Eric.ed.gov – Early Progress: Interim Research on Personalized Learning

This interim report from the RAND Corporation is the first in what will be a series of research reports based on an ongoing long-term study of foundation-funded schools that are using a variety of approaches to personalized learning. Although the early results are encouraging, the study does not attempt to make claims about which aspects of these schools contributed to the gains in student learning to date. This research is part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to spread effective practices across districts and charter networks, support innovative roles for teachers, and support implementation of college-ready standards. All of the schools in the study received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, either directly or through intermediary organizations, to implement personalized learning practices. Each of the participating schools in this study is affiliated with at least one of the following three foundation-supported initiatives: (1) Next Generation Learning Challenge; (2) Charter School Growth Fund’s Next-Generation School Investments; and (3) the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Personalized Learning Pilots. This initial report focuses on the results for nearly 5,000 students attending 23 public charter schools that have been implementing personalized learning practices for the past two years and have two years of assessment data. Student learning growth was measured using the Northwest Education Association (NWEA)’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) math and reading assessments each fall and spring. [For the companion report, “Early Progress: Interim Research on Personalized Learning. Teacher Surveys Responses,” see ED600866.]