[Guest Blog Post] D.C. Public Schools and Blended Learning: It's about helping students learn better

As one of many tools used in building the best-performing urban school district in the country, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has invested in blended learning and developed a district-wide strategy to support various blended learning models through its 111 schools. To do so, DCPS is starting small, focusing on strategy and exploration, and using varied blended approaches in select–mostly low-performing–schools with a handful of digital learning solutions. DCPS has three specific implementation strategies: seeding innovation, developing blended learning feeder patterns, and building upon existing instructional models.

Seeding Innovation

Teachers and school leaders are often the first to hear about new resources, software, apps, or other tools that can be used in their classrooms, and are often willing to jump right in and try something. When those tools have been effective, they are shared throughout the school and become a “pocket” of innovation in an otherwise traditional educational environment. Community partnerships and philanthropies have been incredible partners in seeding ideas for innovation and funding projects at individual schools and with individual teachers. These outside groups work in tight collaboration with DCPS to ensure the maximum support and mission alignment. One of the most successful partnerships has been with CityBridge Foundation, a “venture” philanthropy which created the Education Innovation Fellowship (EIF) and lead the DC round of the Next Generation Learning Challenge, called Breakthrough Schools: DC. The EIF is a full year of intensive training for DC teachers that guides them through learning about blended learning, takes them on school visits across the country, and supports them in designing a
successful classroom pilot. As the Fellows have come across best practices and successful school models and have synthesized that into their DC classroom, DCPS has been able to provide additional support and can scale these successes across the district.

Continuous Access to Blended Learning Experience (CABLE)

In the 12-13 school year, two DCPS middle schools became pioneers in blended learning by instituting innovative models for all of their students. One of the most important lessons learned from these pioneers was that the students coming into their buildings from their feeder elementary schools lacked both the technology fluency and the experiences of working independently with digital content that blended learning models often require. Moreover, the students that matriculated from the middle schools went to neighborhood high schools that did not use technology, and thus back into classrooms that did not personalize learning or provide opportunities for student ownership of learning. To address this, but also to provide students and families with additional school choice, DCPS established a strategic vision of blended learning feeder patterns. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade will be able to have continuous access to a blended learning experience in these feeder patterns. While the specific models at each school might differ slightly, students will find that the core components of data-driven teaching, small-group instruction, access to high-quality digital content, and technology-rich classrooms will be present throughout their K-12 careers.

Building on Existing Instructional Models

DCPS has found success with a variety of blended learning models, and important lesson is that there is not a “one size fits all” model that every classroom and school should adopt. Rather, different schools require different approaches to support the academic goals they are striving to achieve. At the elementary school level, many
teachers are already proficient in using stations during the standard 120-minute literacy block each day. In classrooms like these, teachers can incorporate high-quality digital content to create digital stations where, for example, students can read independently from a playlist personalized to their reading interests and Lexile level, or access targeted reading instruction. Incorporating blended learning in classrooms in this way may not be flashy or groundbreaking, but it allows teachers easy access to something they can use right away in their classroom and exposes them to the power of technology to transform their classroom.

As the district pilots and intends to scale blended learning across a diverse, urban district, this steady but organic approach ensures student achievement, return-on-investment, and faculty feedback will guide the district going forward, rather than an attraction toward the latest technology. DCPS’ Chancellor Kaya Henderson notes, “When we say blended learning, what we really mean is integrating
technology into the curriculum in a smart way. It’s not just putting students in front of computers—its helping students learn better through a blend of technology-enhanced instruction and face-to-face teaching.”

That is exactly what DCPS is doing.

About the Author::As a proud member of the DC Public Schools family, John leads the district’s blended learning initiatives in all 111 schools. This involves curating, implementing, evaluating, and scaling blended learning models and digital content for all grades and all subject areas. He is also redesigning whole schools to strategically develop blended learning feeder patterns throughout DC that will provide students with continuous access to a blended learning experience throughout their K-12 careers.