Making Data Work for Personalized Learning: Lessons Learned

No vision of personalized learning can be realized without support for data use. State strategies to create student-centered classrooms require critical policy conditions that allow those closest to students to access and use timely, safeguarded data to make decisions. This case study outlines steps SEAs can take to ensure the effective use of data to achieve their personalized learning goals. These recommendations are based on lessons learned from Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont—states that have taken steps to support districts’ efforts to deliver a quality personalized learning experience for all students. Drawing insights from interviews with state leaders and local practitioners, case studies, and document reviews, this paper offers considerations for how SEAs can support the ability of those closest to students to use data to support student success in student-centered classrooms.