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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Summer Sports and Academics Lead to Big Gains
DREAM Charter Schools, a small network of schools in NYC balancing social emotional development, athletics/wellness and rigorous academics during a year-long program, has seen reading proficiency increase an average of 20 percentage points and math 10 percentage points during their summer program.
Personalized Charters Get Results in St. Louis
In only its 4th year of operation, Kairos, a small network of St. Louis public charter schools supporting personalized learning and student agency, was the fourth highest performing local education agency in St. Louis. Of other top performers, it was the only one serving more that 50% students receiving free and reduced lunch.
State Policies Give Local Student-Centered Flexibility
A policy scan found many states have reduced barriers, opening possibilities for student-centered learning. At least 31 states allow innovation schools or zones with reduced instructional time and attendance requirements; 18 have personalized, competency-based pilot programs; and 13 have policies allowing alternative instructional time models.
State Policy in Key Areas Supports Student-centered Reform
An analysis of student-centered state policy from Education Commission of the States and KnowledgeWorks found 2022 trends included assessments of mastery, funding, learning pathways, equity, flexibility and innovation, and other bills of interest.
New State Policies Support Innovation
A state policy review showed 20 bills that support flexibilities for local districts or schools to implement competency-based education and other innovations were passed across 15 states as of May 2023.
Graduation Pathway Policies Spark State-wide Personalized Learning
An analysis of states implementing personalized learning (PL), showed policies around graduation pathways were a catalysts to PL efforts in 3 of the 4 states studied, as they allowed more flexibility in meeting state graduation requirements.
Under-credited Youth in Boston Graduate with Personalized Approach
Students at Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA) – a personalized, competency-based school for over-age and under-credited youth – enter at an average age of 17.6 with 5 or fewer high school credits. Despite previous setbacks, students who attend BDEA at least half of the time, finish an average of 5 courses per year and graduate in 2.9 years.
CT School Increases Latinx Student Enrollment in AP Through Personalized Supports
Maloney High School saw the number of Latinx students enrolled in advanced courses rise from 50% in 2015-16 to 82.5% in 2020-21. To make this shift, they employed student-centered approaches – including student interest surveys, personalized course recommendations, more communication with families and academic supports like AP study sessions.
Personalized Alternative Program Drives Graduation Gains in MA District
Holyoke Public Schools reduced dropouts and increased graduation from 62% in 2015 to 72% in 2019, with larger jumps for English Language Learners, students with disabilities and Latinx students. Gains were driven by a successful alternative program offering a variety of personalized programs including mastery and project-based learning options.
More States Use Portrait of a Graduate
A recent review of state policies showed in the last 10 years 17 states have begun using Portraits of a Graduate which can help foster student-centered practices. The trend continued to build with 4 states adopting these polices from 2022-23.
Most DC Black Female Students Passing AP from One Student-centered Tech School
A study of a middle school project-based science curriculum showed on average students performed higher than a matched comparison group on state math assessments by 12 percentage points in Year 2 and 18 percentage points in Year 3 and on the ELA assessment by 8 percentage points in Year 2 and 10 in Year 3.
Student-Centered Approach in DC Serves Students Underrepresented in the Sciences
90% of the Black students who passed the 2019 Advanced Placement computer science exam in the entire city of Washington DC attended Washington Leadership Academy, a school using student-centered practices to support students traditionally underrepresented in the sciences (20 out of 22 students).
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