15 Guiding Principles for Student-Centered

Learning Communities
The goal of effective teaching is to fundamentally make an impact or change in the
learner. Measuring the effectiveness of learning can be demonstrated in a variety of
ways, especially in student-centered learning environments.

Students learn best when they take ownership of their education and have a role in
shaping the instruction. Today’s students learn best by doing, and they discover how
to learn for themselves in the process. It is here when the impact of effective teaching
is most evident, as students who are at the center of their learning will continue their
journey with positive lifelong learning skills.

Student-centered learning communities are based on 15 guiding principles:

1. Teachers and students create a learner-centered environment

2. Teachers act as both facilitators and activators
3. Students assume responsibility for goal setting as well as attaining
proficiency on learning targets
4. Curriculum is organized into individual learning targets
5. Students generate evidence of mastery of state, national, and international
standards
6. Differentiated instruction is essential for success
7. Instruction and assessment are linked
8. Learning targets are grouped by levels
9. Students are grouped by instructional levels
10.Student progression is based on mastery of content, not time
11.Performance rubrics will be used to evaluate mastery of learning targets
12.Students and teachers have seamless technology available
13.Students are able to communicate their progress relative to personalized
learning goals
14.Students will maintain portfolios to track evidence of mastery of learning
targets
15.Instruction strategies match individual student’s needs to improve student
performance