As part of a recent study for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, RAND Corporation researchers have tried to identify what personalized learning (PL) looks like in a small sample of schools that are using PL approaches schoolwide.
This report describes the concept and implementation of personalized learning, along with some of the challenges, and considers how PL affects achievement in these schools. To measure how PL affects achievement, John F. Pane and colleagues analyzed math and reading scores for all students in the sample (approximately 5,500 pupils) who took the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress assessments (approximately 5,500 pupils) who took the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress assessments. They found positive effect sizes of approximately +0.09 in math and +0.07 in reading relative to a comparison group of similar students.
Based on the findings from the study, the researchers offer the following recommendations for implementing PL:
- Provide teachers with resources and time to pilot new teaching approaches and gather evidence of how well they work
- Provide teachers with time and resources to collaborate on developing curriculum material and on reviewing and scoring student work
- Identify a school staff member who is comfortable with technology and has curriculum expertise to serve as a “just-in-time” resource for teachers
- Provide resources and support for school staff to help them choose the most appropriate digital or non-digital curriculum materials
- Provide resources and support for school staff to integrate multiple data systems
Best Evidence in Brief Index 