This brief is one in a series aimed at providing K-12 education decision-makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students during and following the novel coronavirus pandemic. Schools and districts are increasingly turning to online credit recovery as a strategy to help students make up coursework missed during COVID-19. Vendor-provided online credit recovery programs often do not accommodate the learning needs of students who read below grade level or require special academic supports. Online credit recovery often results in less learning and lower earnings than face-to-face credit recovery, even if students regain course credits. Design principles for effective online credit recovery are presented in this report.