Kearney Public Schools recently selected CompassLearning Odyssey to create personalized learning paths for students based on their academic strengths and weaknesses. Educators integrate assessment data from Northwest Evaluation Association's (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment into CompassLearning Odyssey to create a personalized learning path for each student.
"From the MAP assessment, we have a tremendous amount of data from the last 3 or 4 years about our students, what they know, what they need to grow, and the diversity we have in every classroom," said Dick Meyer, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for Kearney Public Schools. "With CompassLearning Odyssey, we can now use that data to automate administrative tasks that teachers had to perform by hand to inform instruction around the needs of the individual student."
CompassLearning Odyssey is a comprehensive, online, K-12 learning solution that includes lessons and activities based on current and confirmed research about the way today's students think and learn. Through its integration with MAP, Odyssey creates a learning path complete with rigorous curriculum, and content based on the assessed ability of the student within a particular subject. Through regular built-in assessments in the Odyssey curriculum, teachers have access to data on how student performance is progressing and can adjust lesson plans accordingly.
"Our teachers are focused on student learning," explained Meyer. "But with more than 20 students all with varying needs in a classroom, it is difficult for a teacher to easily see what an individual student might be missing or where they are above target. We want to give our teachers access to the resources they need to inform instruction so they can reach every student and better deliver the education our community expects."
Content and curriculum for grades K-8 will focus primarily on math and reading. High school content will be across the entire spectrum -- math, reading, science and social studies. For students who are struggling, Odyssey aims to help bring those students back to their current grade level, while at the same time provide content for accelerated students to help keep them fully engaged.
"We believe technology can be used to accelerate student learning, not just be cool and unique," added Meyer. "By using data, digital content and creating personalized learning paths, CompassLearning helps us meet each student where they are. It is all about students' learning.
