What Parents Want: Education Preferences and Trade-offs

This groundbreaking study finds that nearly all parents seek schools with a solid core curriculum in reading and math, an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and the development in students of good study habits, strong critical thinking skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. But some parents also prefer specializations… Read More ›

In Charge: Student-Led Conferences at Pittsfield Middle High School

A small rural school in southern New Hampshire is undergoing major school change towards more student-centered learning. This video showcases their work with Student-Led Conferences, in which high school students prepare a portfolio of work and lead a presentation with their parents, advisor, and invited guest. Attendance at the conferences is far higher than the… Read More ›

Personalization in Schools: Annotated Bibliography

Students at the Center defines personalized learning as learning experiences that customize education to an individual’s personal needs and interests as well as connect the individual to adults and peers in a larger community of learners. In Personalization in Schools (2012) Susan Yonezawa, Larry McClure, and Makeba Jones hone in on the aspect of personalization… Read More ›

The Condition of STEM 2013

This report by the ACT Foundation includes information specific to STEM-related fields for the graduating class of 2013 that took the ACT test. Test data provides research on students’ interest in STEM careers, and math and science readiness. The report is broken into four main areas: science, computer science and mathematics, medical and health, and engineering and technology. The authors… Read More ›

Student-centered Assessment Video Suite

What does student-centered assessment look like in the classroom? How do students benefit from this type of assessment? Why do teachers implement these practices in their classrooms? The Students at the Center project, in conjunction with Dr. Heidi Andrade, Ed.D. and the students and teachers from IS 223 (Brooklyn, NY), produced this suite of videos… Read More ›

Student-Centered Assessment Resources

What is student-centered assessment? What is it not? How is it implemented in the classroom, and when implemented, what is the impact? These print and video resources illustrate the practical application of the research outlined in Assessing Learning. They focus on four student-centered assessment practices: self-assessment, peer assessment, exhibitions, and process portfolios. Student-Centered Assessment Guides These… Read More ›

Foreword to Anytime, Anywhere

Foreword by Nicholas C. Donohue, President and CEO, Nellie Mae Education Foundation Foreword excerpt: The greatest opportunity facing our country today is that of sustaining and growing a flourishing society in the context of a fast-changing world. The days are gone when basic schooling coupled with ingenuity and hard work was sufficient for America to… Read More ›

Anytime, Anywhere: Student-Centered Learning for Schools and Teachers

Order now >   Anytime, Anywhere: Student-Centered Learning for Schools and Teachers (Harvard Education Press, 2013) synthesizes existing research and practices in the emerging field of student-centered learning, and includes profiles of schools that have embraced this approach. Educators have argued that students should be at the center of learning, constructing new knowledge based on what… Read More ›

Teaching High-Level Mathematics to English Language Learners in the Middle Grades

Students at the Center paper Latino/a and Black Students and Mathematics (Gutiérrez and Irving) asks readers to rethink the problem of mathematical achievement for all students, and for Latino/a and black students in particular. Teaching High-Level Mathematics to English Language Learners, a two-day professional development curriculum, reflects the principles espoused in this paper while extending the… Read More ›

Student-Centered Assessment Guide: Peer Assessment

Developed by the Students at the Center Team to illustrate the practical application of the research described in their Assessing Learning paper, this guide summarizes peer assessment as a student-centered assessment practice. The guide provides a clear definition and steps for implementing peer assessment effectively in the classroom. It looks specifically at the use of… Read More ›

Student-Centered Assessment Guide: Exhibitions

Developed by the Students at the Center Team to illustrate the practical application of the research described in their Assessing Learning paper, this guide summarizes exhibitions as a student-centered assessment practice. The guide provides a clear definition, outlines components of effective exhibitions, and details the supportive conditions needed to implement them. It also provides links… Read More ›