LRO History

The LRO is based on the Primary Language Record, which was developed (by Myra Barrs, Hilary Hester, and Sue Ellis) in the mid-1980s in London due to growing class sizes and a diverse student body. Teachers realized that standardized testing could not measure students knowledge and literacy.

In 1991, after teachers and administrators underwent years of extensive research and training with staff and teachers from London, California adopted a similar model of teaching and learning, naming its model California Learning Record (CLR). Between 1992 and 1993, pilot programs expanded (in San Diego and Redding) to assess teacher evaluations of students in their first year of using the CLR. From there, the CLR grew in popularity, and by 1994, had been implemented state wide.

In 1994, Peg Syverson and John Slatin started research and development of the LRO, extending the Learning Record model to the college level and to the Internet. Presently, there are at least 9 higher learning institutions that employ the LRO.

Extended History of the LRO