Personalized learning environments at Kennett Middle School
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Personalized Learning Environments (PLEs) are student experiences where the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each student. Standards-aligned learning objectives, instructional approaches, and instructional content (and their sequencing) may all vary based on learner needs and interests. Learning activities are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests and past performance, and are often self-initiated or self-selected. The Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools To Watch (STW) evaluation rubric also endorses personalized learning as an effective instructional strategy to reach all learners (STW, 2015). Kennett Middle School (KMS) has been considered a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn STW since 2012, and as the principal of KMS, I take feedback from STW evaluations very seriously. ☐ This Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) is focused on the following problem: There is too little personalization of student learning at KMS. KMS serves approximately 900 to 1,000 students in Grades 6 to 8, and it is the only middle school in the Kennett Consolidated School District (KCSD). Due to an influx of migrant workers employed by Kennett’s booming mushroom industry, about half of Kennett Burrough’s residents are Hispanic and primarily Spanish-speaking. The diversification of the community’s residents is reflected in KCSD’s student population. As the KCSD student population evolves, so, too, do the needs of its students. Based on the STW evaluation considerations and other factors (e.g., the diverse needs of KMS’s student population, disparities in academic achievement, online testimonies of inequitable experiences in school from students and community members, increased accountability for schools, and advancements in educational technology), I have advocated that PLEs be explored as a solution to this ELP’s problem. ☐ The improvement goals of this ELP were to (a) better inform the design of the KMS PLE Framework; (b) increase PLE learning opportunities for KCSD educators; and (c) enhance the integration of PLE strategies in the design of lessons, units, and student learning experiences across all of KCSD. To achieve my improvement goals, I implemented four improvement strategies: (a) design the KMS PLE Framework with input from KCSD Design Team, KMS Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), and focus groups; (b) better understand stakeholder perspectives of the KMS PLE initiative; (c) create increased learning opportunities for PLEs; and (d) create the KCSD PLE Implementation Plan. ☐ To implement the improvement strategies, I completed a literature review; conducted focus groups with educators, students, and parents; administered student surveys; and collaborated with numerous KCSD leaders, educators, and a consultant from Advanced Learning Partnerships. Together, we created several essential PLE resources that laid a foundation for expanding PLEs at KMS and, ultimately, all of KCSD. ☐ My ELP was a success for several reasons. In subsequent chapters, I explain how all improvement goals and strategies were realized. KCSD has experienced substantial change since the introduction of PLEs in 2018, and the work of my ELP inspired some of that change. While I cannot and do not assert that PLEs led KCSD to revisit its device allocation model and vision, much of the district’s technological, instructional, and equity-based advancements occurred recursively with the expansion of PLEs—meaning that as PLEs expanded their presence in KCSD, some changes within the district occurred, which led to subsequent revisions in PLE expansion. In sum, PLEs have encouraged KCSD educators to come together and reconsider how to design learning experiences around students—not just for students.
Description
Keywords
Personalized Learning Environments, Learning activities, Kennett Middle School, STW evaluations, Academic achievement