Chester E. Finn, Jr., writing for Education Next:
Let’s finally face the truth: Since kids move at different speeds, the amount of instruction that student Q needs in pursuit of mastery of a lesson, a unit, a 'grade level,' etc. will differ from the amount that student R needs, which means that, yes, they’ll face different quantities of schooling. That’s the alternative to the batch-processing of today’s age-based attendance-and-promotion systems. It means treating kids differently.
As much as I agree with the sentiment, there is still a lack of personalized learning models addressing the needs of all learners, particularly those at risk.
Online schools have made efforts to offer self-paced learning, but often fall short in providing the necessary support and resources for struggling students. These students may fare worse in online environments compared to traditional schools.
I am fully on board with the theory and the mindset that is required. We absolutely should have an education system that adapts to each student’s unique learning needs and provides the necessary resources and support to ensure their success. I’ve simply not seen it done effectively … yet.