• Increased clarity around what it means to be ready for college, career, and civic life and how to assess it
• A growing body of research on the brain, metacognition, and motivation underscore the importance of restructuring education to emphasize the development of deeper learning skills and dispositions
• The widespread adoption of the rigorous, higher learning standards for all demand a new approach to teaching and learning
• Cross-aisle support for innovative approaches to education that allow for more voice and choice at the local level and firm attention to deeper learning and college, career, and civic readiness; and finally
• Technology. While it’s important to note that personalized learning is not 1:1 programs or drill and kill software applications, technology is a key lever for scale. Technology allows easier, more accurate, and more efficient record keeping and data tracking, and can be a great resource in the toolbox of a personalized, learner-centered teacher.

Up next: In part two of this post, we relay highlights from a conversation with early adopters at the national, state, and classroom level.

Images in this post are excerpted from graphic facilitation provided by Emily Shephard of The Graphic Distillery.