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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Learning Rate Based on Exposure, Not Ability Level
An analysis of 27 sets of student learning data showed learning rate is based on previous exposure and opportunities, not on ability level. This finding shows the potential to personalize students’ learning experience based on previous background knowledge, thus providing the favorable learning conditions each student needs to be successful.
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.
Programs Creating More Equitable Access to Dual Enrollment in CA
An analysis of CA students' dual enrollment in 2020-21 showed more equitable participation across ethnic groups in 9th grade. The disparity between Asian and Black student participation was 14% in 12th grade and only 4% in 9th. This is attributed to more formal opportunities like early college high schools and College and Career Access Pathways.
Personalized Learning Boosts Teacher Confidence in Meeting SEL needs
In a 2022 survey of 1,000 teachers, those who reported using all the personalized learning strategies on the survey were much more confident meeting students’ social-emotional needs. Of those reporting high use of personalization 64% felt "high confidence" in their ability, compared to only 39% of the teachers with low implementation.
Using Blended Learning Practices Correlated with Higher Personalization
In a survey of 1,000 teachers post pandemic, those who used blended learning were more likely to implement personalized learning strategies. For example, 56% of surveyed teachers who used blended learning also adopted flexible pacing, while only 32% of those not using blended learning did so.
Focusing on Whole Student Promotes Belonging, Creates Parent Satisfaction in DC Elementary
Van Ness Elementary, a DC school working with Transcend to rethink education by focusing on the whole student, outperformed schools in the district on all categories of the Panorama SEL evaluation tool, including self-regulation, sense of belonging and satisfaction. Of note, the school received a 98% student and 95% parent satisfaction rating.
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.
ND Personalized, Competency-based Schools Prepare Students for College and Career
A five-year evaluation showed 12th graders in the North Dakota Personalized, Competency-Based Learning Initiative were as prepared or more so for college and career as students from matched comparison traditional schools. In 2022-23 personalized schools reported same or higher rates for state-defined military, workforce and post-secondary readiness
Internships Boost Students’ Confidence in Meta-Cognitive Skills
In interviews at three student-centered schools, 10 of 17 students reported growth in meta-cognitive skills like time management and self-regulation, needed for college and career-readiness.
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.