Developed by the Aspen Institute Education & Society program with a group of diverse state policymakers, the Opportunity to Learn principles offer a road map for education stakeholders to reenvision public education through shared values and approaches.
To read more about this work, visit Mapping the Future of Education: A Collection.
Instruction and the Student Experience
Principle 1: All students deserve the opportunity to develop their character, talents and interests, while receiving support to address individual learning needs.
Principle 2: All students deserve opportunities that prepare them to succeed in the future of work.
Principle 3: All students deserve opportunities that prepare them to fully participate in American democracy.
Important Enabling Conditions
Principle 4: All students deserve safe and healthy environments that are conducive to academic learning.
Principle 5: All students deserve access to caring adults with expertise in creating quality learning environments and experiences.
Principle 6: All students deserve instruction and tasks that are worthy of their effort, aligned to state standards, and relevant to the skills they will need to succeed in life.
The Role of the State
Principle 7: States establish essential policy context and enabling conditions regarding all students’ opportunities to learn.
Principle 8: Schools and public education systems need partnerships with other public agencies and service providers to adequately understand and address students’ needs, opportunities, and outcomes.
Principle 9: States must strategically collect and use data to illuminate the extent to which schools are providing all students with opportunities to learn.
