About Expanded Learning Opportunities for High School Credit
Since 2008, the Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance (RIASPA) has been working across the state to rethink our approach to high school credit. As Rhode Island moves towards a proficiency-based graduation system driven by the Common Core State Standards and away from “seat-time,” we are working with high schools to broaden delivery of instruction and demonstration of student proficiencies without compromising quality and learning standards.
Expanded Learning Opportunities for Credit (ELOs for Credit) provide a credit-worthy opportunity for students to pursue rigorous learning outside of the traditional school day that is student-driven, hands-on, and experiential. ELOs for Credit arise from student interest to dive deeper into a topic taught in class, study something outside the curriculum, explore a career interest, or develop a skill. ELOs for Credit expand upon or connect to learning in the classroom, allowing students to take advantage of community resources, such as colleges, community organizations, and industry employers.
Key Principles of Expanded Learning Opportunities