Enhancing Credit Recovery with Student Resilience and Well-Being Support

Credit recovery programs are essential for helping students, especially those impacted by COVID-19, regain academic ground and stay on track for graduation. With studies showing a strong link between student well-being and academic achievement, many schools are looking for ways to incorporate both into their credit recovery efforts. The partnership between EmpowerU, Catapult Learning’s mental health and resilience solution, and Saint Paul Public Schools, was successful in achieving this balance and increasing graduation rates.

Supporting Saint Paul Public School Students

The partnership with EmpowerU began with a need to address a gap in English Language Arts (ELA) credit recovery among a cohort of students in the district’s after-school credit recovery program.

One-hundred and twenty students, primarily 11th and 12th graders, were enrolled in EmpowerU’s online program, aligned with Minnesota state ELA standards. Supported by school staff and EmpowerU’s 1:1 online instructors, the initial rollout of EmpowerU was a great success that positively impacted pass rates and English content application. This led Saint Paul Public Schools to expand the EmpowerU partnership to support credit recovery initiatives districtwide for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students in need of ELA credit recovery.

Through EmpowerU’s partnership, Saint Paul Public Schools has seen improvement in student engagement and academic success. The program’s focus on resilience and mental health combined with academic support, helped students complete ELA credits needed for graduation and provided them with the tools and confidence they need to succeed in the future.

“The partnership with EmpowerU provided students access to English content connected to caring adults while focusing on socio-emotional support and learning,” noted an SPPS assistant superintendent. “These are the kinds of enriching experiences we want our students to have as a part of their credit recovery experience.”

Positive Gains for SPPS Students

The EmpowerU partnership led to meaningful improvements for SPPS students, not only academically but also in life skills and confidence. One 12th grade SPPS student shared, “Taking this course really helped when balancing other courses required for graduation. I’ll be using these techniques in the future. Thank you for helping me graduate.”

EMPOWERU RESULTS