How are Learner-centered Classrooms

Different from Traditional Classrooms?

Standards-based Education

Traditional Education

What is a Learner-centered Learning Environment?

Learners are partners in their own learning.
Learners learn at their own pace.
Learners write goals and track their own progress with their teacher.

Classrooms are teacher-directed.

All students learn everything all together.
Only the teachers know the students grades.

Measurement Topics
Staff identifies a guaranteed curriculum all students will master.
Staff identifies what students will be assessed on in order to move from level
to level.
Rubric shows a scoring guide where a score of 3 is proficient and requires
students to meet this performance standard.

Staff tries to teach to all the state standards.

Staff tries to teach too many standards to master so some students are socially
promoted.
Grades do not inform students of written expectations.

Reporting/Recording
Report card supports students by showing their learning trend line.
E-ducate software gives students and parents the ability to track progress
throughout learning over multiple years.
E-ducate software shows what measurement topics the student has
mastered and which ones are yet to be mastered.

Grade book only averages grades.

A report card is only seen by the teacher until grades are released.
Report card gives a grade only on a subject does not show what has been
mastered and what hasnt.

Assessment
Placement assessments assist in the placement of each student in the right
learning level.
Pre-assessments are used by the teacher and learner to inform what the
student needs to learn next Formative assessment
District end-of-measurement topic tests are used by the teacher and student
at the end of each topic to be accountable for the learning Summative
assessment

Assessments are not used for student placement.

Classroom assessments are used only to give a grade to the student.
Classroom assessments are used only at the end of a unit and then the class
moves on to the next unit.

Instruction
Instruction is learner-centered.
Instruction is balanced for the kind of learning that needs to match the
content.
Teachers teach skills, analytical, and contextual information.
Teachers pace and differentiate for the learner.

Instruction is teacher-directed.
Instruction is one-size-fits-all.
Teachers arent always able to get to higher level instruction.
All students learn mostly at the same pace.

Adams County School District 50

www.sbsadams50.org