Arizona Personalized Learning Network
Why it matters
Each Arizona student deserves the opportunity to experience meaningful learning - to be challenged to discover and learn, prepare for college and career, and empowered to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to our society and workforce. We need to reimagine education in ways that will create equitable outcomes for all students and prepare them for success in our rapidly changing world.
How it works
The Arizona Personalized Learning Network provides pathways for individual educators, schools, and districts/charter networks to adopt personalized, competency-based learning and create more excellent and equitable outcomes for all Arizona students. This work builds on CFA's decade of work with policymakers, public schools, and communities to expand learner-centered education.
What is personalized, competency-based learning?
Personalized, competency-based learning places the success of each child at the center of education. Based in research, it is an approach to education designed to meet individual students where they are, ensure mastery of academic content and social and emotional skills, and foster student ownership in their own learning.
Why personalized, competency-based learning?
Most students experience the same education system their parents experienced though their world looks vastly different today. While there may be some accommodation of student interests and learning needs, everyone advances at a similar pace regardless of whether they have mastered what’s been asked of them, or if they need additional time to reach their learning target. Adding to that, the skills needed for careers in the next twenty years and beyond are different from outcomes today. Looking at the state of post-secondary readiness reveals that many graduates of our current education system face significant gaps in knowledge and skills. Personalized, competency-based learning addresses these needs by moving away from the “one-size-fits-all” approach and aligning education today with the needs of tomorrow.
Educators: Join APLN for Support and Guidance
APLN Offers Multiple Ways for Individuals, Schools, and Districts/Charter Networks to Engage
While it is absolutely possible and well worth pursuing, we know redesigning classrooms, schools, and school systems around personalized, competency-based learning is a massive shift. Sustainable transformation often requires support to be effective. APLN provides localized professional education, support, and training for educators committed to growing a system-wide approach to adopting and sustaining student-centered practices.
- Let us support you with industry-leading insights, resources, technical assistance, and more.
- Be part of a collaborative community and leverage opportunities to thought-partner and learn with peers.
- Take advantage of reduced costs to participate, thanks to philanthropic support.
Our impact
- Trained and supported 150+ school leaders and teachers to implement, expand, and sustain personalized, competency-based learning, impacting 85,000+ students
- Contributed to a policy environment in Arizona supportive of next-generation education models that better prepare all students for the demands of the 21st century
Our Partners
District Partners
- Amphitheater Public Schools
- Mesa Public Schools
- Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35
- Yuma Union High School District
State Partner
- Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
National Partner
- KnowledgeWorks