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Rhode Island teachers recommend incentives, flexibility to take personalized learning instruction statewide
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – RI-CAN: The Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now released new policy recommendations on personalized learning today. These recommendations were developed in collaboration with teachers from RI-CAN’s inaugural Learning Pioneers fellowship training program.
Learning Pioneers, a fellowship program designed to elevate Rhode Island teachers’ voices and classroom experiences to inform personalized learning policy making, began with three public school teachers: Kate Dusel, John Boutcher and Mary Bush.
“A growing number of Rhode Island schools have received national recognition for their innovative use of personalized learning. If we remain committed to this kind of innovation, Rhode Island can be the first state in the nation to customize instruction for their entire student population,” said RI-CAN spokesperson Bill Fischer.
“As education leaders in Providence look to scale successful pilot programs, like the one at Blackstone Valley Prep, to more districts across the state, they should look to the experiences and insight offered by the teachers who participated in the Learning Pioneers training program.”
Key recommendations include:
- Providing a clear vision, direction and resources for schools adopting personalized learning programs.
- Providing dedicated professional development for teachers to adopt expertise in personalized learning curricula.
- Allowing increased budget flexibility and creating a competitive statewide incentive fund to help create community schools and increase technology in the classroom.
- Collaborating and communicating regularly with higher education institutions and work with them as educators closest to students.
Their experiences and more information on the benefits of personalized learning can be found at the new website launched today.
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RI-CAN: Launched in 2010, RI-CAN: The Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now is a nonprofit organization that advocates to ensure that every Rhode Island student has access to great schools. We work with parents, families, policymakers, and local advocates to improve policy to help all students thrive because we know that all kids CAN succeed.