A Roadmap for Student Self-Direction: Building Essential Skills for the Future

self-directed learning notebook

The BEST Self-Direction Toolkit is a collection of resources for teachers to use in the classroom for instruction and assessment that focuses on self-direction. The toolkit includes the self-direction rubric, self-direction activities and targeted resources for teachers. All tools are designed by teachers and tested in the classroom. Who is the toolkit for? It’s for… Read More ›

Lesson Study: Resources for Administrators, Educators and Guardians

lesson study online

In order to improve student learning, teachers need opportunities to observe and discuss instruction. Lesson study provides a structure for teachers to collaborate around pressing problems of practice and to engage in cycles of inquiry to explore the intersection of pedagogy and student learning. School Administrators Are you a school leader or department head who wants a… Read More ›

Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning Toolkit

The Measuring and Improving Student-Centered Learning (MISCL) Toolkit is designed to help school practitioners or other stakeholders measure, understand and reflect upon the extent of student-centered learning (SCL) in high schools. It enables data collection on SCL through surveys and other measures and from a range of participants, including district and school leaders, instructional staff… Read More ›

School Closure Toolkit for Teachers

Teachers and parents across the country are taking on new and intimidating things this week. While exhausted from taking care of families, we are trying to provide some stability for the kids’ no longer in the classroom. Many of us feel unclear about our role in the delivery of online learning, and expectations seem to change by the minute. Uncertainty is what we all have in common right… Read More ›

Building Support for Student-Centered Learning: A Toolkit

This toolkit provides strategies, resources, and tools for those who would like to build public understanding and engagement around student-centered learning or other education reform efforts. The toolkit is organized around a theory of change that includes three elements: a compelling public story, deep dialogue and conversation, and real youth engagement. The toolkit draws on… Read More ›

Assessment Resources Bundle

Since the Students at the Center (SATC) research paper Assessing Learning was released, the literature on student-centered assessment practices has continued to grow. More and more, schools, districts, and states are using assessment as an opportunity for growth and learning, as well as a way to elevate student voice and leadership. This selection of resources… Read More ›

Student Agency: Resource Collection

For learning environments to be truly student-centered, students must be the agents of their own learning. Educators can support this development by getting to know their students in order to choose the most relevant and engaging content and, whenever possible, giving students control over what they study and how they demonstrate mastery. Creating an engaging… Read More ›

Deeper Learning and Diffusion of Innovation and Scaled Impact of New Hampshire’s Work-Study Practices 

Vector illustration, prepare the launch of a business project. rise of career to success, flat color icons, business analysis, take-off scale up

Through its Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) initiative, New Hampshire offers innovative, successful approaches in competency-based and deeper learning practices, and is a model for other states to follow. JFF is partnering with the New Hampshire Learning Initiative, the New Hampshire Department of Education, and the Center for Innovation in Education to understand how… Read More ›

Critical Civic Inquiry: Student-Centered Learning

The team at the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative is asking questions about equity in education research because we will never achieve equity in education until we center the expertise of marginalized stakeholders. 

The study has concluded. Read about their data collection, findings and implications for educators and counselors in the field. Learn More Led by Rowan University and University of Colorado, this study investigated two areas of student-centered learning: “How students can be supported to take “ownership” of their learning” and “How learning can occur anytime, anywhere.”… Read More ›

Abolishing the phrase “I’m not a math person”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoYRk08t4DA&feature=emb_logoHigh Tech High Graduate School of Education (HTH) conducted this study as part of the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative’s initial cycle of research. The team at HTH worked alongside fellow scholars, educators, and policymakers to investigate the impact of specific student-centered practices and then translate their findings for cross-sector audiences. HTH’s final report, Abolishing the… Read More ›

Maximizing Student Agency: Implementation of Student-Centered Learning Approaches

https://youtu.be/r_9hgV6XcK8 American Institutes for Research (AIR) conducted this study as part of the Student-Centered Learning Research Collaborative’s initial cycle of research. The team at AIR worked alongside fellow scholars, educators, and policymakers to investigate the impact of specific student-centered practices and then translate their findings for cross-sector audiences. AIR’s final report, Maximizing Student Agency: Implementation of… Read More ›