Five Laramie Schools Selected for Governor’s RIDE Pilot

Data says standardized testing is still failing students, and yet many districts still want teachers to teach to tests. Many districts need those test results as methods of funding, teaching assessment, and college inquiry. Teachers have started to rebel against these methods, and now Wyoming education is looking to make changes.  

The “Future of Learning” pilot program was created to test new educational approaches for student success. The program emerged from the recommendations provided by Governor Gordon’s Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education (RIDE) Advisory Group, as well as the work of the State Board and the UW College of Education. 

Nine districts were chosen to participate, out of 17 applicants. Albany County has five schools that will be piloting the program: Laramie High, Laramie Middle, UW Lab, Linford Elementary, and Beitel Elementary. ACSD1 Superintendant John Goldhardt says individual teachers haven’t been selected yet, and each principal will work with their staff to determine which teachers and classrooms will participate. 

Goldhardt adds, “ACSD has content standards in place, and teachers in Competency-Based Learning will utilize those standards to then design the CBL work associated with it.”

The program will focus on four areas: competency-based learning; flexible pathways; personalized learning; and student choice. Competency-based learning allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in a method of their choice, rather than a standardized test. Flexible pathways offer various methods of instruction; in-person, remote, hybrid, etc. Personalized learning takes into account the individual interests and skills of each student. Student choice in what they learn and how they learn shows an increase in overall student engagement and learning. 

The principals plan on attending the kick-off event in Casper to learn more about implementing the program in their buildings.