Nearly 50 school districts nationwide have used American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) funding to purchase an online learning program, while nine others are pursuing Investing in Innovation federal grants to expand their successful implementations of the same program.

Pearson’s online program NovaNET® educates students in virtual school settings, dropout prevention and credit recovery programs, summer school and alternative schools.

"We're enabling non-traditional learning environments and rich, media-driven instruction to guide these students on a path to success," said Bob Roliardi, president of Pearson Digital. "We know that digital curriculum can be adapted to meet a student's needs, providing the most helpful, most individualized learning experience."

The curriculum, geared toward grades 6-12, has recently expanded to include five new courses. The two-semester geography course integrates interactive content, such as zoomable  maps and slide shows, to address key concepts. American and British Literature courses include audio excerpts and scrollable passages, while Integrated Math 3 offers multimedia lessons combining Algebra I and II and geometry. Biology Investigating Lab Lessons provide 14 video lab lessons integrated with NovaNET Biology.

NovaNET qualifies for federal funding in the areas of Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I, and School Improvement Grants.