OVERVIEW

We are pleased to provide a short overview for our planning process enabling educational organizations to start their journey, or expand and deepen existing efforts of transitioning from a teacher-centered to a student-centered learning (SCL) culture.  The philosophy behind the process is outlined in the book titled Creating a Culture of Learning “Moving Towards Student Centered Learning” by Glenn Meeks, available from AASA or Rowman-Littlefield Education, September 2014. 

The answer to a simple question will inform the reader whether this planning process would be of value. “Do you believe your school district needs to move towards a student-centered culture of learning?”  If your answer is yes, this planning process could be a powerful tool for starting that journey.  It explores the connections and conduits between seven organizational silos which impact student-centered learning (SCL) while addressing changes in district policies and processes.  It takes District conversations and initiatives regarding revision of curriculum, annual assessments, and new teacher/principal evaluation systems which are driving a change towards SCL, and gathers them into a coherent operational plan. Planning participants; consisting of policy, executive, building and classroom level representatives, create a SCL Roadmap specific to the organization. The SCL Roadmap contains tasks, goals, timelines, cost impact, and budget reconciliation addressing identified hindrances across a span of five years. Starting with where they are today and articulating where they want to be in five years in order for the plan to be declared a success.

The planning process provides a strategic overview of the issues requiring attention to move your district towards student-centered learning.  It:

  • Identifies seven organizational silos which impact student-centered learning
  • Aligns your entire organization towards student-centered learning
  • Provides “Best Practices” from successful districts within each silo 
  • Identifies obstacles and hindrances to student-centered learning  in your District
  • Prioritizes impact of those obstacles and hindrances
  • Generates strategies addressing those obstacles and hindrances
  • Estimates Operational and Capital costs to execute those strategies
  • Reconciles available Operational and Capital costs with available budgets
  • Places all activities and expenditures into a five year time line (the SCL Roadmap)
  • Defines the conditions considered as indicating success upon completion of the plan