Challenge

Temecula Valley USD high schools have been recognized at the state and national level for their excellence. The district has a high school graduation rate of 94.6 percent—significantly above the state average—and 72.1 percent of its graduates complete all courses required for admission into the University of California and California State University systems. 

However, the district wanted better tools to keep struggling students on track before they needed credit recovery. When students didn’t learn course material or failed to earn the credits needed to advance, high school teachers needed a way to ensure students kept progressing forward toward earning the credits they need for graduation. They also wanted to increase the rigor of their digital curriculum to match the school system’s reputation for excellence.

The district’s educators sought a digital curriculum program that provided rigor to ensure students were mastering grade-level concepts, filling in learning gaps, and preparing for their next steps—from end-of-course exams to post-secondary college or career paths.

Keeping students in their home school whenever possible, before exploring alternative schools, was also a priority.

Solution

Temecula Valley USD began adopting Apex Courses and Tutorials in 2008 as part of a multitiered intervention.

Courses provide students with options for earning credits while Tutorials help struggling students master prerequisite skills that may be missing and are needed for course success. Both programs engage different learning styles through multiple approaches. The instructional lessons include extensive embedded and opt-in scaffolds to support students in mastering the content. These scaffolds include:

- Reading comprehension supports for below-proficient readers and English language learners

- Prior knowledge supports for students with learning gaps

- Study guides for students without good study habits

- Structure to keep students focused and on track

The district partners with Edmentum Success Managers to plan, implement, and ensure the ongoing success of the program.

“The support we have received as a district from Apex Learning has been tremendous,” said Joe Balleweg, director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. “Anytime we need [them], the response is immediate and incredibly helpful. We have been very pleased with the customer service, and the willingness to partner with us has been fantastic. This support as long as we have.” 

Result

Educators and students in Temecula Valley USD have seen the benefit of using Apex Courses and Tutorials, Balleweg says, and the digital curriulum is now used throughout all three of the district’s comprehensive high schools.

“Our partnership with [Edmentum] has allowed us to support our students in being more efficient,” he says. “With Apex Learning credit recovery courses, we have been able to sustain our high graduation numbers and keep students within the district.” 

Seniors who were struggling on their diploma pathway and at risk of failing to graduate were able to recover the credits they needed and receive diplomas. Whether they are going to college or directly into a career, students are prepared to succeed in mastering the district’s rigorous curriculum through their experiences using Courses and Tutorials.

Download the Story

[Edmentum] has provided us with the opportunity to help meet the needs of our struggling students with a rigorous credit recovery program and has supported our students in not only achieving a credit for graduation, but for understanding and mastering concepts to fill in their learning gaps.

Joe Balleweg

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment