Supporting Educators Transitioning to a Competency-Based and Personalized Learning System

By -

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education.

In this recent MultiBriefs exclusive, I reported on how competency-based learning (CBL) systems continue to take hold across the nation. According to the International Association of Online K-12 Learning (iNACOL), 49 out of 50 states currently have policy language in place to support CBL systems in schools and school districts. Competency-based learning is sometimes referred to as mastery learning, proficiency-based learning, and, to a lesser degree, standards-based learning. It is part of a larger movement known as personalized learning, a philosophy which puts students at the center of their learning, and encourages schools to identify multiple pathways for student learning and achievement.

In effective competency-based schools, the following is true:

●       Students advance upon demonstrated mastery.
●       Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students.
●       Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students.
●       Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.
●       Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

On 9/25/2019 at 2:00PM ET, iNACOL will be hosting a free webinar to provide assistance to educators in their transition to a competency-based system. According to their website, the webinar will “offer participants a roadmap and possible on-ramps from the traditional schooling model to a personalized, competency-based model. With an overview of the hallmarks of CBE and a discussion of instructional practices and changes in grading and assessments, the discussion will center the role of collaborative teams and focused professional learning in supporting the transition. In addition, attendees will learn how state policy can support scaling their efforts.” I have been asked to be a part of this webinar, along with Maria Worthen, Vice President for Federal and State Policy at iNACOL, and Jonathan Vander Els, Director of Innovative Projects for the New Hampshire Learning Initiative.

Over the years, I have written a number of MultiBriefs Exclusives that can offer support to educators in their development of a CBL model. Some of these topics will be discussed in this webinar. Here is a brief summary of the articles that are available for review:

Move when ready: The case for eliminating grade levels: In this article, I report out on why CBL schools are looking at ways to help students move their their learning at their own pace.

A grading debate: Pros and cons of reassessments and Grading on what students learn, not what they earn: In these two articles, I share resources on how CBL schools have developed grading practices that better reflect what students know and are able to do.

How teaching becomes the test in New Hampshire: In this article, I report out on how the State of New Hampshire was approved by the US DOE for a “first in the nation” waiver to standardized accountability testing requirements. In some NH CBL schools, a performance tasks is used in place of a standardized test to measure accountability.

Adding ‘soft skills’ to report cards and Assessing work study practices in schools: In these articles, I discuss how schools work to separate academics from skills and dispositions and develop assessment and reporting structures to measure growth.

Flexible periods allow for personalized learning opportunities: In this article, I talk about one common way CBL secondary schools have added support structures to help all students be successful in a competency-based system.

I hope these resources help you on your journey towards reimagining your classroom and school as you move through your own journey to competency education.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Speech to the NHS Inductees on Scholarship

By -
Image
Tonight, I will be speaking to you about scholarship, one of the four pillars of the National Honor Society. Scholarship is one of those words that we all can identify with, but it isn’t that easy to define. Dictionaries often define it to mean “academic achievement, learning; or the qualities of a scholar.” The qualities of a scholar --- well my ninth grade English teacher Mr. Tomallo never would have allowed me to use the word I was trying to define in the definition, so I have to dig deeper. What is a scholar? Again I turn to the dictionary, and I find the following: “A scholar is a learned person, someone who attends school or studies with a teacher.” I’m still not satisfied with this result. It seems the online dictionaries that Google has offered me are not helping me summarize what should be an easy-definable concept, scholarship. Perhaps I will need to research some examples of scholarship to help us better understand the concept.   In preparation for this speech...
Read more

Does Your School Facility Need a Makeover?

By -
Image
Does your school facility need a makeover? According to this 2012 report by the National Center for Education Statistics, 53% of American schools are due for such an upgrade. Upgrades can be done in ways to fit almost any school budget. The key for school principals is to stretch the financial resources they have to provide the biggest rate of return possible to enhance student learning and overall school culture.   At a recent visit to my child’s middle school, the principal took me on a tour of recent upgrades made to their front entrance lobby. The building, built quickly and cheaply in the 1970’s has long since reached the status of obsolete in our community, yet we as a voting community just aren’t ready to support a project to build a new middle school. Like so many other principals from coast to coast in this situation, the principal had to look for small ways to make facility upgrades that would have a big impact. The lobby project was this kind of a project. Much...
Read more

My Speech to the NHS Inductees on Character

By -
Image
Character is perhaps the most abstract of the four National Honor Society pillars, and that perhaps makes it the most difficult to quantify and speak about. Most of us would say that we know good character when we see it. We identify with examples of strong character. Consider this situation: Four friends from out of state are passing through Kingston on their way to a vacation in the White Mountains. Their names are Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer. Yes, for those of you who recognize this story I am talking about the 4 main characters from the television series Seinfeld and this is the famous “final episode.” They witness a robbery in broad daylight. The robber has his hand in his pocket, and the victim shouts that the man has a gun. As soon as the robber runs away, a Kingston policeman appears on the scene; but instead of pursuing the robber, he arrests Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer for having violated the "Good Samaritan" law. Since the four of them spent ...
Read more