Apex Learning Online Instruction, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Research Educational Program Report
Author: Houston Independent School District (HISD), Department of Research and Accountability
Date: 2013-11-11
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Access to Education,Secondary School Students,Academic Achievement,Graduation Rate,Demography,Student Characteristics,Repetition,Required Courses,Credits,Readiness,Standardized Tests,Scores,At Risk Students,Advanced Placement,Test Results

Apex Learning is the largest provider of secondary digital curriculum in Houston Independent School District (HISD). Introduced in January 2010 through Graduation Laboratories (Grad Labs) located at each high school, the program has grown from providing seniors with opportunities to recover credits required for graduation to providing secondary students with options for completing both recovery and original credit courses in grades 6-12. This report documents usage and academic achievement associated with courses completed through Apex Learning in 2011- 2012 and 2012-2013. It also addresses the completion of Apex Learning Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and other providers' State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) review courses, courses offered only at schools that elect to fund the services to support students who need to retake state-mandated tests. Finally, with the addition of Apex Learning Advanced Placement (AP) course options in HISD, this report provides information about program usage and student performance on the associated AP exams compared with the performance of all other students who took AP tests in the district. Highlights in this report include: (1) In 2012-2013, 6,730 HISD students completed 12,872 online courses through Apex Learning, down from the 6,792 students who completed 14,073 online courses through Apex Learning in 2011-2012. Apex Learning was the provider for 66 percent of all online courses completed in HISD in 2011-2012 and 81 percent of all online courses completed in HISD in 2012-2013; (2) In 2011-2012, HISD twelfth graders completed 40 percent of the Apex Learning courses and in 2012-2013, they completed 45 percent of the courses. HISD seventh-graders completed Apex Learning courses for the first time in 2012-2013; (3) HISD students who took an Apex Learning course and a Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test in the same year generally achieved comparable rates of meeting the TAKS standard but lower rates of being commended for their performance than did all other HISD students taking the test the same year; (4) Students who took an Apex Learning course and a State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness/End of Course (STAAR/EOC) exam in the same subject the same year generally achieved a rating of satisfactory at similar or better rates than did all other HISD students taking the same test that year but they generally had lower percentages of achieving an advanced rating; (5) In 2011-2012, 27 percent of HISD graduates took at least one Apex Learning course. Ninety-three percent of HISD twelfth graders who completed an Apex Learning course also graduated while 91 percent of all HISD twelfth graders graduated; and (6) HISD students completed 302 Advanced Placement (AP) courses through Apex Learning in 2011-2012 and 86 AP courses through Apex Learning in 2012-2013. In 2011-2012, 157 of the AP courses were associated with an AP exam, 80 exams were taken, and Apex students earned passing scores (scores of 3 or higher) on eight (10 percent) of them. In 2012-2013, 42 Apex Learning AP courses were associated with an AP exam, 18 AP tests were completed, and Apex Learning students earned passing scores on four (22 percent) of them.