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Success Story

Redefining Online Education at Colton Joint Unified School District

The Challenge

Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) in San Bernardino, California serves 7,500+ high school students across five schools with significant socioeconomic challenges:

  • 85% facing economic hardship

  • 65% qualifying for free or reduced lunch

  • 30% identified as English Language Learner

  • Nearly 98% identifying as minorities

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the district faced an academic crisis: 20.5% of the Class of 2023 had at least one failing grade, and 281 seniors were at risk of not graduating on time. CJUSD needed a platform that could support credit recovery, re-engage students, and prepare them for college and career readiness.

Why Subject.com

CJUSD partnered with Subject.com, launching "Mission 220" for credit recovery. After 41 students successfully recover credits in the pilot, the program expanded district-wide.

Students responded positively to Subject's short-form, narrative video lessons that offered flexibility for both credit recovery and elective exploration. Popular courses included Photography, Financial Literacy, Psychology, and Cryptocurrency.

Dr. Eric Mooney, Director of Secondary Education, noted, “It was evident the team at Subject cared about our district and demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting our unique needs. They were attentive to our graduation criteria, timelines, and data points, ensuring alignment in our goals.”

Student Impact

Students at CJUSD showed increased engagement and renewed interest in learning. They connected with Subject's interactive lessons that applied to their real-world experiences.

"The learning materials and real-world applications really help me to be more successful," reported one student. Many appreciated how the platform supported individual learning paths across both core requirements and electives.

Subject also helped the district more effectively analyze student performance data, enabling staff to make timely decisions to improve outcomes.

Results

CJUSD experienced tangible success across multiple subject areas:

  • Social Science: 82% average score

  • Science: 81% average score

  • World Language: 80% average score

  • Math: 74% average score

  • English: 74% average score

  • Electives & VAPA: 76–78% average scores

Beyond the numbers, Subject.com contributed to increased credit recovery, stronger graduation prospects, and higher student morale. Dr. Mooney summed it up: “Subject has helped substantially with the core content component and aligns with our mission to help every student achieve success in college, career, and life.”