TeachME Professional Development

Best Practices for Using Data in Personalized Learning

Chapter 1: Personalized Learning in Schools, Districts, and States-Introduction

1. Rapid advances in technology platforms and digital content over the last decade have enabled more widespread use of personalized learning, and as a result, many schools and districts may be interested in expanding its use across various content areas and grade levels.

A. True B. False

Defining Personalized Learning

2. Personalized learning refers to instruction in which the pace of learning and the instructional approach are optimized for the needs of each learner, and learning activities are meaningful and relevant to learners and:

A. Are based on their learning styles and abilities B. Student learning is assessed using summative and formative assessment C. Driven by their interests and often self-initiated D. Are implemented in safe and creative environments

What Personal Learning is Not

3. One characteristic of personalized learning is that students have less one on one time with teachers, which enables them to learn independence and gain self-confidence.

A. True B. False

Chapter 2: Key Concepts for Personalized Learning

4. Educators and researchers focusing on personalized learning consistently highlight several key concepts, including each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Instruction and content tailored to student needs, with a focus on content mastery B. The use of data-informed, real-time feedback C. Effective use of technology D. A modification of the learning process and product to include readiness and motivation

Learner Profiles

5. Many teachers collect and maintain information for tailored instruction by creating learner profiles for their students that help track and analyze multiple variables, including learning history, potential barriers to learning, and academic supports currently in place.

A. True B. False

Data-Informed, Real-Time Feedback

6. Effective use of data provides the foundation for learning to be individualized so that teachers and students know where the student is in terms of understanding content, mastering skills, and meeting educational goals.

A. True B. False

Effective Use of Technology

7. New technologies, as well as advancing methods of data collection and use, enable teachers to quickly see the progress of each student on various tasks and lessons, and to provide formative assessments and:

A. Information on knowledge gaps B. Differentiated feedback C. Input on learning roadblocks D. Guidance for curriculum selection

Chapter 3: Personalize Learning Data-Categories of Personalized Learning Data Elements

8. Data associated with personalized learning can be categorized into six major areas including program structure and design, curriculum and instruction, student learning objectives, mastery and competencies, and:

A. Accountability measures and organizational structure B. Information and efficiency standards C. Storage and distribution D. Support systems, budget, and finance

Structured and Unstructured Data in Personalized Learning

9. The term structured data generally refers to data that can be collected via a learning management system, such as student, course, or curricular data, while unstructured data may include communications between teachers and students, or among student teams or teacher observations of students’ reactions to classroom activities or interactions with others.

A. True B. False

Chapter 4: Strategies to Support Personalized Learning-Needs Assessment Process

10. Which of the following is NOT one of the steps in the needs assessment process?

A. Identifying gaps between the current and desired environment B. Collecting the resources necessary to bridge the identifies gaps by purchasing technology or materials or arranging for professional development C. Categorizing the needs based on information gathering D. Implementing the resources into the environment, collecting and analyzing data, reviewing feedback, and making adjustments as needed

Data Systems

11. A critical part of creating an infrastructure that supports personalized learning is ensuring that data systems can capture comprehensive and integrated data.

A. True B. False

Ensure the Privacy of Personalized Learning Data

12. As data systems expand and data are used for more purposes, there is increasing concern about the potential vulnerability of student data, as well as issues related to cloud-hosted data, data destruction, and:

A. Data ownership B. Personally identifiable data C. Digital risk D. Digital citizenship

Support for Teachers to Effectively Use Data

13. Administrators can support teachers by recognizing that teachers need ample training and support when learning to make data-informed decisions about students, by valuing and modeling good data use practices, and by providing time for thoughtful reflection about data and their potential use for students or at the aggregate level.

A. True B. False

Develop and Sustain Key Relationships

14. According to the authors, a cultivated culture that includes independence, autonomy, and growth is the foundation of effective personalized learning.

A. True B. False

Chapter 5: Case Studies From States and Districts-Westminster Public Schools (Colorado)

15. District leaders from Westminster Public Schools in Colorado, the largest school district in the country to be entirely competency based, have noted that one of the key elements for successful competency-based personalized learning is actively developing student agency, such that students own their learning and are invested in the process.

A. True B. False

Mason City School District (Ohio)

16. In Mason City School District in Ohio, one of the key elements in moving toward a more expansive personalized learning perspective is focusing on learner outcomes, with clear and compelling learning goals that incorporate skills, content standards, and:

A. Relationships B. Accountability C. Mastery D. Mindsets

Utah Public School

17. Utah’s Competency-Based Education Grants Program consists of grants to improve educational outcomes in public schools by advancing student mastery of concepts and skills through five core principles, including the development of competencies that include explicit, measurable, and transferable learning objectives that will:

A. Enhance proficiency B. Empower a student C. Encourage productivity and initiative D. Promote creativity and flexibility

Lessons Learned

18. One of the key lessons learned by leaders who have designed and implemented personalized learning programs is to encourage well-established approaches and foster a culture of knowledge.

A. True B. False

Chapter 6: Issues to Consider

19. Common data system challenges related to personalized learning that have been identified by states and districts include each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Varied data systems used by different districts within a state can present a challenge for facilitating communication among districts B. Districts still have reporting responsibilities for outcomes, and the way these data are reported upward may be affected by the introduction of personalized learning and mastery data C. A lack of consistency in data systems can prevent states and districts from effectively recognizing and understanding personalized data D. Mastery and competency systems designed to connect secondary, post-secondary, and industry entities raise questions about whose responsibility it is to assess mastery and record these data

Continuing Questions

20. As the number and size of personalized learning programs in states and districts continue to grow, education leaders must work with stakeholders to determine the particular needs of their location and students, and think strategically to design and implement plans that will allow their students to reach their goals and be sustainable over an extended period of time.

A. True B. False


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