A new study found that students in hybrid classrooms outperformed their peers in traditional classrooms.

The study, "Hybrid Learning Program Results," was conducted by Hybrid Learning Institute and Dellicker Strategies, according to an article on THEJournal.com. The study found that "more than nine out of 10 schools using a hybrid learning program reported higher academic performance on standardized tests compared to traditional classrooms in the same school district or state benchmarks."

"Made up of a group of teachers, administrators and subject matter experts, the Institute helps educators use personalized learning tools and techniques to improve academic performance. Last year, it worked with more than 8,000 students," the article said. "Dellicker is the institute's lead consultant."

The work, the article said, "which started in Pennsylvania and has since expanded to other states, focuses on building an inter-district support infrastructure to help schools plan, launch and deliver hybrid instruction and pursue continuous improvement based on data analysis."

The article highlighted six defining characteristics of the that study found through the hybrid learning model that combined "direct teacher instruction, group activities and self-instruction through digital content":

• The use of a blended classroom system
• Students rotate among different learning stations
• Instruction is delivered in small groups
• Students take frequent digital assessments
• Educators use student information to differentiate instruction
• The personalized learning is considered "cost-effective."

"The results come out of those classes where students either took the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment [PSSA] tests or Keystone Exams to measure academic achievement," the article said. "Seven districts representing 14 schools were able to compare standardized test results between students in the hybrid classrooms and those in non-hybrid classrooms."

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor