Factors promoting academic credit attainment in an urban full-service community school initiative

Abstract

Students who attend alternative high schools are considered at risk of not graduating. To graduate from high school, students need to obtain the appropriate number of credits. In this study, factors related to the attainment of credit by students in an alternative school during 2015–2019 were examined. Five factors had an effect on the number of credits students in the alternative school earned: the duration of students’ active enrollment, participation in service programs, ongoing participation in service programs, student attendance rate, and home language. However, behavioral referrals, gender, race, ethnicity, and grade level had no effect on credit attainment. Implications for alternative high school policies and practice are also discussed.