Leading Change: The Emerging Human Capital Landscape in Personalized Learning Initiatives
This report describes findings from a study of the human capital landscape in the 21 districts participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top–District (RTT–D) grant program. It explores the various professional roles that RTT–D sites created or modified as they adopted personalized learning. It also examines lessons learned about compensation, hiring… Read More ›
Guide to the Competency-based Learning Survey for Students
This guide includes the ‘Competency-based Learning Survey for Students’ and additional instructions to support its implementation. The survey was designed to help schools and districts collect data directly from high school students. It looks at students’ beliefs about, exposure to, and understanding of key elements of competency-based learning. This survey was designed by the Regional Education… Read More ›
Bronx Arena High School Multimedia Monograph
This multimedia monograph features Bronx Arena High School, an innovative, competency-based school serving historically marginalized youth in New York City. The school’s mission is to empower over-age under-credited students to graduate ready for college or a career. The multimedia monograph is an interactive case study that features video interviews with students and staff. It brings… Read More ›
See How States Plan to Approach Equity
This article summarizes recommendations from the report “Leading For Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs”, released by The Council of Chief State School Officers and the Aspen Institute Education and Society Program. The recommendations were created by state chiefs, district leaders, civil rights advocates, and other stakeholders. The article outlines 10 areas state leaders can focus on to… Read More ›
Research Collaborative Seminar: Encouraging and Sustaining Competency-Based Learning Environments
The January installment of the Research Collaborative Seminar series features Paul Leather, former New Hampshire Deputy Commissioner of Education, Research Collaborative advisor, and nationally renowned leader in student-centered reforms. His presentation, “Encouraging and Sustaining Competency-Based Learning Environments: Lessons from New Hampshire,” focuses on what works, and, just as importantly, what doesn’t work when implementing competency-based… Read More ›
Ensuring Rhode Island Teachers and Students Thrive
We know from research that investing in the development of teacher leadership results in gains in student learning, increases in their own capacity, and bolsters the culture of their school systems. We also know that teachers have unique insights on what is most effective in their classrooms, schools, and districts but this expertise isn’t always… Read More ›
CTE in High School: Does It Improve Student Outcomes?
In this article, researchers Shaun Dougherty and Dara Zeehandelaar describe results from their study showing positive outcomes for students who participated in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. They note that CTE programs may increase student engagement by connecting learning at school with real world use. The article outlines some of the failures of older… Read More ›
Case Stories From One Middle School’s Efforts for Partnership
This article is written by Students at the Center Distinguished Fellow Dr. Frank LaBanca, principal of Westside Middle School Academy Magnet, as part of volume 10 of the educational journal LEARNing Landscapes. The article highlights his successes and challenges as principal of a start-up urban magnet middle school committed to a student-centered inquiry-based learning environment that values extended… Read More ›
A Close-Up Look at How a Workshop Framework Can Enhance Personalized Learning
Originally posted on CompetencyWorks, January 19, 2017. When I started teaching first grade over twenty-five years ago, I quickly realized that I was going to need additional strategies and support in order to help each of my students become independent readers and writers. The research and work of Donald Graves had a profound impact on… Read More ›
States Capacity a Nagging Issue as ESSA Gears Up
This article discusses whether state lawmakers are ready for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The article raises concerns that state education agencies do not have adequate staffing or funding to address the responsibilities of crafting and managing state accountability plans. In addition, it asserts that states are already tackling many other new… Read More ›
Breaking Down Silos with the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative
Here’s an alarming thought: What if our educational research questions, policies, and practices sometimes arise as much from ignorance as they do from evidence? I’m wondering this because I have a confession: When I was a middle school teacher, I never read educational research. Mostly this was because I had little time to do so… Read More ›
The Role of Performance Monitoring in Competency-Based Education
This blog post is the seventh in a blog series by Getting Smart on strategies to encourage students to reflect on their performance. The post discusses performance monitoring in the context of competency-based education (CBE) in which students progress based on demonstrated mastery while increasing voice, choice, and agency in their work. The post explores the… Read More ›