Personalization in today’s K12 system requires more than a new curriculum. It’s a culture shift that prioritizes student voice and choice, strong student-teacher relationships and proficiency over seat time, says Nicki Slaugh, principal of the Weber School District’s Innovation High in Utah.
“That’s centered around moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach, and helping educators and leaders look at education through a new lens,” says Slaugh, a featured speaker at the 2026 Future of Education Technology Conference.
“It’s increasing engagement by focusing on student-centered learning versus teacher-centered learning, and removing the barriers to let students move at their own pace.”
Slaugh recently joined the Weber School District after serving for nearly 10 years as principal of the Quest Academy. There, she launched on her pathway toward personalization to transform a school that was underperforming academically and losing students and educators.
She says she “jumped in 100%” and eliminated traditional point-based grading, percentages and extra credit. “We got rid of the whole game of school,” she explains. “Students would advance upon mastery of skills, feedback and conferencing, and regular self-assessment and self-reflection.”
“And then learning—not the grade—became the celebration,” she adds.
Slaugh’s approach also relied on increasing the rigor and relevance of instruction while teachers removed themselves from the front of the classroom to spend more time in small-group and one-on-one instruction. Students grew more comfortable asking questions in this environment.
“The school became a safe and an engaging environment where students felt very confident, connected, and motivated, and then teachers were building authentic relationships,” she notes.
Nicki Slaugh’s FETC presentations
- Personalize: Meeting the Needs of ALL Learners
- From Passion to Profession: Real-World Learning that Transforms
- Culture Wins: Building Schools Where People Want to Be
‘The autonomy where they learn best’
Slaugh now serves as a high school principal and the director of personalized learning for the Weber School District. She is working to fully personalize Innovation High School in the same way she transformed her previous school.
The new motto for the school’s blended, self-paced learning environment is “Innovation is more than graduation.” Advancement is proficiency-based and built into the very structure of the building.
Students are not limited to the classroom. They can also study and collaborate in lounge areas, and return to classrooms for one-on-one work with teachers.
“We have a free flow model,” Slaugh says. “It’s a self-paced learning environment where we give students the autonomy where they learn best.”
Built into that self-paced model are college-level courses, career exploration and certification programs designed to give students a jumpstart on life after high school. Students meet regularly with advisors and counselors to plan and refine their pathways.
The model not only increases relevancy for students but can also promote teacher retention.
“Burnout usually comes from teachers not being completely engaged in the curriculum they’re told to use or the amount of assignments they have to score, and also, that fight between teachers and students over missing due dates,” she says. “Switching to a personalized model has helped teacher retention because they’re becoming more the designers behind what they’re doing.”
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