About This Project

The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University’s College of Education conducted site visits at four schools (Ed Tech High School, Washington High School, P.S. Jones Middle School, and John Small Elementary School) in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Beaufort County Schools (BCS) is a rural school district located in the southeastern part of the state with 14 schools and 6,673 students. Our team interviewed teachers, students, and administrators in Beaufort to learn how BCS are providing equitable learning opportunities for all students.

Equitable Learning Opportunities for All Students

At Ed Tech High School, students have the opportunity to learn in ways that meet their individual needs and goals. Students work with the latest classroom technology, learn in individualized and personalized pathways, and coordinate with the local community college system to establish their post-secondary plans. Students explore the solar system in virtual reality, program robots to follow designated paths and create new prototype designs to solve problems.

Some districts view student-centered learning as an intervention or differentiation. They seek to utilize student-centered learning when a student is not successful in a traditional school or classroom environment. However, BCS does not see this only as a way to address deficits, but instead Beaufort is focused on creating new modes of student-centered learning for all K-12 students. This radical shift away from a more “traditional” method of education is grounded in equity. For BCS, equity isn’t a buzzword or something optional; it is an imperative. Central to individualized student-centered learning is the conviction that learning is for all students. Beaufort seeks to provide unique pathways for students, creating a culture where students can pursue their own interests and learn in ways that meet their own needs.

For Ms. Padgett, it’s personal. This is where she went to school and where her children are currently enrolled. When she thinks about the changes she’s seen in Beaufort County, she smiles. She thinks about how the district is now using virtual academies to meet the needs of more learners and is partnering with homeschool and private school communities to provide part-time services. She recognizes that parents can choose where to send their children and she wants to make sure they choose BCS.

Questions to Consider:

• How do we support the individual needs of each student to identify and provide what they need to thrive in life?
• What opportunities are currently afforded to some of your students that could be expanded to all of your students?
• Who are the learners in your district? Students? Teachers? Parents?
• How are you creating opportunities for all of them?

View Resource

Access to Opportunities: A Student-Centered Approach

Authors and Contributors

Dr Mary Ann Wolf

Greg Garner

No Photo Available Rachel Jones

Related Resources

Case Study – Effective Coaching: Insights From the Field

Across the state of North Carolina, there are educators whose role goes beyond improving learning experiences for K-12 students, including the teachers of those students. Some educators have titles like Instructional Technology Facilitator or Library Media Coordinator. Some educators have a full slate of classes they teach, using their planning periods to work with their peers and colleagues, while some educators devote their full day to working with teachers, and yet others are somewhere in between. From August to June, their presence is seen and felt on the campuses they serve. These teachers are instructional coaches and they are one of the greatest influencers of change within their respective districts.

Teams

Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative

Projects

Published

March 1, 2019

Resource Type

Case Study

Published By

Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

Suggested Citation

Wolf, M.A., Garner, G., and Jones, R. (2019). Access to Opportunities: A Student-Centered Approach, Raleigh, NC. Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at the NC State University College of Education.