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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    School and Classroom Culture

    Collective Educator Agency Decreases Academic Gaps

    In the AVID program a collective sense of efficacy leads teachers to insist on rigor, remove barriers, align work and advocate for students; improving learning; and decreasing academic gaps between groups. 2020 college enrollment of AVID students varies by only 1% for black, Hispanic and white students, compared to a 10% difference nation-wide.

    Whole Child and Relationship Building

    District Leaders Rate Social-Emotional as Important as Academic Skills

    In a national survey of school counselors and district staff, 72.5 percent of district leaders indicated that building students’ social-emotional skills is as important as academic knowledge. Counselors have a critical role in delivering social-emotional learning.

    Student Agency and Voice

    Tailoring Learning to Student Interest Increases Motivation

    In a study of differences in teacher practice and technology use in student-centered schools, high-performing schools more frequently included students’ career goals and interests in personalized learning plans, increasing student motivation. The difference was statistically significant.

    Whole Child and Relationship Building

    Positive Student-Teacher Relationships Lead to Better Health Outcomes

    Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health shows that student- teacher relationships have an even bigger impact on long term adult health than student-peer relationships.

    School and Classroom Culture

    Principals Report Project-Based Learning Helps Students Meet Academic Standards

    In a large national survey, 80% of principals implementing schoolwide project-based learning feel it helps students meet academic standards. 90% report students can extend their learning from projects to other disciplines.

    Flexible Learning

    Perception of Technology as a Tool for Personalization Has Grown

    In national surveys, the number of teachers that view technology as a tool to personalize learning has increased quickly, with 62% reporting that tech allows them to better differentiate instruction in 2018 versus just 26% in 2014.

    Flexible Learning

    Post-Pandemic Teachers Want More Flexible Learning Environments

    In a 2021 survey, more than half of teachers want changes in the traditional learning model with 61% supporting more hands-on learning, 55% more flexible learning environments and 57% smaller class-sizes.

    Curriculum and Instruction

    Teachers Across Grade-Levels and Subjects Value Project-Based Learning

    Feedback from over 11,000 teachers nationwide indicates 77% feel project-based learning would benefit their students. This high valuation is consistent across grade-levels taught as well as subjects, from science to history. 

    Impact and Academic Outcomes

    Standardized Test Scores Improve After PD on Project-Based Learning

    At Lindsay Unified School District, students scored higher on the Diagnostic Reading Assessments® (DRA), Scholastic Reading Inventory® (SRI), and California’s Smarter Balanced Assessment system (SBAC) after teachers received PD on project-based learning.

    Competency-Based Learning

    Station Rotation Models Improve Access to Student Data

    In 4-8th grade classrooms at five sites, teachers who used station rotation reported more availability of data to drive decision-making and higher levels of differentiated instruction when compared to non-station rotation teachers at the same sites.

    Whole Child and Relationship Building

    Relationships Build Foundation for Successful Personalization

    According to research report findings from City Year, prioritizing trust and strong relationships is the foundation for successful personalization.

    School and Classroom Culture

    Student-Centered Redesign Empowers Kansas Teachers

    In the Kansas student-centered and future-focused redesign effort, more than 90% of the nearly 2,400 school and community respondents agreed that their schools encourage and support risk-taking with new instructional strategies and that their school and district leadership empower teachers to share ownership in their redesign process.

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