Leadership for Personalized Learning in a One-to-One Computing Environment

This study investigated leadership practices in three high schools in one district to identify what practices are key to supporting teachers as they implement personalized learning in a new one-to-one computing environment. Using a mixed-methods multi-case study approach, I triangulated district and school leaders’ qualitative focus group data with descriptive statistics and path analyses of a teacher perception survey data to investigate the leadership practices that help teachers integrate one-to-one devices to personalize learning for students. The results informed findings that at the time of the study leaders had enacted minimal leadership practices to implement personalized learning, teacher professional development for personalized learning had focused primarily on technological tools, and there were insufficient resources available for technical and instructional support for teachers. The path analysis confirmed the importance of teacher beliefs about technology integration and overall support for teachers. To address these findings, recommendations include creating district and school plans for personalized learning, developing school leaders’ and teachers’ capacity to implement personalized learning, and allocating sufficient staffing resources to technical and instructional support for the personalized learning and one-to-one initiatives. Action communication products feature a recommendation report and a personalized learning planning guide for use by school and district teams to help guide leadership practices to support the continued implementation of this initiative in the three high schools and the district.