Race to the Top-District Action Brief: Establishing the Foundational Conditions for Personalized Learning
This paper provides a blueprint for districts that wish to strengthen their RTTD applications. In it, the author recommends foundational conditions schools must put in place to transform classrooms and the school itself such that students and educators are ready to implement innovative, personalized learning models that can accelerate and deepen college and career ready outcomes for all students, particularly those in poverty. The paper is organized in the following sections: an executive summary; the opportunity that RTTD presents; a snapshot of the need in schools (substantiating why these foundational conditions must be established), with a focus on high poverty schools; the three foundational conditions for personalized learning environments, with actionable recommendations for implementation; and, a series of appendices.
The paper effectively describes its goals early in the paper and meets them throughout. The research and logic behind the resource are excellent. The paper is written objectively and with the best of intentions to help schools receive RTTT funding. Although slightly off our more traditional standards and assessment purposes, the resource should have high value to RTTT applicants.Reasonably easy to read, appropriate for education oriented audiences. Effective organization related to three key points. Visuals are a little sparse, but appropriate for the stated purpose. This should be a must-read resource for any school district applying for RTTT funding. Supplemental resources are reasonably strong, cost-benefit is very high and it would seem possible to build an RTTT application based on the three recommended principles for helping children learn. Good citation of quality research without overdoing it. An RTTT plan built upon the principles described herein should be a good competitor with a reasonable probability of successful results.