WSJ: Ohio School District Bets on Technology in Creating New Learning Model

By CAROLINE PORTER
June 7, 2015

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio—After a recent high-tech makeover at Reynoldsburg City Schools in this working-class suburb of Columbus, many staples of traditional education are gone.

There are no desks permanently lined up in rows and, in one building, no bells signaling the end of class. College isn’t some far-off place: Students can take classes from a community college on school premises. Most students don’t even have to take gym in high school.

At the heart of the overhaul that is aimed at all grades is a personalized learning model combining computer-based and in-person instruction that the district says has held down costs, sustained above-average test scores and put students in greater control of their learning.

“I don’t see my grandkids having something that looks like what I had for school,” said Tina Thomas-Manning, district superintendent. “Some people are still hiding out with their heads in the sand.”

Schools across the country are facing pressure to change their methods, amid a push from Washington to boost the competitiveness of American education.

Read more in The Wall Street Journal