Failing a class can be costly in terms of time and energy, but students and parents are finding out that it can also hit them in their pocketbooks.
Students who fail core classes such as mathematics, English, history and social studies are required to retake the classes in order to graduate high school, but rather than retake the class in a different semester, they are obligated to enroll in the school’s Credit Recovery program, Española Valley High School Principal Elizabeth Lucero said.
Assistant Principal Terry Bentley described Credit Recovery as an after school, online program where students sit in front of a computer either at the library, or in a lab, to relearn the material from classes they failed. The sessions last approximately one hour, four days per week and run for the entire semester.
The caveat is that Credit Recovery costs the District money and previous administrators decided to pass part of that cost onto students. Each class costs $100 and some parents said this can be a significant burden for them, since they live paycheck to paycheck.
“The money is a real issue,” Parent Advisory Committee President Abe Salazar said. “The Valley is already depressed and many students cannot afford these classes. It may even stop people from graduating.”
There are families in the area who live near or below the poverty line. According to the website Citydata, almost 30 percent of residents in Española had incomes below the poverty line in 2009. That is 4 percent above the state average of 23 percent.
Many of these families qualify for financial assistance and they may not have the additional resources to pay for the classes. Bentley said there is currently no financial assistance for Credit Recovery, students and their families must pay for the entire class out-of-pocket.
“Registration is free for classes the first time,” Lucero said. “We pay for the books, we pay for the classes. We pay for tutoring and individual tutoring if the students need it. It is up to the student to pass the class, but we have resources that are available.”
However, Salazar said not all students fail classes because they are not dedicated and he claimed there could be systemic issues involved. For example, students may not understand the instructor and may not understand the material they are presented.
In those cases, it is not necessarily the students’ fault and it could indicate problems with the curriculum.
But Bentley said the fee acts as a motivator for students. If families are required to pay for the class, then parents are a little more involved in their children’s education.
Both Bentley and Lucero said they have the statistics to prove the fee helps ensure students take the classes seriously. Of the students who enroll in Credit Recovery, Lucero claimed that 98 percent pass the class and move on.
Salazar’s biggest concern is the requirement. He asked why students were automatically enrolled in the program, even if there may be room in the class. This would provide students the chance to relearn the material without having to pay for it.
Lucero said she understands parents’ concerns and is looking into those issues with the help of her employees. She said the program will remain, but different aspects of the program may change, depending on the feedback she receives from students, parents and teachers.
The classes involve video tutorials and lesson plans that students follow, as well as chapter exams they must take to demonstrate they understand the material.
High School instructors are on campus to assist them in case any issues arise. They also grade the sections of exams that computers cannot, such as essays and short answer questions.
Other Districts have similar programs. Pojoaque Valley School administrators said they have an online class as well, that costs $200. However, there may be other options for students aside from paying the fee to take the class. It depends on space and where they are in the graduation process.
Despite the controversy, the program has the support of the administration.
“Some people may disagree, but I believe if a student fails a class, that student should be responsible for paying for it,” District Superintendent Danny Trujillo said during a previous interview. “If students must pay to retake the classes they fail, then it makes them think twice before failing another class.