Personalized Learning

Experience Personalized Learning

Unlike many other public education models that force students to conform to a rigid, largely one-size-fits-all system, Personalized Learning puts the needs of students first, honors students for being unique and gifted individuals, and tailors and supports a “personalized” learning plan for every student with choice and flexibility in how, what, when, where, and with whom each student learns.

Distinguishing Features of Our Model

Puts students first
Honors every student as a unique individual
Values lasting and meaningful relationships
Is student-centered, flexible, and adaptable to every student
Maximizes available resources to serve the educational needs of all students
Provides each student with a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) that is tailored to each student’s needs, interests, aspirations and goals
Provides choice and flexibility in the five primary variables of learning, specifically: how,what, when, where, and with whom each child learns
Offers a university-style, menu-based education delivery system
Supports the value and importance of ongoing collaborative relationships between our students, parents, teachers, school and community in creating the best learning plan possible for each student
Supports collaborative partnerships with community businesses and programs to broaden and enhance the scope of choices and opportunities through which students may explore
Cultivates partnerships with local colleges, universities, businesses and other enterprises to provide students with access and exposure to post-secondary pathways and opportunities prior to high school graduation
Supports motivating students to learn by involving students in their learning decision-making process and ensuring that their learning process and content is relevant to their lives
Cultivates and supports a wide variety of educational activities and learning options through one or more school resource center facilities including small classes, labs, tutoring, assessments, testing, special education services, and resource libraries
Maintains small class sizes for students who choose subject-based classes, generally limited to 20 students or fewer
Supports the ongoing assessment of each individual student’s learning progress through an individualized, longitudinal assessment tool that may be also used as a diagnostic tool to identify focus areas for student learning improvement
Supports ongoing teacher professional development training in the Personalized Learning model, student learning styles, curriculum choices, collaborative relationship building, and in current state standards and other teaching requirements

How our California Personalized Learning Model Compares with Other Models on the Personalization Continuum

The Five Primary Variables of Learning Relative to Flexibility and Adaptability to Individual Students

How each child learns
What each child learns
When each child learns
Where each child learns
With whom each child learns

Degree of Personalization Relative to Individual Student Needs and Interests

Low: (1 point) = little or no choice, flexibility and adaptability to individual student needs and interests
Medium: (2 points) = moderate choice, flexibility and adaptability to individual student needs and interests
High: (3 points) = maximum choice, flexibility and adaptability to individual student needs and interests

The Personalization Continuum

Listed from Low “rigid delivery model” to High “flexible delivery model”

Typical Types of Education Delivery Models Chart (See below)

Our Personalized Learning Model

How our California Personalized Learning Model Is Distinguished From Other Public Education Models In Education Statute

In California, the ability of public schools to provide a truly flexible, adaptable, and personalized learning plan for every enrolled student in the five primary variables of learning, that is: how each child learns, what each child learns, when each child learns, where each child learns, and with whom each child learns, is a function of the flexibility provided primarily through two education code statutory sections:

1. California Charter School Law (EC47600—47638)
2. California Independent Study Law (EC51745-51749.6)

The Charter Schools Act of 1992 was enacted by California to provide choices and opportunities for teachers, parents, students, and community members in public education, as cited in EC section 47601, to benefit as follows:
47601. It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this part, to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, pupils, and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the existing school district structure, as a method to accomplish all of the following:
(a) Improve pupil learning.
(b) Increase learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identified as academically low achieving.
(c) Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods.
(d) Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the schoolsite.
(e) Provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system.
(f) Hold the schools established under this part accountable for meeting measurable pupil outcomes, and provide the schools with a method to change from rule-based to performance-based accountability systems.
(g) Provide vigorous competition within the public school system to stimulate continual improvements in all public schools.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 34, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1999.)
Public charter schools are granted greater flexibility than District-operated public schools to provide innovative and different teaching methods to K-12 pupils in exchange for a higher level of accountability. For example, unlike District-operated public schools, public charter schools are required to seek renewal of their charter petition every five years, and may be revoked by their charter authorizer for specific violations of fiscal management practices or violations of specific conditions of their charter. Public charter schools must demonstrate annually that they are both academically successful and fiscally accountable.

In California law, there are two distinct classifications of charter schools for the purpose of apportionment: classroom-based and nonclassroom-based. Charter schools, currently numbering in excess of 250 that are classified as nonclassroom-based, are required to also follow independent study education code law, that is, EC sections 51756-51749.6. Therefore, nonclassroom-based classified public charter schools subject to the outcome-based (non-seat-based) attendance accounting requirements through Independent Study are provided the potential for the greatest flexibility in all of the five primary variables of learning of any public school education model, should they choose to offer it.

California State Senate Resolution

Officially Recognizing and Distinguishing the Personalized Learning Education Model
Sponsored by the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Network Association
July 2004
Bill number: sr 36 enrolled
Bill text

Passed the senate july 12, 2004
Amended in senate july 6, 2004

Introduced by Senators Ackerman, Denham, Florez, Knight, McPherson, Morrow, and Oller
April 28, 2004
Relative to personalized learning.

Legislative Counsel’s Digest
House Or Senate Resolutions Do Not Contain A Digest

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model has evolved in the public school system as an innovative and distinguished learning model and choice in California public education, including charter schools; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model shall be distinguished from other learning models through its creation of uniquely tailored, personalized learning programs that are developed through an ongoing partnership between certificated teachers, parents, pupils, and personalized learning schools, according to the individual needs of each and every enrolled pupil; and supported by the school through a broad-based and in-depth array of learning programs, environments, curriculum choices and options for each pupil; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model integrates key components from the latest education research as to how pupils learn successfully, including smaller class sizes; more frequent one-on-one interaction with certificated teachers; greater parental involvement; direct pupil decisionmaking participation; emphasis on pupil learning responsibility; varied choices in curriculum; online learning options; assessments of learning styles, paces, and preferences; multiple assessments of state standards progress; and options in learning environments; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model blends learning environments both within and beyond the classroom, including facilities-based instruction that supports a wide array of instruction-related activities, home-based instruction, online instruction, and community-based instruction to help pupils learn successfully who, for various reasons, do not and cannot thrive in a full-time classroom-based structure alone; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model serves pupils of diverse learning needs, challenges, and backgrounds, and is a particularly effective alternative for those pupils at both the low end and high end of the bell curve who have become discouraged with their learning progress and disengaged with the traditional public education system; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model offers a promising and viable education choice within the California public education system for the growing percentage of pupils who need an alternative learning model to succeed; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model has demonstrated a proven track record over the past 10 years of helping many of pupils in California public education to learn successfully who had previously struggled in a traditional classroom model; and

WHEREAS, The personalized learning model is passionately supported by many of elected officials, business leaders, education leaders, advocacy groups and representatives, administrators, teachers, parents, and pupils throughout California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate of the State of California commends personalized learning and calls upon Californians to recognize personalized learning as a distinct learning model in California public education and to further recognize the benefits and contributions of personalized learning as a promising choice in the California public education system for the growing number of pupils who need an alternative choice to learn successfully; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.