As the number of schools, districts and states committed to student-centered, personalized learning practices grows, so does the evidence base. On this page, you’ll find an evolving library of data points that describe the impacts of student-centered and competency-based approaches on student learning and other key outcomes.
The findings are searchable and are sourced from research studies, external evaluations and evidence collected directly by schools, districts and states using student-centered and personalized learning approaches.
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This research brief examines the research base for comprehensive student advising, looking at the ways it fosters relationships, social capital and student agency. It concludes there is promising evidence of impact (as defined by the US Department of Education).
Teachers in focus groups reported that with student-centered practices, students appeared to improve at seeking support. They noted these help-seeking behaviors were in alignment with the development of greater agency.
Students with higher levels of socio-economic status reported higher levels of self-efficacy, perseverance of effort, mastery orientation, self-regulated learning, and future orientation relative to peers from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
In four schools, the implementation of specific student-centered teacher practices led to a significant increase in metacognitive self-regulation throughout the school year. Other student-level measures of agency did not change significantly or decrease.
In a study investigating the student-level impacts of high quality project-based activities, 83% of students demonstrated proficient or above skills in self-direction. These skills included managing time and workflow.
According to a City Year research report, AmeriCorps members leaning into the practice of building strong developmental relationships was critical for maintaining student engagement.
Over a three-year period, a project-based science curriculum fueled gains in student engagement and outcomes. Students appeared to be more motivated and engaged in learning science and engineering, and they seemed more interactive during group work than students not participating in the curriculum.
In response to various types of resistance by adults, students tried a range of strategies: seeking assistance, perseverance and ownership, speaking truth to power and peer mentoring.
Students who learned the skills of sociopolitical efficacy and critical reflection were more likely to take sociopolitical action. These findings suggest providing classroom-based leadership opportunities if we seek to foster youth’s engagement in sociopolitical action.
Implementing the student-centered instruction and assessment strategies of lesson study practices led to Latinx and Black students, both male and female, reporting an increase in feeling comfortable sharing their ideas in math class.
Implementing the student-centered instruction and assessment strategies of lesson study practices led to significant and positive shifts in Black students’ perceptions of themselves as “math people.”
After teachers engaged in empathy interviews and guided lesson study practices as part of the networked improvement community study of student-centered instruction and assessment strategies, Black and Latinx students were more likely to believe they could succeed in math class.
