In the last two and a half years that I have conducted research on the implementation of personalized learning, many principals and teachers have told me that equity is the core motivation for their instructional shift. Indeed, teachers frequently define personalized learning as, “providing each child with what he or she needs.”

But despite this ambitious goal, educators are rarely able to clearly answer questions like: What might equity look like at your school? What structures and systems are designed to support this vision? And how does your school measure progress towards this equity goal?

Here are some questions that may provide educators direction as they look to personalized learning to improve equity in their schools:

  • How do educators in your school define equity? What is your school’s equity goal? Bring all students up to grade level? Engage each student in academic work that is accessible and meaningful to them?
  • How does the school measure progress towards those goals? How will educators know if the school is becoming more or less equitable?
  • How do the school’s resources align with this equity goal? Has the school allocated resources in a way that aligns with the equity goal? Has the school modified its scheduling, staffing, and professional development supports to ensure all students receive the academic and social support that they need?

Read the full article by Tricia Maas about personalized learning from The Learning Accelerator