Breakthrough Schools: Chicago Research

The Fund invested $250,000 to engage researchers from Transcend and Helix Partners to study and analyze implementation of whole-school personalized learning in five Chicago schools from the first cohort of Breakthrough Schools: Chicago. The research included three school visits, classroom observations, surveys and interviews with principals and teachers. Throughout the year, researchers worked to answer questions consistent across schools and at different points, including the problem each school was working to solve, each school’s approach to personalized learning, the current scope of implementation, progress at different check-points, self-reported successes, observable challenges, and assessment of external supports. Analysis of these schools’ successes and challenges will offer reflections on what is required to support school-based innovation broadly, and personalized learning specifically.