Case Study: Van Dyke Public Schools achieves significant credit recovery and improved student engagement with Edmentum Courseware

Furnishing a Positive Alternative for Credit Recovery in Warren

Van Dyke Public Schools (VDPS), a 2,500‑student district in Warren, MI, faced a failing alternative education program that had become a catch‑all for students who weren’t thriving in traditional classrooms. The existing one‑size‑fits‑all online curriculum was costly, not aligned to Michigan standards, and produced poor outcomes, leaving the district searching for a customizable, positive alternative for students who needed a different pathway rather than disciplinary placement.

VDPS launched the Success Academy using Edmentum Courseware paired with dedicated mentoring, personalized learning paths, a hybrid at‑home/onsite attendance model, and flexible customization for different terms. The impact was immediate: in summer 2015, 135 high school students and 52 middle schoolers recovered at least one course (versus just 12 completions in 2014), more than 80% of returning middle schoolers passed their courses in the following quarter, student engagement rose, and the district plans to scale the program by adding mentors as enrollment grows.

Van Dyke Public Schools

Wendy Cusic

Director of Curriculum and Instruction