“It starts with a growth mindset that values all of us as works in progress. It’s the joy of learning that motivates all of us to do our best. We have to let go of fixed mindsets that make us afraid of taking risks that might lead to failure…… Read More
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“I’m asking teachers to allow students to drive their learning. That means I need to allow teachers to drive the policy, the culture, and the decision-making.”
– Juan Carlos Ocón, Principal, Benito Juarez Community Academy, Chicago Public Schools, IL, 2017
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Distributed leadership and a culture of empowerment enables schools to create the flexibility to personalize learning,….. Read More
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“One of the biggest changes is from assuming that the stand and deliver approach to learning in which teachers deliver curriculum and students are expected to just give it back on tests actually works. We are inching along in our understanding that scholars have to be active learners and that we need to build on what they already know…… Read More
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“In the beginning it was hard. There were projects rather than textbooks. But then I realized I was learning a lot of things. I learned to manage my time and resources. I set goals now and plan my day. I’ve learned to self-regulate myself. I even plan to give myself free time every day.”
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“What is honors? We realized that it wasn’t more work, or faster. It was deeper learning, something all students should have access to.”
– Jennifer Gay, Personalized Learning Project Manager, Luella High School, Henry County School District, GA, 2016
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Competency-based education supports students to not only learn academic content,….. Read More
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“We don’t blink if you are at the second grade level when you are in the fourth grade. If teachers really understand the standards and the progressions that are needed to help students move, then we can bridge the gaps. We don’t pretend anymore that students can do higher level work if they don’t have the prerequisites…… Read More
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“One of the biggest benefits of mastery-based learning is the clarity for teachers. We have had so many good conversations with teachers about what they are teaching, what they want students to be able to know and be able to do, and why they are teaching it…… Read More
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“In the traditional system, it can mistakenly feel more precise because we use mathematics to determine the grade. In the mastery-based system, we have to make sure we are as objective as possible – we have to be subjectively objective. We used to have teachers say that they wanted to give students who had worked hard the benefit of the doubt…… Read More
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“We started along the path toward mastery-based learning when we began to ask ourselves: Why do we assess? Why do we grade? We realized that every teacher did it differently. The transparency and intentionality of mastery-based learning makes a huge difference for our teachers and our students. Our teachers are much more intentional about what they want to achieve in their classrooms…… Read More
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“Sure, we could make it easier for teachers, but then our students don’t succeed. The other option is to admit that teaching is a complex system, invest in the systems, nurture the culture to support professional teachers…and have the kids actually learn. It’s obvious which one is the better choice.”
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All the photos of students actively engaged in learning are courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.
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