Should students earn high school diplomas by demonstrating proficiency in essential standards, instead of through “seat time”? The state of Maine recently answered yes when it passed legislation requiring proficiency-based diplomas in all school districts by 2018. In this article, Maine ASCD president Mary Bellavance describes how school districts are making progress toward this goal by implementing personalized, or customized, learning. In her school district, students track their own progress toward learning goals and demonstrate their proficiency through multiple pathways, including teacher-designed and student-designed assessments, portfolios, performances, exhibitions, and projects.
Bellavance, M. (n.d.). Personalized Learning, Maine Style.
Best Practices
- Foundation #1: Introduction to the Center; Local Data Sources
- Foundation #2: Why Poverty and All Resources Matter
- Foundation #3: Why Educational Neuroscience and Teachers Matter More
- Best Practice 1- Build Relationships
- Best Practice 2- Increase Status
- Best Practice 3 – Grow Emotional & Soft Skills
- Best Practice 4 – Understand the Goals of Behavior
- Best Practice 5- Decrease Stress
- Best Practice 6 – Motivate: Increase Hope & Expectancy of Success
- Best Practice 7 – Motivate: Increase Value
- Best Practice 8 – Grow Mindsets
- Best Practice 9 – Accommodate
- Best Practice 10 – Maintain High Expectations
- Best Practice 11 – Decrease Health Impacts
- Best Practice 12 – Build Family/Community Partnerships
- Best Practice 13- Proactively Guide Using ‘ME’ Strategies
- Best Practice 14 – Make Learning Fun
- Best Practice 15 – Build Background Knowledge
- Best Practice 16- Grow Prefrontal Cortex Skills (Executive Function & Memory Trace)
- Best Practice 17 – Align Instruction & Assessment
- Best Practice 18 – Purposefully Teach
- Best Practice 19 – Explicitly Teach
- Best Practice 20 – Question Strategically
- Best Practice 21 – Use Data & Feedback to Drive Instruction
- Best Practice 22 – Infuse the Arts
- Best Practice 23 – Use Technology Effectively
- Best Practice 24- Grow Language & Literacy
- Best Practice 25 – Lead
- Foundation #1: Introduction to the Center; Local Data Sources
- Foundation #2: Why Poverty and All Resources Matter
- Foundation #3: Why Educational Neuroscience and Teachers Matter More
- Best Practice 1- Build Relationships
- Best Practice 2- Increase Status
- Best Practice 3 – Grow Emotional & Soft Skills
- Best Practice 4 – Understand the Goals of Behavior
- Best Practice 5- Decrease Stress
- Best Practice 6 – Motivate: Increase Hope & Expectancy of Success
- Best Practice 7 – Motivate: Increase Value
- Best Practice 8 – Grow Mindsets
- Best Practice 9 – Accommodate
- Best Practice 10 – Maintain High Expectations
- Best Practice 11 – Decrease Health Impacts
- Best Practice 12 – Build Family/Community Partnerships
- Best Practice 13- Proactively Guide Using ‘ME’ Strategies
- Best Practice 14 – Make Learning Fun
- Best Practice 15 – Build Background Knowledge
- Best Practice 16- Grow Prefrontal Cortex Skills (Executive Function & Memory Trace)
- Best Practice 17 – Align Instruction & Assessment
- Best Practice 18 – Purposefully Teach
- Best Practice 19 – Explicitly Teach
- Best Practice 20 – Question Strategically
- Best Practice 21 – Use Data & Feedback to Drive Instruction
- Best Practice 22 – Infuse the Arts
- Best Practice 23 – Use Technology Effectively
- Best Practice 24- Grow Language & Literacy
- Best Practice 25 – Lead