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Designing the experience of school so kids care to learn is at the heart of Spring Lake Park Schools’ approach to personalized learning. But what does personalized learning really mean? We have a new resource that describes the K-12 student journey when we are at our best and students are engaged at school.

While no experience is ever perfect, the K-12 Student Journey provides a description of what we are aiming for with value and belonging, personalization and innovation at each grade level.  Spring Lake Park Schools has been on this personalized learning journey for a dozen years. The journey is grounded in the belief that when a student’s strengths, interests, needs and motives are known to an educator, learning can be designed for them. Relevant, engaging learning leads to deep learning that students can apply to their schoolwork and their lives.

Many schools talk in general terms about personalized learning. We’ve taken steps to describe the Spring Lake Park Schools’ experience in more detail and show what innovative and personalized learning looks like as students journey through our schools.

Creating Learners with a Strong Foundation (grades K-4)

In the early elementary years, our focus is on creating learners with a strong foundation – in reading, math, life skills and more. We want our youngest learners to master the skills they need to successfully access their next levels of learning and development.

Each student has a learner profile. The profile is developed and updated each year in partnership between a teacher, student and family. Learner profiles provide information about who a student is and how they learn. It includes details about a student’s family, likes, dislikes, outside interests and learning preferences.

A learner profile may share that a student has an older sister, loves tacos, enjoys playing soccer, and has a hard time sitting still. Learning experiences throughout the day are supported with information from a student’s learner profile.

Elementary students start each day with a morning meeting to create community in the classroom. Students greet each other, spend time sharing and often discuss a specific topic like kindness, teamwork, or empathy. This time each day helps create a sense of belonging and sets the tone for the day of learning. Developing social, emotional and behavioral skills, through intentional experiences like morning meeting, helps students learn how to collaborate.

Learning is modeled by the teacher. The class practices together. Then, students work in groups and on their own to practice, apply and eventually master grade-level concepts in reading, math and other areas. Support is personalized to each student. Support focuses on meeting immediate learning needs and prevent gaps in the foundational learning students need in order to access the next big ideas. Tapping into each student’s interests engages students in the learning. It also helps make connections to real situations beyond school.

Here's an example: a classroom of students is working on reading comprehension using informational texts. The teacher knows where each child is at in their learning and what their interests are. The students can be grouped according to their next steps in learning or by interest. One group is interested in animals, another in sports. Small group work allows them to practice identifying main topics using texts they want to read.

Some learners may receive individualized attention. As they work on specific skills, students may engage one-on-one through a book related to a current outside interest – like Pokeman or the Marvel Universe. 

Innovation for this age group is focused on how we work as a staff. We flexibly use learning space, people – like how children and adults are grouped for learning, and time during the school day.

Throughout the school, kids are in wiggle chairs, sprawled on the floor or huddled in hallways for small group work. Groups meet where they are comfortable, and learning is focused on that group’s next steps in learning. Students work in small groups and individually with teachers who have specific expertise in reading or math.

Personalized learning happens throughout the day. How time is used is specific to the student’s current strengths, interests, and needs rather than an overall class objective.

Developing Self-Directed Learners (grades 5-8)

In intermediate and middle school, the focus is on continuing to build strong foundations. Students also start to make more of their own decisions about their learning. They organize their work and time as they also begin to explore emerging, long-term interests.

Over time, students take more ownership over their learner profile. Each year, they reflect on who they are and how they learn. They update their profile – with input from teachers and families – to include what is important to them and their learning.  

Morning Meeting at grades 5-6 and an Advisory/Panther Time at grades 7-8 provides time built into the school day dedicated to building community with peers. During this time, students develop relationships, practice interpersonal skills, and get help with specific academic needs. 

Outside of the school day, students explore interests through a variety of after school activities. Students can engage in anything from athletics such as football or soccer to Knowledge Bowl, Math League, Lego Club and other interest-based clubs where students explore interests and make connections.

Learning and teaching continues to focus on developing a strong academic core in English, Math, Science and Social Studies along with shoring up any gaps in previous learning. Over these years, students begin to take a more active role in their learning. Year-by-year, they have more voice and choice in their learning process. This allows them to make connections and apply their learning to real situations in and out of school that are relevant to their lives.

Students start exploring a wide variety of paths for the future to find what interests them and what doesn’t. A student may choose to take an elective like Epic Game Design and begin exploring opportunities in Technology, Engineering and Design. Or, they may opt for Dance and Personal Fitness to explore personal health and self-care. This exploration leads to the development of a student’s 4+ year map – or plan - to help guide their learning beyond grade 8.

Innovation at these grade levels is focused on how we work as a staff to deliver personalized experiences. Teachers and students design each day to advance the learning in front of them and determine how, where and when it will happen.

Teams at grades 5-6 bridge the elementary learning model with the middle school experience. Students continue to have a homebase to anchor their experience. Based on their needs, they see other teachers throughout the day. In grades 7-8, students continue to learn on teams for their core subjects of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies with a focus on the academic and career and life competencies in and across subject areas. Students interact across teams in their electives and have more opportunities to use their time flexibly based on what they need.

Preparing learners to launch (grades 9-12)

At Spring Lake Park High School, the focus is on supporting students to graduation with a plan and preparation for what comes next. Students take full ownership of themselves as learners. The goal for each graduate is that they leave high school incredibly self-aware of their strengths, interests and needs as a learner. We want them to be equipped to navigate anything they might encounter.

There is time built into the daily schedule for students to access academic, social, emotional and postsecondary planning support. Through community and industry partnerships and learning outside of the high school, students make connections to the community they live in. They build understanding of citizenship and postsecondary opportunities as they develop critical communication skills they will need for the future.

A robust selection of after school activities and clubs help students discover and further explore interests and community. Through 15 boys and 15 girls athletics offerings and 50 student interest-based clubs and co-curricular activities, there is literally something for everyone.

Students practice making choices and taking control of their own learning with support and feedback from teachers, counselors and other trusted adults. They further develop and deepen their skills in core academic subjects like English, Math, Science and Social Studies and work to close any learning gaps and credit needs for graduation.

Each student owns their 4+ year map, which is their plan for what comes next. They update it each year to reflect their interests and emerging plans for during and after high school. The map helps students identify their next steps – like what courses they need next or what learning they may want to design. All of this prepares them for their unique future. Based on personal knowledge, preference and needs, students have opportunities to learn in innovative ways.

Innovation in high school shows up in how we group adults and students. This includes specific learning experiences and flexible schedules that help meet the unique needs of individual students. Students can choose different modes and pathways of learning. Some examples of modes of learning include:

• hybrid learning – that includes both classroom learning days and independent learning days
• co-created learning - learning students design with a teacher for specific credit
• credit by portfolio - learning work students do outside of school that may count for credit

Career and College Pathways learning experiences support deeper exploration for future paths. Pathways experiences help students identify and set goals for their postsecondary plans while earning college credits and certifications. There are 50 courses offering opportunities for college credit. Our goal is for each student – whatever their plan may be – to have an opportunity to earn at least 12 college credits before the end of 12th grade.  

Learn more about Spring Lake Park Schools approach to personalized learning and access more stories and examples at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/PersonalizedLearning