine Arts courses. ACP exams were administered at the end of the fall

and spring semesters. The standard for passing is a scaled score of 70 or above.

• Percent of 12th Grade Students Graduating with their Cohort. The denominator used to calculate the

percent of 12th grade students graduating with their cohort excludes verified non-dropout leavers.

The Comparison Group

Students participating in Reconnect during the 2013–2014 school year served as the comparison group for this

study. In the 2013–2014 school year, the Reconnection Center Program piloted Apex Learning Comprehensive

Courses in three out of 34 high schools and implemented NovaNet in the remaining 31 high schools. The

outcome data reported for the comparison group was available in the Dallas ISD evaluation report titled

Reconnection Center Program 2013–2014.

Analysis

Chi square goodness of fit tests were conducted to analyze data over time and between outcomes from 2015–

2016 and 2013–2014.

ReferencesTexas PEIMS Enrollment and Special Programs Reports. Dallas ISD 2015-2016 Facts. (no date) Retrieved from

http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001475/Centricity/Domain/48/district_facts.pdf on 11/18/2016.

Weir, D. (August 2014) Reconnection Centers Program 2013-2014. Retrieved from http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/

lib/TX01001475/Centricity/Domain/98/Evaluation/13-14/FinalRpts/EA14-132-2- Reconnection-Center-Final.pdf

Retrieved 4/20/15.

Weir, D. (August 2015) Reconnection Centers Program 2014-2015. Retrieved from http://www.dallasisd.org/cms/

lib/TX01001475/Centricity/Domain/98/Evaluation/14-15/FinalRpts/EA15-132-2%20 Reconnection%20Center%20

Report%20Final.pdf Retrieved 4/4/16.

Weir, D. (September 2016) Reconnection Centers Program 2015-2016. Retrieved from http://www.dallasisd.

org/cms/lib/TX01001475/Centricity/Domain/98/Evaluation/15-16/FinalRpts/EA16-132-2%20 Reconnection%20

Center%20Report%20Final.pdf Retrieved 11/9/16.

Williams-Palmer, K. & Kim, J (no date) Assessment of Course Performance (ACP): 2014-15. Retrieved from http://

www.dallasisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001475/Centricity/domain/98/assessment/sna/EA15-220-4%20ACP%20AAG.pdf

on 3/31/16.



Appendix

Table 1. Reconnect Participant Demographic Characteristics

2013 – 20141

N Percent

2015 – 20162

N Percent

Total Students 3,044 100% 2,689 100%

Grades 9 – 11 1,248 41.0% 1,459 54.3%

Grade 12 1,796 59.0% 1,230 45.7%

Male 1,754 57.6% 1,509 56.1%

Female 1,291 42.4% 1,180 43.9%

Hispanic/Latino 1,976 64.9% 1,872 69.6%

African American 892 29.3% 700 26.0%

White 128 4.2% 81 3.0%

Other 49 1.6% 36 1.3%

Non-LEP 1,578 51.8% 1,445 53.7%

LEP 486 16.0% 542 20.2%

Exited LEP 980 32.2% 702 26.1%

Economic Disadvantaged 2,395 78.7% 3,752 84.1%

1 Year prior to adopting Apex Learning Comprehensive Courses district-wide. 2 Apex Learning Comprehensive Courses district-wide implementation year 2.

† Includes students using Apex Learning for original credit and credit recovery coursework.

1Year prior to using Apex Learning.† Statistically significant p < .05.

Table 2. Pass Rates of ACP Exams Administered in Reconnection Center Program by Year

School YearACP Exams Completed

N

Exams Passed

N Percent X2 Sig. p

2013-1414,825 2,160 44.8 19.16 0.15

2014-15 † 2,920 1,383 47.42015-16 † 3,283 1,632 49.7

Table 3. On Time Graduation Rates of 12th Grade Reconnect Participants by Year

School YearACP Exams Completed

N

Exams Passed

N Percent X2 Sig. p

2013-1411,451 1,172 80.8 3.82 0.15

2014-15 1,377 1,151 83.62015-16 1,216 998 82.1

1Year prior to using Apex Learning.

where opportunity thrivesTM

An industry leader with deep expertise in digital curriculum, Apex Learning works closely with school

districts across the country to implement proven solutions that increase on-time graduation rates and create

opportunities for student success in school and beyond. The company is driven by the understanding that

supporting the needs of all students – from struggling to accelerated – strengthens schools and creates stronger

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