What is personalized learning?

We have approximately 6,000 students in Westside Community Schools and every, single one of them are unique. They have individual talents, challenges, backgrounds, and paths in this world. Our responsibility as educators is to help each of these learners find their path, and excel in that journey. Here at Westside, we do that by finding ways to connect with each student personally, asking what can we do to best help THIS student learn and thrive?

In 2014, we sat down to brainstorm and establish a complex house document to guide all District 66 educators. Working as a community, we settled on three core strategies focusing on innovation, real-world skills, and data-driven success.

Four years later, we are seeing gratifying results of this defined mission. Westside Community Schools has more than 600 community and business partnerships, including the Center For Advanced Professional Studies and the groundbreaking School of Entrepreneurial Thinking. Through professional development and staff support, our educators continue to earn national recognition including Teacher of the Year awards and Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. We are a lighthouse leader in technology, as evidenced by student awards and work, verified by research and feedback. Test scores from the ACT to state standards checks continue to rise, as does our employee engagement and the number of students who say yes, they feel empowered when they come to school at Westside. They get a say in HOW they learn, therefore, inspiring them to dream bigger and push harder.

Just as every district must find what works best for its community and its learners, we here at Westside Community Schools believe in the mission of personalized learning, and the strategic plan supporting these ideals. We see the results in numbers, in data, and in the smiling faces of each and every child as they grow into promising, successful adults. Thank you for visiting this website to learn more!

Yours in Education,

Blane McCann, Ph.D.