Since 2010, the Institute for Personalized Learning (I4PL), a division of Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) 1, has been collaborating with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to inform the state's work with the Innovation Lab Network (ILN) managed by the Council of Chief State School Officers. ILN is a network of states that…

To create a clear picture of a personalized learning environment, this article walks us through a day at the Waukesha STEM Academy, a Wisconsin charter school serving about 300 students in grades 6-8. The article follows Cal, a student making the transition from his former traditional school (where every week looked about the same) to a school…

When does a community create and sustain a truly innovative "next generation" high school that not only remains innovative, but also relevant? According to the Carnegie Corporation, this means seizing the opportunity to redesign schools to promote personalized learning. So far, much work has gone into retooling many of these (reform)…

In this paper, I present a design case of the problem-identification process prior to the initiation of a Networked Improvement Community (NIC). A NIC is a type of research-practice partnership (RPP) that brings together researchers and practitioners to tackle complex problems of practice, and in doing so, proposes a social reorganization of the…

How can community colleges support students' goals of finding success in the workforce, both today and the future? This issue brief builds upon the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) previously published report "Partnerships for a Future-Ready Workforce" (2018) (ED605153). This brief is the first in a four-part series that…

This publication highlights how state policies and guidance are supporting the transformation to personalized learning through digital instructional materials. Specifically, the report includes personalized learning approaches and the policies and processes around the selection, curation, procurement, professional learning and funding of digital…

This field report is the third in a series produced by the Center on Innovations in Learning's League of Innovators. The series describes, discusses, and analyzes policies and practices that enable personalization in education. Issues of the series will present either issue briefs or, like this one, field reports on lessons learned by…

In this article, the author talks about Walbridge School, a small school in Madison, Wisconsin that brings hope to students with disabilities. The author shares how her eldest son, Ben, who has experienced cognitive impairment, specifically language processing, has improved his reading and writing skills. The small school, with its teacher/pupil…

SAGE is a five-year class-size-reduction program being implemented in 80 Wisconsin schools. A longitudinal, evaluative study is being conducted in 30 SAGE schools. Small classes have three effects leading to increased individualization: fewer discipline problems, greater knowledge of students, and more teacher enthusiasm (using directive methods).…

A middle school in River Falls, Wisconsin, exemplifies middle-level philosophy by providing individualized learning programs, a core curriculum, a guidance program, education for citizenship, and cocurricular activities. The school program emphasizes enhanced exploratory learning opportunities, team-teaching of core subjects, and a…

Whether through movies, stories of immigration, or a myriad of other out-of-the-box ideas, teachers are finding ways to help immigrant students create new futures in a new country. This article looks at schools around the country to find truly creative strategies for teaching immigrant students that work for ESL specialists and regular classroom…

Reported are procedures used in a Wisconsin public school system to implement 1973 state legislation mandating education of all handicapped children and stipulating that a handicapped child should be educated according to his individual needs. Included are a description of the multidisciplinary team approach and an outline of screening, referral,…

A report is given of a 1-week intensive inservice conference for 97 Wisconsin vocational, technical, and adult education instructors, conducted to develop competencies stressing innovative individualized curriculum and instructional delivery. The program of educational experiences developed presentations on topics that stressed individualized…