– Lessons tailored to the learner, not the teacher (from PEN Weekly NewsBlast for December 13)

Federal law requires schools to create individualized education plans (IEPs) for special-education students, but says nothing about everyone else. Schools in Maryland, Vermont and Virginia, among other states, have adopted these personalized plans for regular-education students. The idea has gained so much momentum that Washington state schools Superintendent Terry Bergeson recently suggested reating « accelerated learning plans » statewide for seventh-graders who don’t pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. The learning plans, which basically involve getting parents, teacher and student to draw up a list of goals and ways to reach them, have yielded numerous benefits. Parents say they feel like they’re « part of the solution. » Administrators say the plans are effective communication tools, building bridges between school and home. The plans are notorious for devouring special-education teachers’ time. For most teachers, the problem is not the concept of an « individualized education ». It’s that managing a batch of education plans can seem like a second job. « It’s more work for the teachers, » said Principal Benjamin Wright. « But that’s too bad. In the long run it’s best for the kids. »
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/134593043_edplan10m0.html

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