In 2022, Remake Learning’s Personalized Learning Working Group collaborated to develop a shared framework to unify the region’s commitment to personalized learning towards a common purpose.

The framework defines what learner-centered practices look like through six key elements and corresponding components:

1. Learner Relationships: Social-Emotional Wellness, Sense of Belonging, Empathy, Socially Connected
2. Flexible Learning Environments: Creative Physical Spaces, Flexible Pacing & Grouping, Support Structures & Resources, Anytime, Anywhere Learning
3. Empowered Learners: Voice, Choice, Facilitation & Coaching, Lifelong Learning
4. Relevant Learning Experiences: Rigorous Expectations, Real-World & Culturally Relevant, Personalized Learning Pathways, Co-Designed Instructional Approach
5. Equitable Learner Supports: Holistic Approach, Collaborative Culture, Universal Access, Self-Advocacy
6. Demonstration of Learning: Deeper Learning, Variety of Methods & Opportunities, Mastery-Based, Self-Assessing

Through a collaborative effort between KnowledgeWorks, Remake Learning, the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and the SWPA Personalized Learning Network, a diverse group of education and community leaders are working together to reimagine education practice and policy, grounded in a preferred future for education in the region.

Working group members will collaborate to define strategies and achieve key outcomes that lead to increased personalization and learner agency:

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education systems and economies, revealing weaknesses in education infrastructure and jeopardizing the financial security of state governments, school systems, and families. The long-term effects will be pronounced and will call into question the future of traditional education.

In Pennsylvania, over 1.7 million students had their school year disrupted and many have become disconnected from social safety nets. Practitioners and local administration have also been left scrambling to provide services and supports for their students. These challenges will only compound as policymakers face the reality that policy waivers and stimulus funds are temporary solutions.

To build a more resilient and responsive education system, both practitioners and policymakers must embrace personalized, competency-based learning (PCBL). To this end, the Personalized Learning working group builds stakeholder knowledge and capacity in the region by identifying key policy and practice changes to pave the way to a stronger, more equitable system.