This report examines how the rise of generative AI is reshaping the K-12 education landscape. It outlines a bold, student-centered vision that reimagines what students learn, how they learn it, and why. The paper offers a roadmap for policymakers and system leaders to align AI integration with deeper learning, equity, and lasting instructional transformation.
Introduction
We know that there are many models of innovative learning aimed at systems transformation. This case study series aims to explore the work of community schools, who take a whole-community approach to education that aligns with the goals of competency-based education. Dive into learning with us as we explore two community school models–one in Chicago and another in Winooski, Vermont, in the first year of this project.
Chicago International Charter School (CICS) West Belden
Get a glimpse of the student experience and the community-centered and learner-centered approach West Belden takes to support learners in this short video.
Welcome to CICS West Belden, Chicago IL
CICS West Belden, a K-8 charter school in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, demonstrates how strong community connections enhance personalized learning. Through their Community Schools Coordinator, the school transforms parent-teacher conferences into community resource hubs while addressing student needs beyond academics. This family-driven approach—born from pandemic challenges that revealed hidden student needs—creates a foundation where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Read the first post of the blog series here.
CICS West Belden: For the Community
At CICS West Belden, strong family ties, community support, and a focus on the whole child make all the difference. In this post, we explore the ways in which CICS West Belden enacts the six key practices of community schools:
Discover the inspiring work happening at CICS West Belden, from their remarkable successes to the challenges they’ve overcome and their vision for continued growth.
Learners at the Center: Competency-Based Education at CICS West Belden
In this post, we explore the ways in which CICS West Belden is implementing several of the seven key elements that define competency-based education. Although CICS West Belden is still on its journey toward becoming a fully competency-based school, it has established a strong learner-focused foundation that’s yielding impressive results. Dive in to discover how students at CICS West Belden are flourishing in an evolving environment that increasingly emphasizes personalized, competency-based approaches.
Winooski School District
Get a glimpse of the student experience and the community-centered and learner-centered approach Winooski School District takes to support learners in this short video.
The Learning Community of Winooski, Vermont
For over a decade, the Winooski School District has been reimagining education for its 800 students. This small Vermont district—housing both an elementary school and middle-high school in one complex—has developed a unique approach blending community partnerships, student-centered learning, and inclusive culture. Explore how Winooski Middle-High School embodies the principles of the community schools model and competency-based education.
The origins of the Winooski transformation started with the community process that led to their graduate expectations, similar to what others might call a portrait of a graduate or learner. Over the years, active engagement and participation in the school has become part of the fabric of the community. Dive into how Winooski Middle-High School brings learning to life through student voice, a culture of care, and community-connected classrooms.
Proficiency-Based Learning at Winooski
At Winooski Middle-High School, proficiency-based learning fundamentally shifts the educational experience to place students at the center of their learning journey. Through deliberate system design and pedagogical approaches, Winooski has created an environment where student voice, choice, and individual needs drive education. Learn how proficiency-based learning lets Winooski students shape their paths with community-connected capstone projects and out-of-school learning.
Should we feature your school? Let us know!
We are searching for schools that blend community-centered and learner-centered approaches to feature in our national case study project. If your school fits this criteria, we want to hear from you! Please reach out to us here.
If your school is selected, we’ll send an Aurora team member to visit in person and learn more about your learning community. Your school will be featured on this website, invited to speak at our annual Symposium, and included as a case study in our comprehensive report on the intersections between community schools and competency-based learning models. We may also be able to send a videographer to produce a short video highlighting your work! Please note: we will not be able to select all submitted schools.
Stay tuned for our next study on Winooski Middle High School to be added here. Thank you to the Siegel Family Endowment for supporting this work.
The Increasing College Access Network integrates Social-emotional learning (SEL) into the instruction of online dual-enrollment courses in Math and English to improve educational outcomes for high school students. This resource includes a brief overview of the approach, core strategies, and how to consider leveraging this model into other courses.
The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) is a demonstration project taking place in 47 schools in Washington State led by the Washington State Board of Education (SBE). The schools are receiving funding and participating in professional learning and a statewide network to support implementation of mastery-based learning (MBL) and culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE), both of which will be described in greater detail later. The initiative’s overarching goal is “to inform future policy by helping decision makers better understand what quality mastery-based learning looks like, how long it takes to implement, and what resources are necessary.” This report presents evaluation activities and findings for the first year of Cohort 2, representing the planning stage of the MBLC initiative.
Customized chatbot embedded into online social studies courses to support students in completing academic writing assignments.
AI ethics role cards are given to students. Each card describes a member of the community, ranging from students, researchers, environmental activists, and therapists. Students take on these roles for a community forum to engage in a town hall about the ethics of AI.
This AI inventory presents a list of scenarios for students, teachers, and other stakeholders to reflect on. Participants determine whether they would use AI, avoid it, or consider it depending on the situation. This exercise helps them clarify their stance on AI while recognizing that ethical AI use is not a black-and-white issue.
Valley New School’s Project Checklist guides students through the process of development by outlining the key steps for students to follow and complete their projects. It also offers helpful suggestions on how to approach each step.
This executive summary of The Learning Accelerator (TLA)’s research brief, “Innovative Approaches to Learning Acceleration Within the Core of K-12 Instruction: Initial Observations About Scaling and Implementation,” presents early learnings from Mathematica’s evaluation of the Accelerating Adoption Network, an initiative to scale the adoption of 10 technology-enabled innovations designed to accelerate student learning from within the core of instruction. Explore the full brief here.
This brief from The Learning Accelerator (TLA), “Innovative Approaches to Learning Acceleration Within the Core of K-12 Instruction: Initial Observations About Scaling and Implementation,” presents early learnings from Mathematica’s evaluation of TLA’s Accelerating Adoption Network, an initiative to scale the adoption of 10 technology-enabled innovations designed to accelerate student learning from within the core of instruction. Explore this brief’s standalone executive summary.
