Skills for Today: What We Know about Teaching and Assessing Collaboration
This literature review from researchers at Pearson and Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) explores existing research on the importance of collaboration skills, as well as how to teach and assess these skills in K-12 and higher-education classrooms. The review examines research on successful k-12 and higher ed interventions to increase collaboration and teamwork skills. Techniques for assessment of… Read More ›
Policy, Pilots and the Path to Competency-Based Education
This report, produced by the Foundation for Excellence in Education and EducationCounsel, surveys the existing state laws and policies that support competency-based education in K-12 nation-wide. The report explores the creation of innovation and pilot programs, which can be the first step for policymakers. Pilots allow schools and local education agencies (LEAs) to harness existing… Read More ›
Personalized Learning in New York
This report looks at early results from Education Element’s work in NY state, since 2013, to design, implement, and support personalized learning. Education Elements provides consultation services, technical assistance, and tools to help districts implement personalized learning. At the time of this report, 16 districts and two Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) across NY have… Read More ›
Unconscious Bias in the Classroom: Evidence and Opportunities
This report looks at the contribution of unconscious bias (UB) to the troubling achievement gap for women and minority students, especially in Computer Science and STEM courses. The report indicates that exposure to UB can change stereotyped groups’ behaviors to conform to the stereotype, even when it was initially untrue. It details existing research studies… Read More ›
Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs
This report from The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and The Aspen Education & Society Program outlines concrete steps states can take to support equity in education. After short sections on the definition of equity and the reasons it matters, the guide lays out ten steps state education agencies can take. These recommendations… Read More ›
An Overview of Personalized Learning for Schools, Families & Communities
This report provides an overview of student-centered learning for families and community members, using parent-friendly language, short explanations, and many examples. The report first outlines the need for and the basics of personalized learning. It explores, through five short case studies, personalized learning in action and how it differs from traditional learning environments. It also… Read More ›
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 ›
Making Learning Personal for All: The Growing Diversity in Today’s Classroom
The report makes the case for the need to shift to personalized learning to serve growing numbers of diverse learners. It asserts that current models that drive personalization are often overly simplistic and not based on research. The report expresses concern that these over-simplified models risk driving personalization in a way that actually perpetuates achievement gaps… Read More ›
The Shifting Paradigm of Teaching: Personalized Teaching According to Teachers
This report, based on interviews with teachers, instructional coaches and principals from KnowledgeWorks and the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) discusses how the shift to personalized learning has impacted teachers. It begins with an exploration of what drives educators to build personalized learning environments in the classroom. The report then details reflections from… Read More ›
Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance, A Critical Literature Review
This frequently-cited report from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research provides a comprehensive review of the connection between noncognitive factors and academic success based on existing research. After a literature review of over 400 resources, the authors organized a large number of noncognitive traits, skills, behaviors, and attitudes into five categories. The report… Read More ›
The Promise of Personalized Learning in Rural America
This paper explores the application of personalized learning in rural schools, discusses and proposes solutions to the practical and policy barriers to implementation, and shares lessons learned from early adopters, including three case studies from rural communities in Maine, Wyoming, and Nevada. The paper outlines a number of suggestions to help rural policy makers, administrators,… Read More ›
District Conditions for Scale: A Practical Guide for Scaling Personalized Learning
In this toolkit by KnowledgeWorks the authors begin to explore how to move from isolated school models of student-centered learning to whole systems designed around personalized learning. Researchers at KnowledgeWorks examined existing research in the field and conducted primary research through interviews of more than 30 district superintendents and leadership teams from across the country… Read More ›