Consistent with KnowledgeWorks’ mission to provide every learner with meaningful personalized learning experiences, our recommendations for reauthorizing the federal Higher Education Act (HEA) call on Congress to break down traditional barriers so all learners can access personalized pathways to a postsecondary degree.
HEA reauthorization provides policymakers with an opportunity to explore new strategies for improving postsecondary transitions, increasing personalized pathways to a credential, and creating a new pipeline of educators to help propel the transformation to personalized learning in K-12 settings. A modernized HEA can address each of these priorities by emphasizing learner-centered policies that appropriately balance local flexibility with a deep commitment to improved postsecondary and economic outcomes nationwide.
A modernized HEA law should support personalized learning experiences for all learners by emphasizing the following goals:
- Increase college enrollment and persistence by incentivizing effective transitions between K–12 and higher education.
- Support personalized learning pathways toward a postsecondary credential by making thefederal financial aid system more flexible.
- Prepare K-12 educator candidates to take on new teaching roles in personalized learning environments.
