Making the Case: Compelling Data
This growing library features data points describing the impacts and outcomes of student-centered and competency-based teaching and learning. The data are sourced from research studies, evaluation reports and journal articles, as well as evidence collected directly by classroom, school, district and state leaders.
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Students Report Learner-centered Design Principles Foster 21st-century Skills
A design-based research study of 1,000 learner reflections from 75 online higher education courses found students credited learner-centered design principles including student choice, relevance and creativity with the development of 21st-century skills, especially oral and written communication and critical thinking.
California Students in Career Pathway Less Likely to Drop Out
An evaluation showed students who attended California high schools with linked learning career pathways were 2.1 percentage points less likely to drop out than peers at traditional schools. Students with low achievement prior to starting linked learning saw a larger impact, with students 4.5 percentage points less likely to drop out.
California Students in Career Pathways More Likely to Graduate
Compared to students at traditional California high schools, an evaluation showed students attending schools featuring Linked Learning career pathways were 3.1 percentage points more likely to graduate. Students with low achievement prior to starting linked learning saw a larger impact with 7.6 percentage points more likely to graduate.
California Students in Career Pathways Earn More Credits
In an evaluation of California schools featuring Linked Learning career pathways, students accumulated 8.9 credits more than peers at traditional California schools. Those with low achievement before entering a linked learning high school earned 15.5 credits more than students at traditional schools.
Career Pathways Boost Post-Secondary Enrollment in California
In an evaluation, students at California Linked Learning career high schools who began with low levels of academic preparation were 5.7 percentage points more likely to enroll in college right after high school and 4.1 percentage points more likely to enroll in a 4- rather than a 2-year college, compared to peers at traditional schools.
New York City School’s Career and Technical Education Program Boasts Higher College Enrollment
In 2021, 71% of the students attending the student-centered Career and Technical Education program at Brooklyn STEAM enrolled in college compared to just 58% of all New York City students.
Empowering Students and Teachers in St. Louis Sparks Academic Progress
With St. Louis Public Schools and Washington University, two struggling elementary schools have turned around by focusing on student voice and teacher empowerment. MAP Math scores have increased 2.5-fold and science 5-fold. Scores rose in three years from 10% meeting basic standards to 27% meeting math and 47% meeting science standards in 2022.
Attendance Higher at ND Personalized, Competency-based Schools
A five-year evaluation of the North Dakota Personalized, Competency-Based Learning Initiative showed a small but significant impact on attendance. 4-5th and 9-12th graders’ rates were 1 percentage point or 2 school days higher than matched peers at non-personalized schools, and 6-8th graders' rates were 2 percentage points, or 4 days, higher.
Students with Disabilities Thrive with Personalization in Atlanta
Tapestry Public Charter School, catering mainly to students with IEPs and/or 504 plans, achieved a 100% graduation rate for students with disabilities in 2020-2021, despite pandemic challenges. In 2018-2019, 90% of such students graduated, compared to 46.4% in the district, and in 2019-20, it was 80% compared to 54.6%.
Personalization Leads to High Attendance Despite Pandemic
The 2019-2020 attendance at Tapestry Public Charter School, which serves a majority of students receiving interventions and specialized supports in a personalized environment, was higher than district and state levels despite remote schooling. In 2020-21 middle school attendance rose to 97.46% (up 5%) and in high school it rose to 96% (up 7%).
Charters Using Performance Assessments See Greater Student Growth
Students attending Envision Schools, a network of California charter schools committed to performance assessment, college readiness and project-based learning, gained the equivalent of 66 additional days of learning in reading and 20 days of learning in math, compared to a matched group of students at traditional public schools.
Project-Based Science Increases Scores in ELA
A study of a middle school project-based science curriculum showed on average students performed higher than a matched comparison group on state English Language Arts (ELA) assessments by eight percentage points in year two and ten in year three.
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