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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Review of Studies Shows Postive Peer Connection Improves Motivation
A synthesis of 16 studies showed that positive peer connections and support, especially from similar-identity peers, create a sense of belonging, motivation and engagement. Alternatively, incidents of peer bias were associated with decreases in these outcomes.
Review of Studies Shows Teacher Bias Impacts Student Engagement and Academics
In a literature review of over 100 sources on student motivation, multiple studies found that when students experience racial discrimination and micro aggressions from teachers, their curiosity, engagement and sense of belonging decrease. As a result, student motivation and academic performance also decrease over time.
Review of Studies Finds Inclusive School Environment Encourages Student Motivation
A review of 69 studies looking at the impact of school environment on student motivation found that inclusive school policies that prioritize student well-being, accommodate diverse learning needs and affirm student identities increase motivation and engagement. Inversely, policies that marginalize students are associated with decreased engagement.
Feedback for Growth Builds Deep Learning in Math
In 2022, 100 teachers in Yonkers worked to improve the quality of feedback to students focused on growth, a research-backed strategy to deepen math learning and close performance gaps. Surveys of 3,458 middle schoolers showed in just 4 months, students experienced 10% growth of strong teacher feedback in 2 schools and 6-7% growth in 4 more schools.
Real-world Projects Boost Engagement
Phone surveys administered throughout the day at IowaBIG, a community- and project-based program, showed students were more engaged at the program or with community partners than at their traditional schools. They were significantly more likely to report feeling engaged, active, capable, happy, in control and like they were putting in high effort.
Self-efficacy Impacts Performance
In a study of 400 German high school students, learners’ expectations of self-efficacy (belief in their ability to succeed), positively predicted their drawing quality and performance in solving real-world geometry problems.
Personalized Learning Boosts Scores on State Tests
A 4-year longitudinal study of a pre-K - 8 California school implementing a strengths-based blended personalized learning model showed a significant positive impact on all Math, Reading and Language Use on NWEA MAP tests. On average, treatment students outperformed the control group by about 1.22 - 1.96 points on the MAP scale.
Learning-by-Teaching Improves Learning Across Content Areas
A meta-analysis of learning-by-teaching, a student-centered strategy for learning content, found the creation of materials to teach peers improved learning outcomes. The positive effect of 0.17 was statistically significant and held across different educational levels and content areas.
Peer and Self-Assessment Boosts Learning
This meta-analysis of 175 independent studies involving 19,383 participants found that self-assessment (SA) and/or peer-assessment (PA) interventions had a significant positive overall effect on academic performance, as measured by grades and test-scores. There was no significant difference in effect between SA and PA.
Creating Audio-Visual Materials for Peers Bolsters Learning
A meta-analysis of 62 comparisons from 23 articles concluded that creating teaching materials for peers has a positive effect on student learning, compared to alternative or no interventions. This effect was largest when students created audio-visual versus text-based materials.
Metacognitive Self-Regulation Grows with Student-Centered Practices
In four schools, the implementation of specific student-centered teacher practices led to a significant increase in metacognitive self-regulation throughout the school year. Other student-level measures of agency did not change significantly or decrease.
Project-Based Learning Increases Knowledge Transference
In a study investigating the student-level impacts of high quality project-based activities 62% of students performed proficient or higher on a performance assessment requiring them to transfer knowledge to a new situation.
