Increasing and sustaining student achievement is the hallmark of the U.S. educational system. The school principal must keep the mission and vision of student achievement at the forefront and devise methods to increase high school graduation rates. Online credit recovery is an efficient means to assist secondary students, including at-risk populations, who lack credits due to course failure. This basic interpretive study examined the lived experiences of five secondary leaders in Georgia whose graduation rates increased annually. The purpose of the project was to comprehend the meaning these five leaders made from their experiences utilizing online credit recovery software. Understanding the participants’ lived experiences may provide strategies for stakeholders working with secondary at-risk students. The data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and historical data reviews. Strategies to support students enrolled in online credit recovery programs included providing multiple opportunities for online classes and staffing online credit recovery courses with certified teachers. Teachers' perceptions of non-traditional means of recovering credits after course failure were a barrier. Although the principal is the instructional leader responsible for increasing and sustaining student achievement, helping students, particularly at-risk students, graduate with their cohort requires many staff members. The findings indicate students who are credit deficient require the assistance of compassionate and dedicated staff well-informed of the needs of the at-risk learner. Creating authentic relationships with a caring adult may increase student engagement and familiarity with their school. Forming solid and meaningful connections to school through clubs, homerooms, and viable post-secondary career opportunities may help increase student achievement.