Our personalized learning journey started a few years ago during our strategic planning process. As we engaged in a deep dive of our student achievement and growth data, it was very clear that despite our excellent rating we were not meeting the academic needs of every single student the district. Equally important to academic performance is a student’s experience and sense of hope for the future. So, we asked students directly their perception of our schools, classrooms, and experience which resulted in formative feedback for systemic change in order to foster stronger connections to school, build resiliency, and cultivate hope for every single student we serve. These results are the foundation for our work across the district in personalized learning.
At the core of our work is that learning is the constant and time is the variable. In other words, we expect every student to learn, achieve, and grow at high levels. Each and every student can and will master the content within the classroom. However, the pace and movement through content is dependent on student readiness. Bringing personalized learning to life is a multifaceted system which keeps students at the center of decision making.
It is safe to say the transition to personalized learning challenges the traditional classroom setting which many of us have experienced as students. However, the benefits for students are limitless. Our students are highly engaged in their educational experience and co-craft their learning alongside teachers. Their growth is not limited to solely academics but life long skills like independence, perseverance, and agency are growing and developing daily. As a result, we are witnessing higher engagement, increased confidence, and hopeful learners. We are proud to be setting minds on fire in the classroom, igniting student passion, and making strong content connections in our learning spaces.
As the required skills and abilities demanded by our current workforce are rigorous and continually evolving, we truly believe our personalized approach is establishing conditions for students to be more future ready and independent than ever before. It is an exciting time for our district as we continue to refine and develop our strategies to support a personalized learning platform for each and every student in Marysville to experience academic success, personal well being, and a strong sense of hope.