Enabling Change
Personalized Learning Grows Across New England
Stefanie Blouin (she/her/hers)
Former Senior Program Officer
NGLC
in Maine
Topics
Next generation learning is all about everyone in the system—from students through teachers to policymakers—taking charge of their own learning, development, and work. That doesn’t happen by forcing change through mandates and compliance. It happens by creating the environment and the equity of opportunity for everyone in the system to do their best possible work.
The New England Secondary Schools Consortium has selected a cohort of schools across the region to become members of its Next Gen Personalized Learning Initiative.
The New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC)—one of NGLC’s Regional Funds for Breakthrough Schools partners—has selected a cohort of schools across New England that will become members of NESSC’s Next Gen Personalized Learning Initiative.
In all, 20 schools across the five member states submitted plans for school redesign that focus on personalized learning. They include:
Fall 2015 Launch
- New Fairfield Middle School (Connecticut)
- High School in the Community (Connecticut)
- Deer-Isle Stonington High School (Maine)
- Hall-Dale Middle/High School (Maine)
- Monmouth Academy (Maine)
- Richmond Middle/High School (Maine)
- Noble High School (Maine)
- Pittsfield Middle and High School (New Hampshire)
- Great Bay eLearning Charter School (New Hampshire)
- Feinstein Middle School (Rhode Island)
- Cumberland High School (Rhode Island)
- Ponaganset High School (Rhode Island)
Fall 2016 Launch
- New Haven Academy (Connecticut)
- Metropolitan Business Academy (Connecticut)
- New Fairfield High School (Connecticut)
- Manchester School of Technology (New Hampshire)
- Central Falls High School (Rhode Island)
- Harwood Union High School (Vermont)
- Twinfield High School (Vermont)
- Cabot School (Vermont)
These schools were selected because of their vision to create a new model for their school based on principles of personalized learning that align with the NESSC’s efforts to support proficiency-based graduation and flexible pathways for learning that ensure all students are held to high expectations for college readiness, learning experiences are tailored to their developmental needs, skills, and interests; and financial sustainability that can be replicated.
Twelve schools will launch their new models in the fall of 2015 and the remaining eight will launch their new models in the fall of 2016. They will receive coaching support and technical assistance from school improvement coaches at the Great Schools Partnership both in preparation for and during their launch. The Great Schools Partnership also will support all schools in the NESSC’s League of Innovative Schools by hosting and facilitating network meetings and by developing and providing resources, guidance, and exemplars. All materials will be available via NESSC’s website.
In 2009, NESSC—which includes the states of Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont—created the League of Innovative Schools, a regional network of secondary schools committed to educational innovation and ongoing improvement. All participating schools are working to strengthen their programs, exchange professional expertise, and create more effective learning opportunities for students.
These 20 schools are the newest grant recipients to join NGLC’s nationwide network of K-12 breakthrough schools, all of whom are envisioning a completely different approach to teaching and learning in an effort to achieve breakthrough outcomes for students.
The NGLC team congratulates these innovators and pioneers of personalized learning across New England.
Stefanie Blouin (she/her/hers)
Former Senior Program Officer, NGLC
As the former senior program officer for NGLC, Stefanie Blouin was responsible for developing and implementing internal and external strategies to ensure smooth operations and maximize team effectiveness and contributions to the next gen learning space.
