our 2016-17 impact report has just been released! take our personalized learning challenge - great judges, and really amazing prizes.
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september 2017
on our minds
personalized learning challenge
apply to the personalized learning challenge and win a free personalized learning consultation of your choice, customized for your district.
the “personalized learning challenge” is an open-call to leaders and educators to meet the challenge of preparing all students for their future by imagining, designing, and implementing innovative organization designs, instructional models, and professional development. 10 winners will be selected by our panel of celebrity judges including michael b. horn. winners can choose from three prize options:
district strategy session focused on personalized learning
district workshop to develop a foundation and mindset for personalized learning
take your district to the next level. check out our website for more information about the challenge.
application closes on 09/29, so apply today!
the proof is in (yep, 2022年世界杯德国球队
report is out)
we are so excited to share the results from the 2016-17 school year in our 4th annual impact report: building capacity for personalized learning and more. the report highlights the incredible transformations happening in districts we support, and provides quantitative and qualitative evidence of the impact of shifting to student-centered learning. for example:
in middletown city school district, ny, 65% of all middletown k-8 students hit their reading growth targets, an increase of 21% since 2013-2014; 67% hit their math growth targets, an increase of 23%.
in horry county schools, sc, 57% of 6-8 grade students hit reading growth targets, an increase of 7% since 2013-2014; 64% hit math growth targets, an increase of 17%.
in piedmont city school district, al, 72% of students in grades 3-8 tested on target in reading on the act compared to 28% in 2014-2015, and 55% tested on target in math compared to 35% in 2014-2015.
download the full report to see our work across districts and disciplines (it’s not just personalized learning!) as well as stories of some of the superheroes we have had the opportunity to work with along the way.
your ultimate guide to blended learning next steps
board member michael b. horn and co-author heather staker have done it again and distilled the lessons every teacher needs to know about going blended into an actionable workbook. with key points drawn from over 50 case studies to illustrate what works, what doesn't, and how to build a successful blended-learning program, the blended workbook’s organizational structure allows you to jump in at any point to access field-tested exercises that will deepen your understanding of the design process. download the first chapter and get a discount on your workbook purchase!
design spotlight
using data to inform personalized learning next steps
fulton county schools (fcs) in atlanta, ga, is the fourth largest school system in the state with approximately 96,700 students. the district began its personalized learning journey in 2014 with a cohort rollout model. as of spring 2017, all 95 schools had launched personalized learning, and the district was faced with a challenge: how do they support each school as it deepens personalized learning in a way that best meets its needs?
fulton leaders approached this question just as they hope teachers would in their classrooms: by using data. during a two-part workshop, school personalized learning leadership teams explored a dashboard of learning walk observations as well as teacher and student survey results to identify successes and barriers over the course of their personalized learning implementation. school teams then developed a targeted plan based on their findings. the result: documentation of a tailored approach for each school to reflect and iterate on their personalized learning implementation thus far. these plans will be implemented in 2017 and beyond as fcs strives to meet the needs of every student.
resources
personalized learning models for elementary schools
personalized learning models for secondary schools
the blended workbook: learning to design the schools of our future
featured blogs
one trick to pitching a blended learning plan
imagine you find yourself in an elevator for three minutes with facebook founder mark zuckerberg and his wife priscilla chan, who together are giving up to $1 billion in each of the next three years to “advance human potential and promote equality.” you can’t believe your luck! you’ve been dreaming for years about a more personalized, blended model for your school, and now you actually have the chance to pitch the idea to the founders of the chan zuckerberg initiative. what would you say in the next three minutes before that elevator door slides open?
how corcoran high school used their graduation ceremony to personalize learning
in 2017, corcoran high school implemented a new district alternate assessment, also known as a competency test. this test was required for any student who did not score standards met or standards exceeded on the california assessment of student performance and progress. students who could not pass this assessment would be prohibited from participating in the graduation ceremony.