Learn4Life celebrates Personalized Learning Month to recognize, promote and support the practice of teaching students in the way that each learns best

Can the workforce of tomorrow effectively be educated by the school model of yesterday? If you ask teachers, parents and students, that’s a big no, according to surveys by One Poll¹ and Talker Research² on behalf of Learn4Life high schools in time for Personalized Learning Month in August.

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Students, parents and teachers want a personalized learning approach for a high school education, according to recent surveys (Photo: Business Wire)

Of recent high school graduates surveyed, 65 percent said they would have liked to have spent more time learning about topics they were passionate about. Giving students time to follow their passions helps with engagement overall and may better prepare students for the various avenues they’re pursuing after graduation — which is important, as only 22 percent of recent graduates felt “very prepared” for their next step, post-graduation.

And parents agree – less than half of parents surveyed (43 percent) believe their child is ready for the “real world” after graduating high school. Perhaps that’s why only half of recent high-school graduates are planning to attend a four-year college or university.

Eighty-six percent of teachers surveyed believe in personalized learning, with 27 percent believing it should start in high school. The traditional classroom model seems to require a shift as the majority (67 percent) prefer to have fewer than 20 students and 51 percent feel uncertain about their ability to impact their students' performance in a traditional large-group classroom setting.

Learn4Life, a network of 80+ public high schools, developed a teaching model 22 years ago that emphasizes individualized instruction, combined with a flexible schedule, trauma-resilient practices and job skills training.

“Most of the students who come to us are behind in credits because they weren’t successful in their previous school. Not everyone thrives in a large classroom listening to a teacher lecture,” explained Shellie Hanes, superintendent. “First, we do a thorough assessment to determine what their learning style is, where they need help and whether their goal is to graduate early, catch up, go to college or enter the skilled workforce after high school. Then we develop a learning plan with them.”

August is Personalized Learning Month, to promote change in the structure of our classrooms and encourage more collaboration and one-on-one teaching with students.

If schools incorporate personalized learning, 52 percent of teachers believe it will provide benefits such as individualized attention and accommodations to meet the needs of students, while 47 percent believe it will create a more engaging and interactive learning experience.

“The more we tailor what and how we teach to the individual student, the more they learn,” added Hanes. “And that’s true no matter the skill level of the student – from gifted to those with special needs. We can accomplish this in any classroom setting.”

Visit PersonalizedLearningMonth.com to find out more.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 59,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

¹ This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 high school teachers was commissioned by Learn4Life between April 5 and April 19, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

² This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans — 1,000 parents of public high school students and 1,000 recent public high school graduates (ages 18 and 19) — was commissioned by Learn4Life between June 17 and June 27, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

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