Competency Education in the News

Michael Horn in a post “Could Competency-Based Learning Save the Common Core?” on Forbes website challenges us to think about assessments differently  — instead of summative assessments at the end of the factory model of education, why not build it into the learning process so that we can be sure that students are learning every step of the way.

Here are some other highlights of competency education in the news.

• Benjamin Riley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at NewSchools Venture Fund, writes about Lindsay Unified School District, a finalist for RTT.

• Tom Vander Ark tackles some of the concerns about competency education in his On Innovation blog Answers For & Lessons from Critics of Competency-based Learning at Ed Week.

• The Atlanta Journal highlights Sen. Chip Rogers comments on education including competency education: American students spend roughly 50 minutes per class, 6-7 classes per day, 5 days per week and 180 days per year. At the end of this time, they “move on” to the next grade. Essentially our system values “seat time” over “learning”. We can measure “seat time” easily; measuring educational achievement is more difficult. Yet, sending an 18-year old to his graduation because he finished his required time, without being certain he can read his diploma, is devastating for the student and our nation.

FYI — Rogers just resigned his position to work with GA Pubic Broadcasting.