Next Generation Learners

The Council's Next Generation Learners (NxGL) work seeks to build the capacity of state education leaders to fully transform public education by creating personalized learning systems that prepare all students-regardless his or her circumstance-for life, meaningful work, and citizenship. Personalized learning systems shift the focus from "schooling" to "learning," a bold approach that puts the needs and interests of children-from birth through adolescence-front and center, rather than those ...

The Council's Next Generation Learners (NxGL) work seeks to build the capacity of state education leaders to fully transform public education by creating personalized learning systems that prepare all students-regardless his or her circumstance-for life, meaningful work, and citizenship. Personalized learning systems shift the focus from "schooling" to "learning," a bold approach that puts the needs and interests of children-from birth through adolescence-front and center, rather than those of adults or the system. The work of the NxGL initiative is rooted in six critical attributes, or essential conditions, of an education system that is focused on the learner:

· Planning for personalized learning

· Comprehensive systems of learning supports

· World-class knowledge and skills

· Performance-based learning

· Anytime, everywhere opportunities

· Authentic student voice

The NxGL initiative includes four programmatic areas that cut across the critical attributes of the learning experience; early childhood education, extended learning opportunities, virtual learning systems, and school improvement and supports. High-quality early educational experiences are essential to ensure that students come to school ready to learn. Extended learning opportunities provide personalized learning experiences and supports that go beyond the traditional school schedule and transcend place. Similarly, virtual learning systems help facilitate anytime, everywhere learning and expand the curriculum. Coherent and aligned school improvement supports ensure the necessary environments to promote and sustain meaningful learning experiences for all learners, particularly those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds.

To achieve the goal of transforming education into a student-centered, personalized learning system, CCSSO has created the Partnership for Next Generation Learning, through which pioneering states will establish an NxGL Innovation Lab. Each Innovation Lab will consist of the state education agency, one or more districts, and schools, as well as key state and local partners including early childhood programs and postsecondary education institutions. The Labs will be joined through an Innovation Lab Network so they can share their work, access national and international expertise, and engage in mutual solution-building.

The Labs Network will create proof points of new, scalable state and district systems that deliver the educational outcomes we seek. The NxGL Partnership will use that knowledge to influence policy at all levels to create incentives for systems change as well as disincentives for maintaining the status quo. In this way, CCSSO and its partners will gradually shift the balance of state and local education systems from the current model to one that is wholly aligned to the needs of our nation and the world.