Plato (or Edmentum), is a program where students can take Core 40 classes online. Edmentum also provides the service of Study Island, which some students may be familiar with from English classes.

Students often use Plato for a variety of reasons, including making up failed credits. If a student is missing a credit, or if a class doesn’t fit in their schedule, Plato is an option. If students want to bump their GPA up, they can take classes there as well.

However, in some circumstances, counselors may encourage students to go to summer school instead of using Plato. For example, if a student failed Algebra, they could go to summer school to make up the credit. This could also be the case if a class needs to be taken before the next level, like with English. 

Statistics about Plato usage at South can provide insight on how many students have used the program during the school year compared to earning credits during the summer. 

During the school year: 

2017-2018: 200 students earned 332 credits.

2018-2019: 230 students earned 397 credits.

2019-2020 (as of Term 2): 175 students earned 211 credits.

During the summer: 

2016: 352 students earned 303 credits.

2017: 310 students earned 297 credits.

2018: 212 students earned 164 credits.

2019: 214 students earned 190 credits.

It appears that as the years pass, from 2016 to 2019, the amount of South students attending summer school has decreased, and Plato users have increased. 

In the summer school data, it can be seen that there are more students than credits earned–that is due to students not showing up to summer school. In comparison, during the school year, there are more credits earned than the amount of students taking them. 

It is possible for students to use Plato to graduate early, as it can be assumed from the above data. Additionally, this data could imply that some students prefer to take some classes online. Another question would be if, eventually, a student could use Plato for some of their Core 40 classes, in order to make free time in their schedule for more electives.

As the years progress, it’s possible Plato will have more users and even may introduce a more solid possibility of online learning. Only time will tell.