17 Jul 2019
Spotlight

Spotlight on Deeper Learning

What do today’s students really need to learn in order to succeed, not only in the classroom but also later on in college, careers, and as engaged citizens?

Much of American education policy focuses on the need for students to develop deeper content knowledge and an ability to apply their knowledge and skills to tasks and situations inside and outside of school. The Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards reflect this dual focus on academic learning and real-world application.

What is Deeper Learning?

Students working togetherThe combination of (1) a deeper understanding of core academic content, (2) the ability to apply that understanding to novel problems and situations, and (3) the development of a range of competencies, including people skills and self control, is called deeper learning. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation—a leader in the national initiative to promote deeper learning in schools—has defined deeper learning as “a set of competencies students must master in order to develop a keen understanding of academic content and apply their knowledge to problems in the classroom and on the job.”

The Study of Deeper Learning: Opportunities and Outcomes

Funded by the Hewlett Foundation, the Study of Deeper Learning examined how some schools have provided opportunities for students to acquire deeper learning skills and how these opportunities are related to student outcomes. In a series of reports, AIR researchers compared the strategies and cultures, students’ deeper learning opportunities, and student outcomes between students who attended deeper learning network schools and non-network schools. In addition, exploratory analyses examined relationships among opportunities for deeper learning, deeper learning competencies, and students’ on-time high school graduation. AIR is currently conducting a follow-up study that will examine the impact of deeper learning on students’ civic engagement, college, and early workforce outcomes six years after high school graduation.

More on Deeper Learning
Kristina Zeiser
31 Aug 2016
Blog Post

Three Studies Show Impact of Deeper Learning

Today, success isn’t just about what you know. It’s also about how quickly you can grasp and apply new knowledge. That’s the theory behind “deeper learning,” a broad term encompassing the goals of an increasing number of U.S. schools and school systems. In a series of reports, researchers at AIR examined whether and how opportunities for deeper learning change high school graduation and college attendance rates for students. In this blog post, Kristina Zeiser, Jordan Rickles, and Mette Huberman share the studies’ results.
Deeper learning brief cover
10 Aug 2015
Policy Brief

Deeper Learning: Improving Student Outcomes for College, Career, and Civic Life

Deeper learning combines a deeper understanding of core academic content, the ability to apply that understanding to new situations, and a range of competencies related to human interaction and self-management. A recent study by AIR found that students in high schools that were part of networks associated with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Deeper Learning Community of Practice performed better than similar students in comparison schools on a range of measures.
19 Aug 2016
News Release

Students in Deeper Learning Network High Schools Significantly More Likely to Enroll in College, AIR Study Finds

Students who attend “deeper learning” network high schools are significantly more likely than their peers in other schools to enroll in college, particularly in four-year and selective institutions, according to a new study by AIR. The brief, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, focused on more than 20,000 students in 25 schools in New York City and California with largely diverse and underserved populations.
24 Sep 2014
News Release

High School Students Receiving Instruction Focused on “Deeper Learning” Do Better in Math and English and Have Higher Graduation Rates than Their Peers

Students at high schools focusing on deeper learning had higher scores on standardized tests in mathematics and English, and higher graduation rates than their peers, according to a study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). In conducting the Study of Deeper Learning: Opportunities and Outcomes, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, AIR researchers found positive effects on students from a wide range of deeper learning approaches.