How Closing My Competency-based School Led to Learning What Works
This article was originally posted in Youth Today on March 15, 2018 I closed the doors to Missouri’s first competency-based high school after just three years. Our school, based in St. Louis and on the campus of the city’s technical college, served young people ages 17-21 who wanted to finish high school but couldn’t succeed… Read More ›
Cultural Relevance and Academic Equity in the Age of ESSA
In this webinar, Dr. Almitra Berry-Jones, an expert in culturally and linguistically diverse learners at risk, will dive into the topics of cultural relevance and academic equity. She will introduce educators to a culturally relevant pragmatism that regards the culturally and linguistically diverse learner as one who brings to school a divergent order of reality that… Read More ›
Makerspace Successes, Makerspace Challenges
Maker culture is here and it is alive and thriving in schools and public libraries across the United States and beyond. While each makerspace is a reflection of its own learning community, there are valuable lessons we can take away from maker facilitators: successes, challenges, surprises, do-overs, and “I wishes.” In this edWebinar, Michelle Luhtala,… Read More ›
Research Collaborative Seminar: Messaging Personalized Learning
In the latest installment of the Research Collaborative Seminar, Karla Phillips, Policy Director for ExcelinEd, discusses revealing findings from ExcelinEd’s recent message testing survey on personalized learning. Watch now to hear what messages resonated (or didn’t) with voters across the country and what we can do to clarify terms and support best practices. Download… Read More ›
Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative 2018 Convening
Join JFF’s Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island on October 10th and 11th to share new evidence for student-centered practices, gain insights about what works and may be worthy of scaling, and advance the field’s attention to equity. In attendance will be the vanguard of leading researchers, educators,… Read More ›
Frequently Asked Questions About Competency-Based Education
This resource was designed to help district and school leaders communicate effectively about personalized learning with a variety of stake holders in many different settings. It provides answers in plain language to a a list of commonly asked questions such as: Will students spend their whole day on a tablet or computer? What role does… Read More ›
Why Seeking Purpose Matters for Opportunity Youth
This piece, originally posted in September 2016, remains relevant to the conversation about non-IQ competencies such as self-regulation and “grit”. The intersection of “grit” and equity remains an opportunity for further discussion and analysis. I recently read an article in The New York Times by Angela Duckworth entitled Graduating and Looking for Your Passion: Just… Read More ›
ESSA and Personalized Learning: State by State
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides states with significant flexibility to advance personalized learning and improve equitable outcomes for students. This resource highlights emerging ideas as states leverage this flexibility through their implementation plans. The interactive map shows states that have released their plans for public comment and provides a summary of the personalized… Read More ›
Building a High-Quality System of Assessments to Advance Deeper Learning
Originally posted on February 1, 2018 as a Learning Deeply Blog for Edweek Are today’s students terribly over-tested, as many educators and observers argue—or, is it actually possible they’re not tested enough? This issue has been debated for decades. Finally, there’s an answer that makes sense, and it’s gaining ground across the country. Schools, students,… Read More ›
State Strategies to Develop Teacher Capacity for Personalized, Competency-Based Learning
This issue brief outlines state policy recommendations and action steps to modernize educator preparation and development systems to bring student-centered learning environments to scale. To transform the K-12 education system, states must build teacher capacity for personalized, competency-based education. This brief highlights four strategies for states and school districts to prepare teachers with the skills… Read More ›
Student-centered Learning Reflects Science of Learning for All Youth
Originally posted in Youth Today My 6-year-old is obsessed with baseball stadiums. All summer his attention was captured by stadium history, especially for our local team the St. Louis Cardinals. Every day this summer, he constructed stadiums from magnet tiles and blocks. Before bed, he gave me tours of his elaborate structures and explained the… Read More ›
2018 Blended and Personalized Learning Conference
BPLC18 will convene educators, leaders, and innovators for three days of sharing, networking, and learning in Providence, RI. From Thursday, April 5 to Saturday, April 7 the Highlander Institute, the Christensen Institute, and the Learning Accelerator are showcasing the best classroom, school, and district implementers from across the nation at our 2018 Blended & Personalized Learning… Read More ›