Assessment in 21st-Century Classrooms

This free online learning course is designed for teachers to learn more about assessing 21st century skills. The course follows three teachers to see what assessment of 21st century skills looks like in action. It examines the ways purpose influences assessment choices and which instruments and methods to use. It also explores how to embed… Read More ›

Keeping Pace with K-12 Digital Learning: An Annual Reivew of Policy and Practice (2014)

This report documents the state of digital learning across the country. First the authors report on the types and prevalence of digital learning programs across the nation, including statewide fully online schools, state virtual schools offering supplemental courses, course-choice programs offering supplemental courses from a variety of providers, schools that blend online with more traditional… Read More ›

Implementing Competency Education in K-12 Systems: Insights from Local Leaders

This report describes effective district implementation strategies to convert traditional, one-size-fits-all models of education into more personalized, competency-based learning environments to meet students’ needs. It highlights strategies to engage, motivate, and teach all students to proficiency and mastery, depicts shifts in instruction toward deeper learning and meaningful assessments for learning, while exploring models of distributed leadership and… Read More ›

Student-Centered Learning: Functional Requirements for Integrated Systems to Optimize Learning

This paper illustrates the technical requirements and functionalities that learning management systems need to shift toward student-centered instructional models. This comprehensive framework will help districts and schools determine what systems to use as they begin their journey toward student-centered learning, as well as how systems integration aligns with their organizational vision, educational goals and strategic plans.… Read More ›

#edchatRI Twitter Chat on Student-Centered Learning

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation will be hosting a Twitter chat! Join #EdChatRI (Ed Chat Rhode Island) on Sunday, April 12th from 8 pm – 9 pm EST to talk about student-centered learning in education. You can join the chat simply by following and using the hashtag #EdChatRI. We’ll be tweeting questions with the hashtag… Read More ›

#edchatME Twitter Chat on Assessment

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation will be hosting a Twitter chat! Join #EdChatME (Ed Chat Maine) on Thursday, April 23rd from 8 pm – 9 pm EST to talk about assessment in education. You can join the chat simply by following and using the hashtag #EdChatME. We’ll be tweeting questions with the hashtag and looking… Read More ›

An Introduction to Competency-Based Education

Friday, April 3rd, 10:00am – 11:00am ET On Friday, April 3, iNACOL will host a Special Webinar featuring Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL, and Sandra Dop of the Iowa Department of Education. The concept is simple: learning is best measured by students demonstrating mastery, rather than how much time is spent in a… Read More ›

Frequently Asked Questions and Definitions from Students at the Center

This summary unpacks some of the myths and terms in student-centered learning. Isn’t student-centered just a generic, overused term that means “good stuff for kids”? Is competency education the same as student-centered learning? What about personalization? Students at the Center shares answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about student-centered approaches to teaching and… Read More ›

High School Redesign in Action

High School Redesign in Action is the New England Secondary School Consortium’s sixth annual conference for educators across the country to share success stories, exchange best practices, and continue to build momentum for innovations that will prepare all students for success in the colleges, careers, and communities of the 21st century. WHEN:  Thursday + Friday, March 26–27,… Read More ›

Building Consensus and Momentum: A Policy and Political Landscape for K-12 Competency Education

This report by KnowledgeWorks’, with support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, addresses three policy areas to focus on in building an educational system that supports competency education. By focusing on these areas, states would be given the flexibility needed to innovate, evaluate, and build systems that positively impact student achievement. Competency education cannot be… Read More ›

Maximizing Competency Education and Blended Learning

This brief is based on a two-day conversation with twenty-three incredibly insightful people who work in competency education, personalized learning, and blended learning. There are several parts to the paper, including: an exploration of the relationship between personalized learning, competency education, and blended learning and the concerns about equity that arise in each; issues that district… Read More ›

Transformation

This three minute video discusses reshaping the classroom and system so that learning is personalized, and students have a true voice in their education. We envision an education system where learning transcends the traditional school calendar and setting. We envision a system where students progress based upon mastery of a skill or topic, rather than… Read More ›