Evidence for

Student-Centered Learning

by Krista Kaput
January 2018
About Education Evolving. We are a Minnesota-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on
improving American public education. We work to advance student-centered learning for all students, by
supporting teachers designing and leading schools, and by advocating for policy that is open to innovation.
Read more at www.educationevolving.org.
Contents
Part 1:
Introduction and Context 5

Part 2:
Education Evolving’s Seven Principles of Student-Centered Learning 7

Part 3:
Evolution of Student-Centered Learning: A Historical Perspective 9

Part 4:
Research on Student-Centered Learning as a Whole 11

Part 5:
Research Supporting Each Principle of Student-Centered Learning 13
Principle #1: Positive Relationships 13
Principle #2: Foundational Needs Met 14
Principle #3: Positive Identity 15
Principle #4: Student Ownership and Agency 16
Principle #5: Real-World Relevant 17
Principle #6: Competency-Based 18
Principle #7: Anytime, Anywhere Learning 19

Conclusion 21
Endnotes 22

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 3

4 | educationevolving.org
PART 1
Introduction and Context
On April 30, 1983, President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation and declared, “Our education
system, once the finest in the world, is in a sorry state of disrepair.” 1 His assertion was a response
to the findings of the 1983 A Nation at Risk report, which was released by the President’s National
Commission on Excellence in Education. The report highlighted startling statistics about the high
illiteracy rates amongst American youth, as well as the steady decline of standardized test scores in
reading, science, and mathematics. 2
Since the release of A Nation at Risk, the narrative that the nation’s E-12 public education system
is “broken” and must be fixed has been prominent in reform efforts—from President Bush’s No Child
Left Behind, which scaled high stakes, standardized test-based school accountability, to President
Obama’s Race to the Top Grant, which provided monetary incentives for states to adopt the Common
Core Standards and promote school choice. While these education reform efforts have had a profound
impact on E-12 public education, the academic outcomes of the nation’s public school students have
continued to be disappointing. 3
In fact, after almost 35 years of major education reform efforts and billions of taxpayer dollars spent,
the nation’s public schools are still not preparing most students for college and career4 or to be
competitive in the global economy. 5 Many employers feel that today’s college graduates are not well
prepared to achieve the learning outcomes that they view as important.6 In particular, the business
community has indicated that college graduates do not possess sufficient skills in mathematics,
reading, and in “soft skills” like work ethic, accountability, and self-motivation.7
The continued failure of the nation’s E-12 public education system to successfully educate all students
and prepare them for college and career raises the question: Why? Why, after all the time and
resources that have been put into fixing our nation’s public schools, have education reform efforts
failed to create an equitable system that is academically rigorous, relevant, and engaging for all
students?
The answer is simple. The design and intention of our country’s public education system was never to
educate nor meet the needs of all students. Rather, its purpose was to prepare students, in mass, to
work in an industrialized and standardized economy.
The design of our current public education system was highly influenced by Frederick Taylor’s concept
of scientific management, which is centered around improving economic efficiency by putting the
system first and ignoring the individual. Specifically, scientific management created a centralized,
hierarchical structure where management sets rules and procedures for workers to follow, which
made their jobs simplified, standardized, and their productivity optimized.8
John Franklin Bobbit, one of the biggest proponents for applying Taylor’s scientific management
to public education, argued that schools should be like businesses and focus on eliminating waste,
efficiency, and maximizing student outcomes.9 Bobbit also agreed with Taylor’s assertion that
efficient outcomes depended on centralized authority and detailed, top-down instruction for all tasks
that students performed, and the content that teachers delivered.10 By 1920, most American public
schools were designed around the tenets of Taylor’s scientific management, “treating each student as
an average student and aiming to provide each one with the same standardized education, regardless
of their background, abilities, or interests.” 11

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 5

 The design and intention of our country’s
public education system was never to
educate nor meet the needs of ALL
students. Rather, its purpose was to
prepare students, in mass, to work in an
industrialized, standardized economy.
The tenets of Taylor’s scientific management were not only central to the original design of our
current public education system, but they have also persisted and been perfected over time by
education reformers like David Snedden,12 Ellwood Cubberley,13 and Edward Thorndike.14 In fact, in
1993, Doctor Kenneth Gray wrote, “it may be inevitable that America will lose the race for international
markets...because its people are infected with a disease called Taylorism.” 15
Therefore, education reform efforts have failed to “fix” the American E-12 public education system
because the system is not broken. It is doing exactly what it was designed to do—educate the masses
in a standardized fashion that completely disregards who students are as individuals or, as American
journalist H.L Mencken wrote in 1924, “The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment
at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same level, to breed and train a
standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.” 16

6 | educationevolving.org
PART 2
Education Evolving’s
Seven Principles of
Student-Centered Learning
Just as our economy and industries have changed, so too must our system of public education.
Education Evolving asserts that if we truly want to reform or “fix” our nation’s public education
system so all students can be successful and have their unique needs met, then we must change the
design of the system.
Instead of maintaining the current, adult-centered, hierarchical structure where students are the
receivers of a predetermined set of knowledge, we argue it’s time to redesign the model and system
of schooling with students at the center. It’s time to design a system that takes into account students’
interests, learning styles, cultural identities, life experiences, and personal challenges. It’s time to
design a system that not only sets all students up for success but that is also equitable and meets
their unique needs. We call this student-centered learning.
Given the unique set of circumstances present in each classroom and school, we do not prescribe
a specific definition, program, or model for how schools should realize student-centered learning.
Instead, we have identified—from listening to students and educators, and a careful review of academic
research summarized in the remainder of this paper—seven principles of student-centered learning,
which are illustrated in the graphic on the
following page.
These principles are meant to be a resource,
rather than a blueprint, for educators
It’s time to design a system that
to use as they implement and practice
student-centered learning. We argue that not only sets all students up for
decisions about how these principles are
realized should fall under the purview of success but that is also equitable
the educators who work most closely with
the students.17 and meets their unique needs.
Natural questions that follow from these
seven principles are: Which student
outcomes would indicate that student-
centered learning has been successful? And, what measures might be used to evaluate those
outcomes? Due to the unique nature of each school, we do not propose a set of specific outcomes or
metrics that schools should use. Rather, similar to our previous assertion, we contend that educators,
families, communities, and students should determine which metrics they want to use to identify
whether or not their school has been “successful” in practicing student-centered learning.
With that said, there are several research-based frameworks for student-centered learning outcomes
that are in alignment with our principles. A few examples of these frameworks are:
• Education for Work and Life from the National Research Council
• College and Career Readiness Framework from the Education Policy Improvement Center
• Four Cs Framework from Partnership for 21st Century Skills
• MyWays Project from Next Generation Learning Challenges.
Education Evolving will be researching and writing about student-centered learning outcomes more
in 2018.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 7

 Education Evolving's
Seven Principles of Student-Centered Learning

Positive Relationships • Foundational Needs Met • Positive Identity

Student Ownership & Agency • Real-World Relevant
Competency-Based • Anytime, Anywhere

Students have relationships with adults

and peers who care about, believe in, and
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Students solve Students have freedom to exercise
real-world problems and choice in pursuing interests, with
learn skills they will use teachers serving as guides and
in their own lives facilitators

8 | educationevolving.org
PART 3
Evolution of Student-
Centered Learning:
A Historical Perspective
The concept of student-centered learning has been around for well over 100 years. Even though it
has not been the primary model of design in E-12 public education, its supporters and reformers have
been influential in starting and aiding a number of schools across the country that practice student-
centered learning. When identifying our seven principles, we drew on this history, as well as the school
designs and theory that have come from it.

Looking Back at Progressive Education: The Original

Student-Centered Learning
In 1875, Francis W. Parker, a Civil War colonel, became superintendent of schools in Quincy,
Massachusetts. While there, he rejected standardization, rote learning, and grading and ranking
systems.18 Instead, he advocated for centering curricula and instruction on developing the “whole
child.” John Dewey, a progressive education reformer and philosopher, referred to Parker as “the
father of progressive education.” 19
Dewey himself was also a proponent of educating the “whole child” and student-centered learning. In
his 1900 book, School and Society, he wrote “the child becomes the sun about which the appliances
of education revolve; he is the center about which they are organized.”20 Dewey argued that students
should be engaged in meaningful activity, invested in what they are learning, participate in classroom
democracy, and that curricula should be relevant to their lives. 21
During the Great Depression and World War II era, students of Dewey’s, like William H. Kilpatrick,
taught the principles of his progressive education to thousands of teachers and school leaders.
However, in the 1950’s, during the Cold War era of anxiety and conservatism, progressive education
was “widely repudiated, and it disintegrated as an identifiable movement.”22
There was a brief time, during the mid 1970’s, when the Taylorist model was challenged and reformers
attempted to connect the design of school to a student-centered approach. 23 However, the movement,
which led to the creation of “open-classroom schools,” quickly faded away, ended in backlash, and
there was a call for schools to get “back to the basics.”24
Since then, the tenets of progressive education have been “rediscovered” by several theorists,
education reformers, and researchers, who have widely written about the benefits of student-
centered learning. One of the most famous reformers was the late Theodore Sizer. In 1984, he
launched the Coalition of Essential Schools, a widespread national movement of schools that put
students at the center of the teaching practice and provided nine (later ten) “Common Principles”
that “articulated a stripped-down inquiry approach, bringing together many of the progressive
concerns that had gathered strength in prior decades.”25 At its peak, the Coalition had over 600 formal
members. And although the organization formally ceased operations in December 2016, 26 there are
still several hundred schools around the world that are practicing the Coalition’s “Common Principles”
and putting students at the center.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 9

 Student-Centered Learning Today
While there is a large body of theoretical and anecdotal literature, there is no agreed-upon definition
for the overall concept of student-centered learning. Some theorists provide a broad definition
like “students have a choice in their learning,”27 while others provide specific principles. 28 Relatedly,
there are several education organizations across the country—including the Nellie Mae Education
Foundation, Education Reimagined, Hewlett Foundation, Next Generation Learning Challenges,
Center for Collaborative Education, New Schools Venture Fund, and others—that have identified their
own principles or definitions of student-centered learning they contend are necessary so all students
can be successful in college, career, and life.
There are also a number of programs that educators have implemented or refer to—personalized
learning, project-based learning, differentiated instruction, center-based classroom, Montessori,
flipped classrooms, inquiry-based learning—as a way to get to student-centered learning. However,
these programs are all different in design, scope, purpose, and their results vary across classrooms.
Even though there is no agreed upon definition or
singular program for realizing student-centered
learning, the unifying theme is that in student-
centered learning the model shifts from being ...in student-centered learning
adult-centered and standardized to student-
centric and individualized. Specifically, the
learning is personalized to the students’ unique
the model shifts from
needs, interests, and aspirations, and designed
with their ideas and voices at the table.
being adult-centered and
standardized to student-centric
and individualized.

10 | educationevolving.org
PART
Research on
4
Student-Centered
Learning as a Whole
In addition to examining the history and current context of student-centered learning, we also did a
comprehensive survey of the published qualitative research, quantitative research, and case studies
on student-centered learning. It is important to note that while there is a significant amount of
research on a variety of student-centered learning strategies—adaptive math software, project-based
learning, goal setting, etc.—there is limited large-scale research on student-centered learning as a
whole. With that said, results from the few student-centered learning studies that have been done are
promising. In this section, we will provide an overview of these results.

Student-Centered Schools: Closing the Opportunity Gap (2014)

In June 2014, the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education published case studies and a
cross-case analysis of four California urban high schools that practice student-centered learning. 29
Importantly, the study schools were non-selective in their admissions, and served primarily low-
income students and students of color.
The study found that, at all four study schools, students outperformed most of the traditional
schools in their respective communities that served similar populations with regard to graduation
rates, student achievement, college preparatory course completion data, and college persistence. 30
Notably, these results were particularly evident for students of color, low-income students, and
English language learners.
A few of the other key findings from the study are:
• At three of the four study schools, graduation rates for Latino, ELL, and low-income students
ranged from 10 to 24 percentage points higher than the state averages.
• At two of the four study schools, graduation rates for African-American students were almost 30
percentage points higher than the district and state averages.
• Two of the study school’s four-year college persistence rates “far exceeded” the national average;
particularly for students who were the first in their family to attend college.
• Survey data from the graduates in the study suggested that their school’s practices of relationship
building, high standards, deeper learning, and instructional relevance contributed to their success
in college. 31

Qualitative Study of Student-Centered Learning Practices in

New England High Schools (2015)
In 2015, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and UMass Donahue Institute published a qualitative
study on student-centered learning approaches in 12 public high schools in New England. 32 The
authors defined student-centered learning as schools that practiced the following four tenets:
• Learning is Personalized: Students engage in different ways and in different places.
• Learning is Competency-Based: Students move ahead when they have demonstrated mastery of
content, not when they’ve reached a certain birthday or endured the required hours in a classroom.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 11

 • Learning Happens Anytime, Anywhere: Learning takes place beyond the traditional school day,
and even the school year. Learning is also not restricted to the classroom.
• Students Take Ownership Over Their Learning: Engage students in their own success, as well as
incorporate their interests and skills into the learning process. 33
The study found that the majority of the participating schools were effective in personalizing the
learning of their students and creating an environment where students took ownership of their
learning. However, the study also found that the participating schools struggled with implementing
and practicing “anytime, anywhere learning” due to a series of challenges that both teachers and
administrators faced.
Teachers from the participating schools largely responded that student-centered learning promoted
higher student engagement and facilitated learning that was more relevant to students. Further,
a large percentage of the teachers contended that students in student-centered environments
explored the curriculum with more depth and retained knowledge more effectively than in traditional
settings.

Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized

Learning (2015)
A November 2015 study by the RAND Corporation analyzed 11,000 students at 62 schools that served
primarily low-income students, and employed personalized learning strategies. The study also
examined a subset of 32 study schools that had successfully implemented five specific personalized
learning strategies—learner profiles, personal learning paths, competency-based progression,
flexible learning environments, and a focus on college and career readiness.
Results found that study students made significantly greater gains in math and English language
arts than a comparison group of similar students from comparable schools. 34 These findings were
consistent with data that RAND had reported in the prior year, but the sample for this study was
three times larger. Another significant finding was that, even though most of the study students had
started below the national averages in mathematics and reading, they generally ended with scores
near or above the national averages after two years in personalized learning schools.

Informing Progress: Insights on Personalized Learning

Implementation and Effects (2017)
New evidence from a July 2017 study by the RAND Corporation found that students participating
in personalized learning schools had modest gains in reading and math scores, as compared peers
in other schools and that personalized learning is “benefitting students of all ability levels.”35
Additionally, the study found evidence suggesting that the more a school implements personalized
learning practices, the greater the positive effects on student achievement. With that said, the
authors noted that this finding requires further research in order to be confirmed because of the low
implementation of personalized learning at some of the study schools, which suggests that the real
limitations may not be in the designs themselves, but in actually getting them implemented.

What was Missing from the Literature?

Throughout this section we examined theory, research, studies, and literature that examined the
construct of student-centered learning as a whole. From this review, we identified five of our seven
principles, which were referenced throughout—positive relationships, student-ownership and agency,
real-world relevant, competency-based, and anytime, anywhere.
From our review, it became apparent the primary focus of the research and case studies was on the
benefits of student-centered learning for students when the academic experience is redesigned.
However, from our examination of the history of student-centered learning, as well as ample
research to be shown in Part 5, we know that non-academic factors play a critical role in a student’s
development and academic success. Because of the importance of these non-academic factors, we
decided it was necessary to add two more principles that reflected this: positive identity development
and foundational needs met.

12 | educationevolving.org
 PART 5
Research Supporting
Each Principle of Student-
Centered Learning
In the previous sections, we provided an overview of the history of student-centered learning, as
well as a review of the research and literature that examined student-centered learning as an overall
construct. However, because none of the studies or theories comprehensively included or examined
all seven of our principles it was imperative that we provide evidence and justification for why we
chose each of them.
In this section we have also provided some real world examples of how schools and districts are
implementing each principle. However, we want to emphasize our earlier point that there is no “right
way” or specific program that schools should use in order to realize our principles. Rather, these
examples are merely a few of the many programs, curricula, tactics, and strategies that educators can
draw from as they decide how best to implement student-centered learning.
Additionally, we want to note that we have labeled and ordered the principles in this paper solely for
organizational purposes, and not in any special order of significance.

Relation
ive
Principle #1: Positive Relationships
it

sh
Pos

ips

In our current Taylorist public education system, the relationship between the
student and teacher does not have the opportunity to positively develop because it
places teachers in a position of authority over the students. 36 Teachers dictate what
they need to know and how to do tasks, thereby alienating the student from their
own intellectual curiosity and creativity.
This design contradicts the large body of research which shows that when students have
positive relationships with their teachers they are better able to tackle academic challenges, develop
higher self-esteem, and learn about appropriate
peer relationships.37 Also, students who believe
that their teachers care about their success and
have high academic expectations for them are Research shows that low-
more motivated to meet those expectations, and
they also perform better academically than their
peers who do not.38
income students who have
Positive student-to-teacher relationships are positive relationships with their
particularly important for low-income students.
Research shows that low-income students who
have positive relationships with their teachers
teachers have higher academic
have higher academic achievement and more
positive social-emotional adjustment than
achievement and more positive
similar students who do not. 39
The application of Taylor’s scientific
social-emotional adjustment.
management to public education has also made
it difficult for positive relationships amongst
students to develop because it prevents them

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 13

 from regularly interacting with one another and forces them to be in competition for grades. However,
strong relationships between students play a critical role in their academic and social outcomes,
and long-term success.40 Research has also found that positive peer relationships are important in
a student’s personal growth,41 academic success,42 and critical to a student’s cognitive, social, and
language development.43
This is particularly true for students who have adverse family circumstances, as measured by
ecological disadvantage, violent conflict, and harsh discipline. Research has found that peer
acceptance can serve as a “moderator” for all these measures.44

Advisory: Positive Relationships in Practice

Advisories are a widely promoted program for developing and fostering positive teacher-to-student
and student-to-student relationships. In practice, advisories can take many different forms in size
and frequency, from one-on-one to group sessions that can meet daily or weekly. Importantly, by
facilitating a small peer community of learners, advisories help students more meaningfully connect
with one another45 as well as with their advisor. Research shows that strong adult mentorship can
increase the likelihood of graduation and postsecondary success for high school students, greater
student advocacy, and personal growth.46
The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago is an example of a successful advisory program.
Students in Noble’s schools are assigned an advisor that they stay with until graduation. Advisors
meet with their advisees daily and check in with them about their courses, grades, attendance, and
behavior. Advisors also assist with navigating the college process and are in regular communication
with their advisees’ families.47

undation
Fo
Principle #2 : Foundational Needs Met
al
Needs Me

There is a significant amount of research indicating that if a student is to be

successful, in academics and life, then their “foundational” needs—physical,
psychological, and safety—must be met.48 Specifically, when these basic needs are
met, students miss fewer classes and days of school, have higher engagement, are
t
less likely to participate in “risky or antisocial behavior,” and have higher academic
achievement.49
Our nation’s public education system, however, has continuously fallen short in supporting students
in meeting these basic needs. On average, more than 21 million students receive a free or reduced
price school lunch per day.50 However, only 12.1 million (a little over half) of those students receive a
free or reduced priced school breakfast,51 which is unacceptable given that 76 percent of public school
teachers report that their students regularly come to school hungry.52
Another unmet need that is gaining more attention in public education research is toxic stress, which
is “prolonged activation of stress response systems in the absence of protective relationships.”53
Research shows that toxic stress leads to quantifiable changes in areas of the brain that are
centrally involved in learning and can result in learning problems.54 There is also a growing amount
of research on how toxic stress “can switch on certain genes that may lead to serious illness”55 and
also “negatively affects emotional regulation.”56 For example, students who have experienced toxic
stress may have a harder time sitting still in class and may exhibit disruptive classroom behavior.57
Additionally, the more adverse experiences that students have during their childhood—poverty,
abuse or neglect, parental substance abuse or mental illness, and exposure to violence—the greater
the likelihood that they will have developmental delays and greater health problems like diabetes,
depression, substance abuse, and heart disease.58
We recognize that there are several other unmet student needs that we have not mentioned.
Fortunately, there are several initiatives across the country that are dedicated to meeting the
foundational needs of students. One of those initiatives is community schools, which offer a wide
range of services and opportunities in partnership with community stakeholders and service
providers, like mental and physical health services, after school and summer programming, and
family support services.59 Research has found that students in community schools have higher

14 | educationevolving.org
attendance rates, math and English achievement rates, and grade point averages, while also having
lower dropout rates.60
Trauma-informed schools are another initiative designed to meet the needs of students. When
schools adopt trauma-informed approaches—that is, reshaping their organizational culture, practices,
and policies to be more sensitive to the experiences and needs of their students61—research has found
a corresponding increase in student resilience,62 coping skills,63 attendance,64 and graduation rates.65
Additionally, these practices, over the long term, are associated with a decrease in discipline referrals,
out-of-school suspensions, and incidents of physical aggression.66

Family League of Baltimore: Meeting Foundational Needs

in Practice
The Family League of Baltimore partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, the mayor, and City
Council is an example of a successful community schools initiative. There are over 45 community
schools across the city, which provide students with mental health supports, after-school programs,
and access to food, to name a few. These efforts have contributed to a reduction in chronic absenteeism
rates, increased student achievement, and increased student participation in afterschool activities.67

ty
i
e Id ent

Principle #3: Positive Identity

Our current public education system is not designed to recognize the uniqueness
of each student, nor to help them develop a sense of positive identity. Rather the
tiv

system relies on the assumption that academic motivation and student effort are
si

a result of the teacher’s instruction and a student’s pre-existing aptitude, rather

Po than take into account the identity—culture, background, and experiences68—of
the student.69 This is contradictory to ample research which finds that positive identity
development is critical to a student’s academic and social outcomes.
Psychologists stress that adolescence is an incredibly important period of development for the
formation of an individual’s healthy identity.70 This is significant because a person’s identity has a lot
of influence not only on how they perceive others, but also on their own self-esteem and confidence.71
Relatedly, when schools do not effectively facilitate opportunities for students to develop a positive
self-identity, they are more likely to have increased concerns about social acceptance and higher
feelings of inadequacy in their academic performance.72
Unsurprisingly, teachers are very important to the development of a student’s positive identity. A 2011
research paper by the University of Massachusetts Boston found, “Too often teachers, administrators,
and other school staff approach their students with cultural blindness, constructing cultural
differences as impediments rather than assets. As a result, many students of color are disengaged in
their educational experience, report feeling uncomfortable in school, and have higher stress levels.”73
However, when teachers use cultural resources to teach knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes then
student achievement is raised and students of color “maintain identity and connections with their
ethnic groups and communities...and acquire an ethic of success.”74
Relatedly, research has found that students of color benefit from having teachers who share their
racial and ethnic identity. Specifically, teachers of color “can be more motivated to work with students
of color in high poverty, racially and ethnically segregated schools” and have higher academic
expectations for students of color.75 However, it’s not just students of color that benefit from having a
teacher of color. Rather, research has found that for all students, positive exposure to individuals from
a wide range of races and ethnic groups, particularly in childhood, can “help to reduce stereotypes,
attenuate unconscious implicit biases and help promote cross-cultural social bonding.”76
A school’s climate can also impact the development of a student’s identity. A positive school climate
promotes positive student identity development, higher self-esteem,77 elevated psychological well-
being,78 higher student academic motivation and engagement,79 and improved behavioral, academic,
and mental health outcomes for students.80 On the other hand, in schools with a negative climate,
students are more likely to experience violence, bullying, and punitive disciplinary actions, which are
often accompanied by reduced academic achievement and high levels of student absenteeism.81

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 15

 Network for the Development of Children of African Descent
(NDCAD): Positive Identity in Practice
NDCAD is a family education center that serves children, families, and communities throughout the
Twin Cities metropolitan area. They offer a number of literacy and cultural enrichment programs,
including tutoring, free children’s books with an African cultural focus, the Sankofa Reading program,
as well as parent and teacher training. Their goal is to “positively impact the cultural, spiritual, and
academic development of children by working holistically with young people, parents, educators, and
the community.” They believe that the development of positive cultural identity should be integrally
linked with efforts at developing academic literacy.

Principle #4: Student Ownership and Agency

& A e ncy

In a Taylorist public education system, students are taught from a predetermined

g

curriculum and provided with “efficient” step-by-step procedures for completing

Stu

tasks. This results in students having minimal ownership and agency in their
en learning.
ip

t O w n er sh
d

This contradicts a large body of research which has found that meaningfully involving
students in their education can increase their academic achievement, motivation, effort,
participation, and engagement in their learning.82 When given choice in their learning, students
engage in deeper, richer learning, display more on-task behavior, and the learning environment
becomes more collaborative. 83 Research also
shows that when students are given autonomy in
their learning they are more likely to better develop
their 21st century or “character” skills in critical When given choice in their
thinking, problem solving, teamwork, creativity, grit,
perseverance, and time management. These are some learning, students engage in
of the most sought after skills for employers.84
One type of program that increases student deeper, richer learning, display
ownership and agency is project-based learning,
which is a “student-driven, teacher-facilitated more on-task behavior, and
approach to learning.”85 Project-based learning
creates the opportunity for students to gain
knowledge and skills by doing research and inquiry,
the learning environment
under teacher supervision, by responding to an
engaging, relevant, and complex question or problem.
becomes more collaborative.
The student then translates their knowledge into a
project that they present to a small audience. Students who are engaged in project-based learning
exhibit higher academic gains on standardized assessments than their peers in traditional schools,
and are more responsible, independent, and disciplined.86
Whatever the program, if students are going to have more ownership and agency in their learning, it is
imperative that the traditional roles of students and teachers change. Evidence shows that teachers
who “highly supported” student autonomy are more likely to encourage student initiative, support
intrinsic student motivation, nurture competence, use non-controlling communication, and promote
internalization by providing rationales and promoting the value of a task.87

16 | educationevolving.org
 Pittsfield School District: Student Ownership and Agency in
Practice
In 2011, Pittsfield Middle High School, which serves grades 7-12 in New Hampshire, began its
innovative, student-centered approach when it transitioned to being more focused on student-led
discussions, small-group work, and individual projects. 88 The individual grading system was also
replaced with a matrix of “competencies,” which detailed the skills and knowledge that students
are expected to master in each class. 89 There are also online classes available to students so they
can further challenge themselves and earn college credit.90 Student voice and input is also included
with regard to decisions on school rules, regulations, and discipline.91 The goal is for students
to carry more of the responsibility for their own learning and they are also expected to develop
critical thinking skills that are required for “real world” success.92 Because the program has been so
successful at Pittsfield Middle High School, it was expanded to the elementary school for the 2017-18
academic year.

Principle #5: Real-World Relevant

R e al- W

Over 100 years ago, our public education system was designed with the goal
of educating the masses to work in an era of compliance, standardization, and
automation. Even though our economy and industries have changed, the design
rl of our public education system has not. This is problematic because the majority
o

dR t
elev a n of today’s students will be employed in jobs that don’t exist yet93 and the business
community is pleading for something different.94
In fact, recent studies95 and employer
surveys96 have revealed that many
companies are struggling to find
employees to fill jobs, with 57 percent
Even though our economy and
of CEOs indicating that they have had
a hard time finding employees with industries have changed, the design
fundamental skills in math, reading, and
writing.97 Additionally, the vast majority of our public education system has
of Americans support adding job or career
skills classes in schools, and think it not. This is problematic because the
is “highly important for schools to help
students develop interpersonal skills,
such as cooperative, respectful of others
majority of today’s students will be in
and persistent at solving problems.”98
jobs that don’t exist yet.
Engagement and motivation is directly
related to whether or not a student finds
relevance in what they’re learning.99 This
is important because student engagement has consistently been found to be a strong predictor of
student performance and behavior in the classroom,100 decreased likelihood of student alienation,101
and a precursor to long-term academic achievement and graduation.102 Also, students who are
engaged in school earn higher grades,103 have higher standardized test scores,104 better attendance,105
and are less likely to drop out.106 This last point is significant, because surveys have found that about
half of high school dropouts reported being uninterested in what their schools had to offer and that
their schoolwork was not relevant to where they were in their lives or in their experiences outside of
school.107
There are a number of different programs—work-based learning, makerspaces, interdisciplinary
learning, internships, career fairs—educators can utilize in order to incorporate the real-world
relevant principle into their schools. Importantly, the program must be relevant to the student. For
example, if a student is interested in public policy or social issues, they could volunteer at a homeless
shelter, interview legislators, or research effective job creation programs.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 17

 Additionally, students should be able to demonstrate their learning through a variety of methods
that build their real-world, 21st century skills. Student portfolios, performance exhibitions, and
digital assessments are a few examples of strategies that educators can use to diversify the ways
students can demonstrate their learning.108 This point will be discussed further in our next principle,
competency-based.

Work-Based Learning: Real World Relevant in Practice

Work-based learning provides students with exposure to working professionals and allows them to
better understand the jobs, careers, and skills that are needed to succeed in today’s workforce. Some
of the student benefits from participating in work-based learning are that they:
• Connect what they are learning in the classroom to the education and skills that they need in order
to succeed in the workplace;
• Become more motivated to do well in school and pursue postsecondary education;
• Gain an understanding of workplace norms, which include “soft skills” that might influence their
career success;
• Explore and learn about a wide variety of careers, which can help them make more informed
decisions about their education and career goals.109
Co
m

Principle #6: Competency-Based

p ete n

The Taylorist model of public education goes against core cognitive science principles,
which contend that new knowledge is built upon prior knowledge.110 Under the Taylorist
-B
cy

model, students are taught in a standardized fashion and move along, whether they
ased have mastered the material or not, by age or if they have spent an arbitrary amount
of time in a class. If a student is moved along year after year, despite not mastering the
content, then gaps in their knowledge will become larger, which can result in serious life
challenges.111
In contrast, competency-based learning is personalized with respect to pacing, support, and
determination of mastery. Students don’t move onto another topic until they have demonstrated
mastery on a set of competencies that have been deemed requisite to that new topic. Some students
will move through the content more quickly, but students who are struggling will receive the support
and time that they need. The result is differentiated, equitable learning that meets the individual
needs of each student.
An important part of competency-based education
is scaffolding, which is when students receive
assistance on an “as-needed basis, fading the
assistance as their competence increases.”112
Competency-based learning
Scaffolding can take many forms, including discussion
before a lesson about current knowledge a student
is personalized with respect
has, technology, leading questions and prompts, and
teacher support before, during, or after a lesson, to to pacing, support, and
name a few. When educators provide students with
these types of support, it activates prior knowledge in determination of mastery.
a way that pushes students without frustrating them
to the point where they give up.113
Education technology, in particular adaptive
software, can play an important role in competency-based education. These tools personalize
learning to each student’s needs and creates “an instructionally sound and flexible environment
that supports learning for students with a range of abilities, disabilities, interests, backgrounds, and
other characteristics.” 114 It also allows students to be in charge of how they learn, while also assisting
educators with identifying gaps in a student’s knowledge and keeping them on track.

18 | educationevolving.org
 Another important component of competency-based education is diversifying how students
demonstrate their learning. For example, through portfolios and performance assessments.115 In
recent years, there has been a lot of pushback from teachers, families, organizations, and students
regarding the usefulness of standardized, multiple-choice assessments. In fact, only 42 percent of
adults think that performance on standardized tests are a highly important indicator of the quality of
a school.116
Expanding beyond using only multiple-choice assessment is important because high-stakes testing
has been shown to negatively impact motivation and learning, narrow curricula,117 and often does not
accurately reflect a student’s performance in the real world.118 Additionally, research supports using
multiple forms of assessment to measure student growth. In particular, research on performance
assessments, which requires students to perform a task or generate their own responses, shows
they are better for assessing and acquiring high level, complex thinking skills and are more likely to
encourage the acquisition of them.119

Sanborn Regional School District: Competency-Based in

Practice
Since 2010, Sanborn Regional School District has been redesigning their E-12 public education
system to be competency-based, which includes a competency-based grading, curriculum, and
reporting system for all of its courses and grade levels. Today, Sanborn is considered to be a national
leader in competency-based learning.

here Principle #7: Anytime, Anywhere Learning

yw
n

In his book, Blueprint For Tomorrow, Prakash Nair, one of the world’s leading school
ytime, A

architects, explains that school buildings “need to be designed from the ground up
to support four essential design principles. They need to be welcoming, be versatile,
support various learning activities, and send positive messages about activity and
An

behavior.” 120
These four design principles are often missing in today’s schools. Rather, students are
educated according to age and in classrooms containing rows of desks with the teacher at
the front of the classroom. Students are confined to their desks or classrooms, and are only allowed
to move to their next, designated space upon hearing a bell. It’s a rigid design that restricts where,
what, and when a student learns.
However, in recent years there have been a growing number of schools across the country that are
creating more flexible and innovative learning environments, with hallways, stairwells, and other
parts of the school becoming places to learn. An example of this innovation is flexible classrooms,
which “give students a choice in what kind of learning space works best for them, and help them
to work collaboratively, communicate, and engage in critical thinking.” 121 Albemarle County Public
Schools, located in Virginia, implemented flexible classrooms over 10 years ago. They restructured
classrooms to have at least three kinds of seating areas, flexible bookshelves, and large round or
rectangular tables instead of individual working spaces.122 Walking into a classroom, there might be
students lying on the floor, sitting at low tables on their knees, or standing up. Since the district has
implemented flexible classrooms, they have noticed that their students’ grades have improved and
they seem happier and more engaged.123
There are also benefits to students’ learning outside of the school building, school day, and school
year. Practically speaking, students spend only 20 percent of their “waking time annually in formal
classroom education, leaving 80 percent of their time to explore and enhance their learning interests
in nonschool settings.” 124 There are a variety of programs or opportunities—internships, work-based
programs, community service, flexible learning, etc.—schools can utilize to engage students in
anytime, anywhere learning, as described in the real-world relevant principle section.
By creating opportunities for students to receive credit for engaging in activities outside of the
school building and school day, schools are recognizing that some students face barriers that
prohibit them from fully engaging during the traditional school day. Survey results and research have

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 19

 found that many high school dropouts left
school for personal reasons, “about one- By providing options for anytime,
third [of dropouts] reported they had to get
a job and make money; a quarter said they anywhere learning, school are being
became a parent; and about a fifth said
they had to care for a family member. Many responsive to the individual needs
of these young people reported doing
reasonably well in school and had a strong
belief that they could have graduated if
of their students.
they had stayed in school.” 125 By providing
options for anytime, anywhere learning,
schools are being responsive to the
individual needs of their students and creating opportunities for them to be successful.

Big Picture Learning: Anytime, Anywhere Learning in Practice

In their book, Leaving to Learn, Elliot Washor, co-founder of Big Picture Learning (BPL), and Charles
Mojkowksi, a former educator and administrator, support the argument for allowing students to
participate in more out-of-school learning experiences. Citing high and persistent dropout rates as
well as the “big four” reasons for why students dropout—academic failure, behavioral problems, life
events, and disinterest—the authors contend that allowing students to learn outside of the confines
of a school increases student engagement and reduces dropout rates. They also assert that these
opportunities can reclaim back to school students who had previously dropped out.
These arguments are not just theoretical. BPL schools routinely have higher four-year graduation
rates than their respective district schools, as well as have more students passing the state English
and mathematics assessments. Additionally, almost 80 percent of BPL students take college courses
while in high school, and survey results show that 66 percent of former BPL students “believe that
their BPL experience prepared them for the life they ended up pursuing.” 126

20 | educationevolving.org
Conclusion
Student-Centered Learning:
From Principles to Action
At Education Evolving, our seven principles of student-centered learning serve as a guidepost for all of
our current and future work, and our theory of change reflects that belief. Specifically, we assert that
in order to get to student-centered learning, two things must occur:
1. Teachers, who work closest with the students, must have larger professional roles in designing and
leading schools.
2. Policy must enable and support innovation, by removing barriers, creating space, and fostering a
climate of encouragement for educators who are reimagining learning.
We argue that the transition to student-centered learning cannot be orchestrated from a hierarchical,
top-down structure. Rather, bold innovation and continuous improvements to traditional school
should happen side-by-side in a “split screen,” which provides the opportunity for changes to occur
organically, over time as innovative approaches to learning are tried, refined, replicated, and adopted
by others.
We also recognize that our principles of student-centered learning are not intransigent. Rather, they
are evolving and will likely be refined and amended as more research emerges and as we engage with
more stakeholders.
We look forward to working with educators, students, families, and communities to advance our
seven principles of student-centered learning and our theory of change so that, one day, all students
will receive an equitable, rigorous, and relevant education that meets their unique needs.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 21

 End Notes
1 The American Presidency Project. 1983. Ronald Reagan: Radio Address to the Nation on Education. Author.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=41259.
2 United States National Commission on Excellence in Education. 1983. A Nation at Risk : the Imperative for
Educational Reform: A Report to the Nation and the Secretary of Education, United States Department of
Education. Washington, DC: Author.
3 Dee, Thomas and Jacob, Brian. 2010. The Impact of No Child Left Behind on Students, Teachers, and Schools.
Washington, DC: Brookings Papers on Economic Activity.
4 Butrymowicz, Sarah. 2017. “Most colleges enroll students who aren’t prepared for higher education.” PBS,
January 30; Hanford, Emily. 2016. “Stuck at Square one,” American Public Media Reports, August 18.
5 Heim, Joey. 2016. “On the world stage, US students fall behind,.” The Washington Post, December 16:
According to the most recent results from the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa),
a highly regarded international assessment, out of the 70 countries that took it, the United States ranked 25th
in science, 24th in reading, and 40th in mathematics.
6 Hart Research Associates. 2015. “Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success.” Washington, DC: Author.
7 Business Roundtable. 2014. CEOs Say Skills Gap Threatens U.S. Economic Future. Washington, DC: Author;
Business Roundtable. 2017. CEOs Tackle Skills Gap as a ‘National Crisis’ Threatening America’s Economic
Future. Washington, DC: Author.
8 Callahan, R.E., 1964. Education and the cult of efficiency: A study of the social forces that have shaped the
administration of the public schools. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
9 Bobbit, John F. 1912. The Elimination of Waste in Education. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
10 Ibid.
11 Rose, Todd. 2016. The End of Average: How we Succeed in a World that Values Sameness. San Francisco, CA:
HarperOne.
12 Labaree, David F. 2011. How Dewey Lost; The Victory of David Snedden and Social Efficiency in the Reform
of American Education. In Daniel Tröhler, Thomas Schlag, and Fritz Ostervalder (Eds.), Pragmatism and
modernities. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
13 Cubberley, Ellwood P. 2005. The History of Education. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
14 Labaree, David F. 2005. Progressivism, Schools and Schools of Education: An American Romance. Wales, UK:
Paedagogica Historica: International Journal of the History of Education.
15 Gray, Kenneth. 1993. Why We Will Lose: Taylorism in America’s High Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications.
16 Mecken, H.L. 1924. The Little Red Schoolhouse. New York, NY: American Mercury.
17 For more information on teacher-powered schools and the national movement, go to teacherpowered.org
18 Cervone, Barbara and Cushman, Kathleen. 2012. Teachers at Work, Six Exemplars of Everyday Practice. Boston,
MA: Jobs for the Future and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
19 Cremin, Lawrence. 1961. The Transformation of the School: Progressivism in American Education 1876-1957.
Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Progress.
20 Dewey, John. 1900. School and Society. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
21 Dewey, John. 1916. Democracy and Education. New York, NY: Macmillan; Dewey, John. 1940. Education Today.
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons: First Edition.
22 Neal, Richard M. 2011. The Compromising of America: An American Tragedy. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.
23 Nair, Prakash. 2014. Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Education Press.
24 Drummond, Steve. 2017. “Open School’ Made Noise in the 70’s; Now They’re Just Noise.” National Public Radio,
March 27.
25 Cervone, Barbara and Cushman, Kathleen. 2012. Teachers at Work, Six Exemplars of Everyday Practice. Boston,
MA: Jobs for the Future and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
26 Coalition of Essential Schools. 2017. Farewell from the Coalition of Essential Schools. Author.
27 O’Neill, Geraldine and McMahon, Tim. 2005. Student-Centred Learning: What Does it Mean for Students and
Lecturers. Emerging Issues in the Practice of University Learning and Teaching.
28 Weimer, Maryellen. 2002. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.

22 | educationevolving.org
29 Friedlaender, Diane, Burns, Dion, Lewis-Charp, Heather, Cook-Harvey, Channa M., Darling-Hammond, Linda.
2014. Student-Centered Schools: Closing the Opportunity Gap. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity
Policy in Education.
30 Ibid.
31 Ibid.
32 Shultz, Greta, Ellis, Steven: Reif, Gabriel. 2016. A Qualitative Study of Student-Centered Learning Practices
in New England High Schools. Boston, MA: Nellie Mae Education Foundation and the University of
Massachusetts Donahue Institute.
33 To see the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s four tenets of student-centered approaches, go to
https://www.nmefoundation.org/our-vision.
34 Pane, John F., Elizabeth D. Steiner, Matthew D. Baird and Laura S. Hamilton. 2015. Continued Progress:
Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
35 Pane, John, Steiner, Elizabeth, Baird, Matthew, Hamilton, Laura, and Pane, Joseph. 2017. Informing Progress:
Insights on Personalized Learning Implementation and Effects. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
36 Kliebard, Herbert. 2004. The Struggle for the American Curriculum. Oxford, UK: Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
37 Hamre, B. K., and Pianta, R. C. 2001. Early teacher–child relationships and the trajectory of children’s school
outcomes through eighth grade. Hoboken, NJ: Child Development.
38 Muller, C. 2001. The role of caring in the teacher-student relationship for at-risk students. Los Angeles, CA:
Sociological Inquiry.
39 Murray, C., & Malmgren, K. 2005. Implementing a teacher–student relationship program in a high-poverty
urban school: Effects on social, emotional, and academic adjustment and lessons learned. Worchester, MA:
Journal of School Psychology.
40 Steedly, K., Schwartz, A., Levin, M., and Luke, S. 2011. Social skills and academic achievement. Washington, DC:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
41 Ibid.
42 Hue, Ming-tak, and Li, Wai-shing. 2008. Classroom management: Creating a positive learning environment.
Hong Kong, Chin: Hong Kong University Press.
43 Bruce, B. and Hansson, K. 2010. “Promoting peer interaction.” Autism Spectrum Disorders – From Genes to
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44 Criss, M. M., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A. and Lapp, A. L. 2002. Family Adversity, Positive Peer
Relationships, and Children’s Externalizing Behavior: A Longitudinal Perspective on Risk and Resilience.
Hoboken, NJ: Child Development; Lansford, J. E., Criss, M. M., Pettit, G. S., Dodge, K. A. and Bates, J. E. 2003.
Friendship Quality, Peer Group Affiliation, and Peer Antisocial Behavior as Moderators of the Link Between
Negative Parenting and Adolescent Externalizing Behavior. Hoboken, NJ: Journal of Research on Adolescence.
45 Cushman, K. 1990. Are advisory groups ‘essential’? What they do, how they work. Portland, ME: Horace;
Galassi, J. P., Gulledge, S. A., and Cox, N. D. 1997. Middle school advisories: Retrospect and prospect. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Review of Educational Research; Juvonen, J., Le, V. N., Kaganoff, T., Augustine, C., and Constant, L.
2004. Focus on the wonder years: Challenges facing the American middle school. Santa Monica, CA: RAND
Corporation: National Association of Secondary School Principals. 2006. Breaking ranks in the middle:
Strategies for leading middle level reform. Reston, VA: Author.; Vander Ark, Tom. 2015. “The Role of Advisory
in Personalizing the Secondary Experience.” Getting Smart, April 21.
46 Vander Ark, Tom. 2015. “The Role Of Advisory In Personalizing The Secondary Experience.” Getting Smart.
April 21.
47 For more information regarding Noble’s advisory system please visit, http://www.noblenetwork.org
48 Tough, Paul. 2012. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
49 ASCD. 2012. Making the Case for Educating the Whole Child. Alexandria, VA: Author.
50 Food Research and Action Center. 2016. School Breakfast Reportcard. Washington, DC: Author.
51 Ibid.
52 Goldberg, Eleanor. 2015. “A Whopping 76% of Teachers Say Kids Come to School Hungry. Here’s What’s Being
Done.” Huffington Post, March 3.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 23

 53 Wolfe, Rebecca, Steinberg, Adria, and Hoffman, Nancy. 2013. Anytime, Anywhere: Student-Centered Learning
for Schools and Teachers. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
54 Ibid.
55 Center on the Developing Child. 2017. Toxic Stress. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.
56 Kretzmann, Jane. 2013. Toxic Stress in Children & 4 Ways to Help. Minneapolis, MN: The University of
Minnesota.
57 Ibid.
58 Kirwan Institute. 2014. 2014 Franklin County Children’s Report: How Toxic Stress Threatens Success.
Columbus, OH. The Ohio State University; Center on the Developing Child. 2015. The Impact of Early Adversity
on Children’s Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.
59 Coalition for Community Schools. 2017. What is a Community School. Washington, DC: Institute for
Educational Leadership.
60 Emig, Carol, and Moore, Kristin. 2014. “Integrated Student Supports: A Summary of the Evidence Base for
Policymakers.” Minneapolis, MN. Child Trends.
61 McInterney, Maura, and McKlindon, Amy. 2014. Unlocking the Door to Learning: Trauma-Informed Classrooms
and Transformational Schools. Philadelphia, PA: Education Law Center.
62 Shamblin, S., Graham, D., and Blanco, JA. 2016. Creating trauma-informed schools for rural Appalachia: The
Partnerships Program for enhancing resiliency, confidence and workforce development in early childhood
education. Baltimore, MD: School Mental Health at the University of Maryland.
63 Perry, DL., and Daniels, ML. 2016. Implementing trauma-informed practices in the school setting: A pilot study.
Baltimore, MD: School Mental Health at the University of Maryland.
64 Dorado, JS., Martinez, M., McArthur, LE., and Leibovitz, T. 2016. Healthy Environments and Response to
Trauma in Schools: A whole-school, multi-level, prevention and intervention program for creating trauma-
informed, safe and supportive schools. Baltimore, MD: School Mental Health at the University of Maryland.
65 Verbitsky-Savtiz, N, Hargreaves, MB, and Penoyer, S. 2016. Preventing and Mitigating the Effect of ACEs
by Building Community Capacity and Resilience: APPI Cross-Site Evaluation Findings. Washington, DC:
Mathematica Policy Research.
66 Dorado, JS., Martinez, M., McArthur, LE., and Leibovitz, T. 2016. Healthy Environments and Response to
Trauma in Schools: A whole-school, multi-level, prevention and intervention program for creating trauma-
informed, safe and supportive schools. Baltimore, MD: School Mental Health at the University of Maryland.
67 Family League of Baltimore. Community Schools. Baltimore, MD: Author. For more information on
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68 Cushner, K., McClelland, A., and Safford, P. 2000. Human diversity in education: An integrative approach.
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69 Wolfe, Rebecca, Steinberg, Adria, and Hoffman, Nancy. 2013. Anytime, Anywhere: Student-Centered Learning
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70 Steinberg, L. 2001. We know some things: Parent-adolescent relations in retrospect and prospect. Hoboken,
NJ: Journal of Research in Adolescence.; Kegan, Robert and Fleck, Ann. 1989. Learning, Knowing and the Self.
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71 Smith, EP, Walker, K, Fields, L, Brookins, CC, and Seay, RC. 1999. Ethnic Identity and Its Relationship to Self-
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72 Altschul, Inna, Daphna Oyserman, and Deborah Bybee. 2006. Racial-Ethnic Identity in MidAdolescence:
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73 Landa, Cady. 2011. Cultural Proficiency in Education: A Review of the Literature focused on Teachers, School
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74 Gay, Geneva. 2010. Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Teachers
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75 Albert Shanker Institute. 2015. The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education. Washington, DC: Author.
76 Ibid.
77 Hoge, D. R., Smith, E. K., and Hanson, S. L. 1990. School experiences predicting changes in self-esteem of sixth-
and seventh-grade students. Worchester, MA: Journal of Educational Psychology.

24 | educationevolving.org
78 Ruus, V., Veisson, M., Leino, M., Ots, L., Pallas, L., Sarv, E., and Veisson, A. 2007. Students’ well-being,
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79 Eccles, J. S., Wigfield, A., Midgley, C., Reuman, D., MacIver, D., and Feldlaufer, H. 1993. Negative effects of
traditional middle schools on students’ motivation. Chicago, IL: Elementary School Journal.
80 Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Higgins-D’Alessandro, A., and Guffy, S. 2012. School climate research summary. Bronx,
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81 Astor, R. A., Guerra, N., and Van Acker, R. 2010. How can we improve school safety research? Educational
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82 Fedderson, C. 2003. African-American students’ perceptions of caring teachers. The Initiative Anthology.
Miami, OH: Initiative on Leadership, Culture and Schooling, Miami University.; Fletcher, A. 2003. Meaningful
student involvement: Guide to inclusive school change. Olympia, WA: The Freechild Project.; Ferguson,
R. 2002. Ed-excel assessment of secondary school student culture: Tabulations by school district and
race/ethnicity. Boston, MA: Weiner Center for Social Policy, J. F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
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in education. Educational Researcher.; Howard, T. 2002. Footsteps in the dark: African-American students’
descriptions of effective teachers. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk.;Raymond, L. 2001.
Student involvement in school improvement: From data source to significant voice. FORUM.
83 Anderson, Mike. 2016. Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn: The Key to Student Motivation and
Achievement. Alexandria, VA. ASCD.
84 Adams, Susan. 2014. “The 10 Skills Employers Want Most in 2015 Graduates.” Forbes, November 12.;
Chan, Paula E., Graham-Day, Kristall J. Ressa, Virginia A. Peters, and Mary T. Konrad, Moira. 2014. Beyond
Involvement: Promoting Student Ownership of Learning in Classrooms. Intervention in School and Clinic.
85 Bell, Stephanie. 2010. Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future. The Clearing House.
86 Ibid.
87 Reeve, J.; Bolt, E. and Cai, Y. 1999. Autonomy-supportive teachers: How they teach and motivate students.
Worchester, MA: Journal of Educational Psychology.; Assor, A.; Kaplan, H. and Roth, G. 2002. Choice is good,
but relevance is excellent: autonomy-enhancing and suppressing teacher behaviours predicting students’
engagement in schoolwork. Hoboken, NJ: British Journal of Educational Psychology.
88 Richmond, Emily. 2014. “What Happens When Students Control Their Own Education?” The Atlantic, October 24.
89 Ibid.
90 Ibid.
91 Kominiak, Todd. 2017. “When their high school started to fail, educators gave students the responsibility to
turn it around. And they did.” TrustEd, July 25.
92 For more information on Pittsfield Middle High Schoo,l visit http://www.pittsfieldnhschools.org/pmhs/.
93 Wolf, Ira. 2013. “65 Percent of Today’s Students Will Be Employed in Jobs that Don’t Exist Yet.” Success
Performance Solutions, August 26.; World Economic Forum. 2016. Future Jobs Report. Cologny, Geneva:
Author.
94 Minnesota State CareerWISE in Education. 2012. Employers Speak: Minnesota Workforce Needs. Saint Paul,
MN: Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, MnSCU, and MN DEED.
95 Ho-Kim, Thu-Mai. 2011. Understanding the Worker Needs of Manufacturers: The 2011 Minnesota Skills Gap
Report. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
96 Melo, Frederick. 2016. “From line cooks to tech jobs, employers wonder: Where are the workers?” Saint Paul,
MN: Pioneer Press, October 28.
97 Business Roundtable. 2017. Work in Progress: How CEOs Are Helping Close America’s Skills Gap. Washington,
DC: Author.
98 Results from the 2017 PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. To Learn more about the
survey results, visit http://pdkpoll.org/results.
99 Martin, A.J., and Dowson, M. 2009. Interpersonal relationships, motivation, engagement, and achievement:
Yields for theory, current issues, and educational practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Review of Educational
Research; Frymier, Ann and Schulman, Gary. 1995. “What’s in it for me?” Increasing content relevance to
enhance students’ motivation. Washington, DC: Communication Education.
100 Klem, Adena and Connell, James. 2004. Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support to Student
Engagement and Achievement. McLean, VA: Journal of School Health.

Evidence for Student-Centered Learning | 25

 101 Fredericks, Jennifer, Blumenfeld, Phyllis, and Paris, Allison. 2004. School Engagement: Potential of the
Concept, State of the Evidence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Review of Educational Research.
102 Connell, James., Spencer, Margaret, and. Aber, Jennifer. 1994. Educational Risk and Resilience in African-
American Youth; Context, Self, Action, and Outcomes in School. Hoboken, NJ: Child Development.
103 Goodenow. Carol. 1993. Classroom Belonging Among Early Adolescent Students: Relationships to Motivation
and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Journal of Early Adolescence.
104 Willingham, Warren, Pollack, Judith, and Lewis, Charles. 2002. Grades and Test Scores: Accounting for
Observed Differences. East Lansing, MI: Journal of Educational Measurement.
105 Klem, Adena and Connell, James. 2004. Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support to Student
Engagement and Achievement. Hoboken, NJ: Journal of School Health.
106 Ekstrom, Ruth. 1986. Who Drop Out of High School and Why? Findings from a National Study. New York, NY:
Teachers College Record.
107 Washor, Elliot and Mojkowski, Charles. 2013. Leaving to Learn: How Out-Of-School Learning Increases Student
Engagement and Reduces Dropout Rates. Portsmouth, NH; Heinemann.
108 Darling-Hammond, Linda. 2017. Developing and Measuring Higher Order Skills: Models for State Performance
Assessment Systems. Learning Policy Institute.
109 Change the Equation. Work-Based Learning: An Employer’s Guide. Washington, DC. Author: Federal Partners
in Transition. 2015. What to Know About Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students and Youth With
Disabilities. Washington, DC: Author.
110 Bransford, John, Brown, Ann, and Cocking, Rodney. 2000. How People Learn Brain, Mind, Experience, and
School. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
111 Knowledgeworks. Competency Education and Personalized Learning. YouTube Video. 2016. https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=IGLJWAQn1CU
112 Ley, Tobias, Kump, Barbara, and Gerdenitsch, Cornelia. 2010. Scaffolding Self-Directed Learning with
Personalized Learning Goal Recommendations. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
113 Ibid.
114 Shute, Valerie and Zapata-Rivera, Diego. 2007. “Adaptive Technologies.” Educational Testing Service.
115 Darling-Hammond, Linda. 2017. “Developing and Measuring Higher Order Skills: Models for State
Performance Assessment Systems.” Learning Policy Institute. March 17.
116 Results from the 2017 PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. To Learn more about the
survey results, visit http://pdkpoll.org/results.
117 Amrein, A.L., and Berliner, D.C. 2003. “An analysis of some unintended consequences of high stakes testing.”
Great Lakes Center for Educational Research and Practice; Solley, B.A. 2007. “Standardized testing has
negatively affected public schools.” Childhood Education.
118 Stecher, B. 2010. “Performance assessment in an era of standards-based educational accountability.”
Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.
119 Darling-Hammond, Linda and Adamson, Frank. 2010. “Beyond Basic Skills: The Role of Performance
Assessment in Achieving 21st Century Standards of Learning.” Stanford, CA. Stanford Century for Opportunity
Policy in Education.
120 Nair, Prakash. 2014. Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Education Press.
121 Edutopia. 2015. Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need. Marin County, CA:
Author.
122 Ibid.
123 Ibid.
124 Lopez, M. Elena, and Caspe, Margaret. 2014. Family Engagement in Anywhere, Anytime Learning. Cambridge,
MA: Family Involvement Network of Educators Newsletter.
125 Washor, Elliot and Mojkowski, Charles. 2013. Leaving to Learn: How Out-Of-School Learning Increases Student
Engagement and Reduces Dropout Rates. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
126 To see the infographic and learn more about Big Picture Learning, go to: https://1.cdn.edl.io/
ypVF5xkaVkJo5BysE9CGMhZZPJrlPivunDRKVPRw8KYvpZo9.pdf

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