New KnowledgeWorks Toolkit Helps School Districts Create a Community-Wide Vision for Personalized Learning

Cincinnati, Ohio, (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –  When Diane Mankins, superintendent of Marysville Exempted School District in Marysville, Ohio, decided to pursue innovative changes in her district, she held more than 20 community meetings that were open to parents, educators, community leaders, local businesses and other stakeholders. The conversations helped the district pair the interests of students with the workforce needs of the community, resulting in a vision for personalized learning, a partnership with Honda North America and the design of the district’s STEM-focused early college high school.

This example of connecting with the entire community to develop a system-wide vision is one of many found in KnowledgeWorks’ new toolkit Laying the Groundwork for a Community-Wide Vision for Personalized Learning. The toolkit is designed to help school districts engage all stakeholders in crafting and implementing a vision for personalized learning.

“Not every school or classroom is the same, but elevating a common vision ensures that everyone is grounded in the importance of this work,” explained Virgel Hammonds, Chief Learning Officer of KnowledgeWorks. “We want this toolkit to help districts and their learning communities facilitate conversations with one another that lead to meaningful change for students.”

Through interactive worksheets and questions for both district leaders and community members to consider, KnowledgeWorks hopes the toolkit will help district leaders think ahead to how they can engage their entire community to make personalized learning a reality for every student, including:

  • Guidance on crafting a system-wide vision for personalized learning, incorporating diverse stakeholder voices.
  • Questions and considerations for finding the right people to champion the work of personalized learning.
  • Direction on how to identify factors that may impact implementation.
  • Help with creating messaging to introduce their vision with key audiences and sustaining enthusiasm for personalized learning.
  •  

“The sooner districts engage diverse individuals from their whole community, the more successful their efforts toward implementing personalized learning will be,” said Hammonds. “A strong vision for education, shared and designed by the whole community, can create transformational change.”

Download the toolkit to learn more about creating a community-wide vision for personalized learning.

About KnowledgeWorks
KnowledgeWorks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing personalized learning that empowers every child to take ownership of their success. With nearly 20 years of experience exploring the future of learning, growing educator impact and working with state and federal policymakers, our passionate team partners with schools and communities to grow a system-wide approach to sustain student-centered practices so that every child graduates ready for what’s next. www.knowledgeworks.org 

Featured

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

  • illustration of a school building under construction

    One District, One Way: Bringing Consistency to K–12 Construction Projects

    From budgeting to closeout, here's how a single playbook can turn chaos into clarity in school construction programs.

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

Digital Edition