Walker County Schools Adopts Personalized Learning
Walker County Public Schools in Jasper, AL has implemented a personalized learning system to support
students in need of remediation or more advanced coursework.
In
2011, the district was grappling with a dropout rate of 14 percent,
which was almost twice the state average of 8 percent, and a graduation
rate of 73 percent, which was slightly ahead of the state average but
not as high as the district would have liked. In an effort to better
support its students academically, the district introduced digital
learning courseware from Fuel Education (FuelEd).
Students
at Walker County Schools started using FuelEd's Anywhere Learning
System, which includes more than 160 courses, 5,600 lessons and 130,000
test items that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and
state objectives, according to information from the company. "The
content is presented to students using sequenced direct-instruction
aids such as study guides, quizzes, mastery tests and essays. Its
built-in assessment and reporting tools help track and analyze all
aspects of individual and class performance in order to benchmark
progress and refine curriculum plans," stated a news release from
FuelEd.
When students begin using the program, they take a
pre-test, and then the system offers customized learning paths for each
student based on their results. Students who are struggling
academically receive remedial instruction, while more advanced students
have the opportunity to move on to more accelerated coursework.
The
district has implemented the Anywhere Learning System in a variety of
different models. Younger students use the program in blended learning
centers, which combine online and face-to-face instruction; older
students use it for credit recovery and grade repair; and the district
uses it to continue instruction when a teacher is away. The system is
also the key component of the district's alternative school program,
summer school program and two programs for at-risk and credit-deficient
students.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].