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An Introduction to K-12 �Competency-Based Education

January 25, 2023 | 3:00-4:00 PM Eastern

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Welcome

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Introduce yourself in the chat box

We invite you to share your role, location, & why you joined today

We welcome your questions, answers, and comments

Use the chat for sharing thoughts and participant engagement
Use the Q & A button to ask questions for the presenters

Share your learning on Twitter with #CompetencyEd & @Aurora_Inst
We are recording and archiving the webinar

The slides and video will be available on aurora-institute.org

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Guiding Questions

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NPS photo. Grand Canyon Museum Collection, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

What is competency-based education?
How does CBE culture, pedagogy, and structure center students and equity?
What policies and practices are needed to enable the shift to CBE systems?

HARRISBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT

Travis * Haley * Nash

John * Louisianny * Maria

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Where We’ve Been

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NPS photo. Grand Canyon Museum Collection, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

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Where We’re Going

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Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages

Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

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Definition of Competency-Based Education

Deep student agency in learning
Positive, timely, relevant, actionable assessment
Timely, differentiated student supports
Progression upon demonstrated mastery
Active learning with varied pacing and pathways
Equity strategies embedded in culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and systems
Rigorous common expectations (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) that are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable

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Lots of terms - need to get clear on the practices and overlap - personalized, learner-centered, etc.

CBE Definition

Students are empowered daily to make important decisions about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning.
Assessment is a meaningful, positive, and empowering learning experience for students that yields timely, relevant, and actionable evidence.
Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.
Students progress based on evidence of mastery, not seat time.
Students learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing.
Strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education systems.
Rigorous, common expectations for learning (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable.

Personalized learning is tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs, and interests – including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when, and where they learn – to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible.

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Districts and Schools Turn to Competency-Based Education for Many Reasons

Design for equity
Make sure all students learn
Deeper learning
More personalized opportunities
Global competitiveness
Flaws of the traditional system
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic

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Equity is the Goal

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Educational equity means that each child receives what he or she needs to develop to his or her full academic and social potential. (Source: The National Equity Project)

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Flaws of the Traditional System

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Time-based

Advance with learning gaps

One-size-fits-all

Narrow set of academic outcomes

Variable expectations

Grading practices with mixed and misleading messages

All of us went to school. Sometimes it is helpful to take a step back and re-examine the structures that underlie the current education system.

We have an ed system based on time (fixed), not learning - students advance with variable amounts of learning in the same units of time. Need to flip this - where learning is the constant, and time is the variable.

We accept an industrial one-size-fits-all model designed to rank and sort kids with variable outcomes - this is by design. It’s a factory model with One subject, one hour, in one classroom, with one teacher and one textbook - one size fits all. In reality, One size fits none.

We allow students to move ahead with 75% or 80% still missing 20% or more of the content. This approach can leave big gaps. Students move ahead with swiss cheese holes in their learning building over time as learning hinges on prior knowledge. We know kids are entering 9th grade on a 4th or 6th grade reading or math level - but we keep focusing on firehosing content. Learning hinges on prior knowledge. We need to meet ids where they are and when they get caught up - fills the gaps, they can accelerate at greater paces.

CBE means that students address gaps in real time so you aren’t going through an entire year “failing” then have to retake an entire class in the summer time. Think about Unit recovery, not credit recovery. Address gaps in real time to ensure mastery.

CBE also asks to hold all students accountable for performance - with evidence of their demonstrated knowledge and skills. They “level up” when ready - like a video game.

In CBE, there are Clear consistent rubrics and metrics of what constitutes mastery is a key element.

Our current system has assignments with bell curve and variability in grading that send mixed messages. We just accept the current variability in grading from teacher to teacher. Consistency and calibration is part of a competency-based structure. This is fundamental all over the world in high performing systems - the U.S. is more focused on ranking and sorting students, boiling down an entire K-12 lifetime into a single GPA to rank and sort… more interested in ranking kids than ensuring mastery in real time. This must change. Think “A, B, or try again.” Think about gaining a badge for literacy or micro-credential for numeracy and literacy. We have to ensure competency.

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How does CBE design differently to address the traditional flaws?

Every student creates a personalized learning plan (i.e. learner record)

Clear and explicit learning goals with criteria/rubrics help teachers and students understand what mastery looks like.

Teachers, students, and parents have data indicating the level of progress on learning goals to monitor student progress and know what is next.

Adults shifting roles to personalized learning, small grouping, teacher specialization, advisory roles

Classroom, online, hybrid, expanded learning opportunities, including after school, work-based, internships, museum, projects, and more

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What Policies Are Needed To Catalyze Competency-Based Education?

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Redefining Student Success

Here’s a summary graphic of policy levers and supports for transformation

States can begin to transform their K-12 education systems through a variety of policy entry points…
A common entry point begins with states redefining what student success means through a Profile of a Graduate creating a north star for what students need to know and be able to do, and aligning policy and practice around the key competencies students need to be ready for their futures.
States also are starting to enable competency-based education by creating Task Forces to bring together stakeholders, and identify the assets in a state where CBE planning has already started, as well as recommendations for moving forward with next steps for policy and practice. This helps identify any policy barriers to remove, as well as lay the groundwork for local districts and schools who are ready to get started.
It is often recommended that a CBE Pilot program begin to allow districts and schools to advance competency-based pathways locally, with a commitment to removing policy barriers at the state level that might get in the way.
Some states also create a statewide innovation zone, that allows districts and schools to ask for waivers for policy barriers that are outdated or not aligned with competency-based education systems.

State examples

CBE Task Forces (IA, ID, IL, NV, UT, WA)
CBE Pilots (IA, ID, IL, OH, UT, WA)
Move away from seat-time to advancing on mastery / Credits defined by competencies (NH, OR)
Redefine Student Success / Develop Profile of a Graduate (SC, MI, UT, VA)
Innovation Zones (KY, CO, AR, MT)
CBE Pathways (K12/CTE/HE/Workforce) (AL & WA)
Meaningful credentials / Proficiency Based Diplomas (AZ, CO, RI)

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Competency-Based Education State Policy 2012

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A Snapshot of K-12 Competency Education State Policy - 2021�

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Best Practices for Competency-based Education

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Frame the Change

Set a Vision for All Learners to Thrive
Engage with Stakeholders
Build Coalitions

Build Capacity for Change

Networks of Schools
Co-creation of Resources
Professional Learning

Support and Enable Change

Enabling Policy
Alignment of regulations
Collaborate with Higher Ed
Holistic and Inclusive Data

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What Does Competency-Based Education Look Like in Practice?

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Q&A

Please type your questions in the Q & A box

(next to the chat, which you can use to share general reflections).

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What Resources Are Available to Guide Transformation Toward Competency-Based Education?

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Aurora Institute Blogs

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Core Competency-Based Education Resources

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New Starter Pack Series

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A Sampling of Research from 2022

How do we make a clear case for the value of personalized, competency-based education?

What Made Them So Prepared? (NGLC led)
Cult urally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogy (CRSP) Framework Research Base Overview (Highlander)
Teachers Making the Shift to Equitable, Learner-Centered Education: Harnessing Mental Models, Motivations, and Moves
From State Commitment to District Implementation: Approaches and Strategies for Personalized, Competency-Based Learning (Research for Action & �KnowledgeWorks) (AZ, NV, ND, and SC)
Interdisciplinary Education Literature Review and Landscape Analysis (RTI International & Lucas Education Research)
Diversifying the Educator Workforce Collaborative Regional Landscape Snapshot (GSP) (New England states)
Measuring Forward: Emerging Trends in K-12 Assessment Innovation (Aurora, CfA, CIE, Envision, GSP, KW) (ok, this one is 2021)

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What is one idea you will take away from today?

Please share in the chat box.

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One-Minute Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Aurora_Webinar_1-25-23 ��(link in chat box)

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Stay Connected

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John Clemente: Co-Founder and Executive Director, South Bronx Community Charter High School John.Clemente@southbronxcommunity.org

Travis Lape: Innovative Programs Director, Harrisburg School District (SD)�Travis.Lape@k12.sd.us

Facilitator: Laurie Gagnon: Program Director, CompetencyWorks, Aurora Institute �LGagnon@aurora-institute.org ◆ @LaurieGagnon98

Thank you to our student presenters: Haley, Nash, Maria, and Louisianny!

communications@aurora-institute.org

(703) 752-6216

www.aurora-institute.org

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Aurora Institute Mission, Vision, & Values

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Our Values

Student-

Centered

Equity-Driven

Future- Focused

Credible

Knowledge- Driven

Collaborative

Our Mission

The mission of the Aurora Institute is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all.

We envision a world where all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities and advance society.

Our Vision

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