Student-Centered Learning Resources and Research
Helping each student experience meaningful, personalized learning opportunities to realize their fullest potential
Students at the Center Framework
Comprehensive Resource Hub
Making the Case: Compelling Data
Advancing Student-Led Research: The YARI Project
Explore more information about our student-led research project featuring youth who have been historically marginalized by traditional school structures and policies. Learn More ›
Critical Civic Inquiry: Empowering Students to Transform Communities
Dive into a research study that investigates how educators can center student leadership and student voices in school and community reform efforts. Learn More ›
An Investigation into Culturally Responsive Mastery-Based Education
Culturally responsive and mastery-based education are two distinct student-centered practices. Read more about the research study that dove into how they can work together. Learn More ›
Advancing Student-Led Research: The YARI Project
Explore more information about our student-led research project featuring youth who have been historically marginalized by traditional school structures and policies. Learn More ›
Critical Civic Inquiry: Empowering Students to Transform Communities
Dive into a research study that investigates how educators can center student leadership and student voices in school and community reform efforts. Learn More ›
Teaching Solutions
Educator competencies for creating and thriving in personalized, learner-centered systems
Advocacy Solutions
Resources for advocating or creating policy for personalized, learner-centered systems
Research Solutions
Education and policy research for personalized, competency-based learning frameworks
Resources
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Learning Through Teaching: Building Critical Consciousness
A former high school English teacher reflects on her experiences in the classroom and the importance of stepping back.
Current Landscape of Postsecondary Competency-Based Education
Read a summary and the report on the current landscape for postsecondary competency-based education in the United State.
Educator Competencies: Video Examples of 'Growth Mindset'
Watch video examples of how teachers practice a growth mindset and see mistakes and failures as opportunities for growth.
Educator Competencies: Video Example of 'Growth Mindset'
Watch a video example of how teachers practice a growth mindset and see mistakes and failures as opportunities for growth.
Resource Round-Up: Honoring Student Voice with Authentic Products
Blogs, podcasts and resources for educators to help engage students with authentic projects and products that honor student voice.
Education in the Balance: Tensions Affecting Education's Future
Explore "Education in the Balance" and learn tensions affecting education's future: leadership, contested power and strained systems.
Resource Round-Up: Teaching the Civil Rights Movement
Explore virtual exhibits, artifacts and stories about the pivotal figures and collective actions that were part of the civil rights...
For Students, Lived Experience = Expertise
Students, informed by their lived experiences, conducted research projects about the education system with ideas on how to reform it.
Highlighting the Importance of Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Associate Principal Darius Green shares why he believes relationship building is the cornerstone of a thriving school community.
Resource Round-Up: Teaching Jim Crow South and the Lynching Era
Explore virtual museums, videos and lesson plans designed to help educators learn more about Jim Crow South and the lynching...
Maintaining an Equity Focus During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Arria Coburn and Ellen Foley sat down to reflect and discuss how they have maintained a focus on equity during...
Sustaining Student-Centered Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Principal Arria Coburn and math teacher, Ellen Foley, sat down with KnowledgeWorks to discuss student-centered learning during the pandemic.
Reflections and Resources for Educators Facilitating Youth-Led Research
Victoria Restler reflects on what educators, mentors and graduate students learned from facilitating a youth-led research project.
Promising Practices for Designing Dual Enrollment for Students
Read about the promising practices and recommendations for designing dual enrollment for students from special populations.
Promising Practices to Accelerate Learning for Students with Disabilities
Explore the report that outlines promising practices that accelerate learning for students with disabilities.
Your Struggles are Systemic and Valid: Reflections from a Youth Researcher
A youth researcher reflects on the importance of relationships, especially between teachers and students who share similar experiences.
Student researches how students can pursue meaningful careers
As part of a youth-led research project, a student examined how historically marginalized students can pursue meaningful careers after high...
Culturally Responsive Education Hub: History, Tools and Resources
Resources for teachers and leaders that capture the power of culturally responsive teaching and tools to become more culturally responsive.
How Our School Shared Student-Centered Learning with Families
Using a library system to check out STEAM kits, an elementary school shares student-centered learning with families.
Youth Examine How to Improve Education for ESL/ELL Students
As part of a youth-led research project, students examine how their district can improve educational experiences for ELL students.
Students Examine How Ethnic Backgrounds Affect Relationships
As part of a youth-led research project, students examine how racial and ethnic backgrounds affect relationships in classrooms.
Students Explore the Disadvantages Female Students of Color Face
What advantages and disadvantages do female students of color face in schools, and how does it affect their learning journeys?
Students Explore How Schools’ Impressions Impact Accomodations
As part of a youth-led research project, students examine how schools' impressions of students impact the accommodations they receive.
One School’s Commitment to Equity Using Student-Centered Learning
Learn about how one school overcame barriers to equity using student-centered practices, addressing literacy and social emotional needs.
Resource Round-Up: Talking About the Attack on the Capitol
A list of resources to help educators have conversations about the attack on the Capitol with their learners, peers and...
10 Drivers of Student Engagement You Can Use Right Now
Whether learning occurs in brick-and-mortar schools or in virtual environments, student engagement drives student outcomes.
Personalizing Math: Productive Struggle, Rich Content and Collaboration
Personalizing math for students requires intentional and productive struggle with rich content and opportunities for collaboration.
Resource Round-Up: Peer Discussions
Browse resources from other educators about engaging students in peer discussions to build community and understanding.
The Top 10 Resources You Loved in 2020
Browse the top 10 posts from Students at the Center Hub in 2020. These are the resoures and stories you...
Resource Round-Up: Project-Based Learning at a Distance
A curated list of resources to help educators implement student-centered project-based learning in virtual classrooms and beyond.
Strategies for Making Human-Centered Learning a Reality
Explore available strategies to create and sustain an education system where human-centered learning is the foundation.
Five Lessons the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Student Engagement
Working with youth researchers during the pandemic has taught us about it takes to engage and support youth during volatile...
Guidance on Culturally Responsive Remote Education
Now is the time to critically engage the systems we've set up to implement online educational opportunities in culturally-responsive ways.
Researchers of Color Make All the Difference
Students and youth researchers deserve to have mentors who can understand their lived experiences and can step back to let...
The Critical Importance of Youth-Led Research
Engaging in youth-led research not only provides a rich experience for students but it also provides adults with new, important...
Three Lessons From New Hampshire’s Effort to Expand Deeper Learning
From a research-practice partnership comes lessons learned about how to scale deeper learning practices and authentic assessments.
Resource Round Up: Competency-Based Education
This collection of resources explores the advantages of competency-based education and ways to implement it during remote learning.
Roadmap for Student Self-Direction: Building Essential Skills for the Future
Explore the collection of resources for teachers to use in the classroom for instruction and assessment that focuses on self-direction.
Resource Round-Up: Motivation and Remote Learning
Explore resources designed for educators to strengthen motivation and engagement in hybrid and remote learning environments.
What We Don't Learn in School: How a (Virtual) Road Trip Teaches Civil Rights
Explore a virtual road trip with the purpose of expanding understanding of systemic racism and biases inherent in our systems.
Brown v. Board of Education Resources for Educators and Learners
Explore resources for educators and learners around the history and consequences of the Supreme Court decision Brown V. Board.
Red Summer of 1919 and Black Wall Street Resources for Educators
Direct learners to interactive, immersive experiences to learn more about the Red Summer of 1919 and Black Wall Street.
Japanese American Relocation Camp Resources for Educators
Explore a variety of educational resources related to the events and policies that led to the internment of Japanese Americans.
Exploring the Impact of Student-Centered Learning on Mathematics
Learn what happened when teachers engaged in lesson study to test, refine and spread student-centered approaches in mathematics.
How to Choose Words That Motivate Students During Online Learning
Framing assignments in student-centric rather than teacher-centric ways can encourage engagement and persistence in learning.
Structured Collaborative Inquiry for Today’s Hybrid Learning Environments
Learn how lesson study can provide opportunities for teachers to participate in structured collaborative inquiry in hybrid learning environments.
Lesson Study: Resources for Administrators, Educators and Guardians
Learn more about how to implement lesson study and student-centered math instruction in your schools and classrooms.
A Guide to High School Planning During COVID-19
This guide covers six areas of practice, each of which has an accompanying set of recommendations and guiding questions.
White Teachers: How to Support your Black Colleagues
Supporting the needs of Black teachers and recognizing their emotional labor is crucial in the fight for racial justice.
State Guidance for Building Resilient and Equitable Education Systems
This guidebook provides education stakeholders with important considerations for this calendar year and beyond.
Black Student Voices: Reflecting on Race and Racism in Schools
This Education Week series provides an opportunity for educators to hear from students directly regarding race and racism.
Strengthening Student Voices Through Social Justice
Students needs a safe place to process and use their voices to learn to contribute positively to the national conversation...
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Resources
This list is a great starting point for math and science teachers of any grade who want to make changes...
5 Steps Toward Cultural Competence for Educators and Schools
Five ways educators can build cultural competence, including setting measurable goals and being comfortable with vulnerability.
Black Lives Matter in Schools Week of Action Resources
Resources for the Black Lives Matter Week of Action, including lessons, teaching ideas, book lists and teaching guides.
Project Implicit Explores Implicit Social Cognition to Expose Bias
Project Implicit aims to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on...
31 Days of IBPOC Features Indigenous Teachers and Teachers of Color
#31DaysIBPOC is a blog challenge that features the voices of indigenous and teachers of color as writers and scholars.
Diversity Talks Centers Students in Race and Equity Conversations
Diversity Talks, founded by two students and a teacher, trains students to lead teacher professional development around race and diversity.
Resources for Understanding and Supporting Black Lives Matter
These Black Lives Matter resources are curated by Dr. Tia C. Madkins from the College of Education at the University...
Unboxing Equity for Teachers, By Teachers, With Teacher2Teacher
Teacher2Teacher offers opportunities to share resources, learn from one another and solve big equity problems.
How Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive
One fifth-grade teacher reflects on empowering students and the building blocks of culturally responsive teaching when remote.
A Reading List of Anti-Racism Resources for All Ages
This reading list, ranging from articles to children's books, offers a wide-range of resources focused on anti-racism.
19 Black Educators on Instagram to Listen to and Learn From
This site will help educators connect with each other and gain ideas to promote equity in their classrooms.
SEL Strategies to Support Teachers of Students with Learning Differences
Explore ways in which SEL strategies can help reframe and address challenges in a remote learning environment.
Examining the Role of Ed Tech for Students With Disabilities
Released by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, this report poses the essential questions when approaching ed tech investments.
A School Reopening Plan Designed for Those at the Margins
Students benefit when educators plan first and foremost for students at the margins, whether due to disabilities, poverty or homelessness.
Planning for Better Professional Development in an Uncertain Future
Advice for administrators to provide professional development during remote learning, including a focus on trauma-informed teaching practices.
High Quality Professional Development From Home
The author provides ideas for making the most of the materials available on the web as well as professional reading.
Meaningful Summer Remote Professional Development
Ideas for creating your own professional development opportunities from home, including podcasts and the Google Certified educator program.
Tools for Scaling Best Practices: Windows, Bridges and Roadmaps
Explore the Motivis Learning platform, which incorporates key functions such as content modules, grade books and assessment tools.
Eastside Students Write Books on How to Overcome a Pandemic
Middle school students in Bullitt County, KY describe their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, with links to each student's work.
ASCD Resources for Building Racial Justice and Equity
Bringing together many of ASCD's resources on building racial equity in education in one place, ASCD has made these tools...
Two High School Students Speak Out on COVID-19
Two high school seniors describe their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on their future plans and coping with...
Non-Negotiables for Formative Assessment and Online Learning
Three teachers committed to formative assessment share thoughts on which teaching practices must be incorporated into remote teaching.
How Educators Are Showing Up for Black Students Following Protests
Ways educators are discussing the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality with students during remote learning.
Six Ways District Leaders Can Build Racial Equity in Education
Education Week staff asked six district leaders to share specific practices and processes they use in their school systems to...
Students Are Demanding Anti-Racist Curriculum and Instruction
Students across the country are demanding their districts embrace more culturally diverse and explicitly anti-racist curriculum.
Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships
The updated version of the framework highlights the role of strong and trusting relationships between families and schools.
Transitioning and Sustaining Competency-Based Education
A mastery-based approach positioned the South Bronx Community Charter High School to make a smoother transition to remote learning.
Providence Students Use Data to Participate in System Change
In student-centered math classes, students use and analyze data to help improve students' experiences in their district.
Teaching, Technology, and Teacher Education During COVID-19
Noted challenges and global success stories of innovation in preparing current and future teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Blended Learning Models that Can Help Schools Reopen
Explore two approaches to blended learning that could be used in schools, providing a mix of in-person and remote learning.
Fostering Connectedness in the Pandemic Era: Policy Recommendations
This report features policy recommendations to nurture students' connections to school to support both well-being and academic outcomes.
Supporting Students to be Independent Learners: State and District Actions
Culturally and linguistically responsive education helps students build a sense of connection to school and become independent learners.
Why There's a Push to Get Police out of Schools
This article and accompanying podcast from MindShift explores the rationale for decreasing police in schools.
The Sciences of Teaching and Learning: Neuroscience and Psychology
Neuroscience and psychology findings explore the importance of growth mindset, linking new knowledge to past knowledge, SEL and diversity.
Planning for Success in the Fall Starts with Personalization
Equity concerns exacerbated by COVID-19 school closures can only be addressed if educators commit to personalization.
Why Middle Schoolers Thrive in a Self-Paced Classroom
A veteran teacher discusses student engagement during remote learning by letting students take more responsibility for their own learning.
Veteran Teacher Attests Passion Projects Fuel Student-Driven Learning
Detailed steps and tips to guide students through creation of projects on topics of their own choosing to engage them...
How Student Agency Can Ease the Pain of Remote Learning and Teaching
The benefits to student engagement and deep level learning, social-emotional well-being and school operations.
Observations of Self-Directed Behavior in an Online Environment
Lessons learned regarding student agency during remote learning from educators and school leaders in New Hampshire.
15 Classroom Resources for Discussing Racism, Policing, and Protest
A collection of useful classroom resources to help teachers talk to students about racism, protest, policing and current events.
Schools Call Parents “Co-Teachers,” but We Have No Idea What We’re Doing
This article is a plea to educators to remember families and caregivers during remote learning school closures. The article reminds...
Learning in the Time of Corona: Fast Classes and Less Sleep
This article, written by a teacher at the Urban Assembly School for Math and Science for Young Women, an all-girls...
Educators Tackle Tough Conversations about Race and Violence – This Time Virtually
This article discusses the importance of discussing current events with students. It presents examples of the many different ways that...
Three Ways to Scale Student-Centered Reforms in Your System
Aimed at capturing a more authentic assessment of content knowledge, educators have developed performance tasks.
Racial Equity Tools for Individuals, Schools and Communities
Tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and work toward justice at...
Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning Toolkit
Designed to help schools and other stakeholders measure, understand and reflect upon the extent of student-centered learning in high schools.
What Will Schools Do in the Fall? Here Are 4 Possible Scenarios
Explore four possible scenarios for instruction that include varying mixes of in-person and distance learning.
How to Foster a Positive School Climate in a Virtual World
Ways to improve culture including physical and emotional safety, respect for diversity and equity and supportive teaching practices.
A Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities
Designed to help communities chart a path to safely and responsibly reopen school buildings and other institutions.
Relationships Check Sparks Self-Reflection and Conversation
Meaningful relationships, self-reflection and conversation with caring adults are critical to children's wellbeing during this time.