{"id":14227,"date":"2021-03-18T01:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T05:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/?post_type=cw_post&p=14227"},"modified":"2021-03-18T08:15:36","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T12:15:36","slug":"a-cornucopia-of-competency-based-education-resources-from-vermont","status":"publish","type":"cw_post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/cw_post\/a-cornucopia-of-competency-based-education-resources-from-vermont\/","title":{"rendered":"A Cornucopia of Competency-Based Education Resources from Vermont"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Vermont Agency of Education offers outstanding resources for educators and leaders at all levels who are advancing competency-based education. They have taken many complex topics and explained them in clear language with links to essential resources and examples of current practice.<\/p>\n

At the Aurora Institute, we often receive requests for basic and advanced information about competency-based education to guide policy, practice, and professional learning. Clicking through the Vermont AOE\u2019s Personalized Learning<\/a> and Proficiency-Based Learning<\/a> pages is one great place to find it. (They use the term \u201cproficiency-based\u201d rather than \u201ccompetency-based\u201d but are referring to the same sets of principles and practices.)<\/p>\n

Crucially, the AOE has teams of staff who are dedicated to supporting school and district implementation of competency-based education. (Also crucially, the teams include experienced K-12 educators.) They are actively advancing Vermont policies that enable aspects of competency-based learning statewide. For example, Vermont\u2019s Education Quality Standards<\/a> say that:<\/p>\n

“Schools may or may not use credits for the purposes of demonstrating that a student has met the graduation requirements. When used, credits must specify the proficiencies demonstrated in order to attain a credit and shall not be based on time spent in learning. Further, students may receive credit for learning that takes place outside of the school, the school day, or the classroom.”<\/p>\n

The AOE website starts with the basics, such as What Is Personalized Learning?<\/a>, which includes definitions and five essential attributes of personalized learning environments:<\/p>\n

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  1. Personal relationships<\/u> with mutual respect and every student feeling connected to and well-known by at least one trusted adult;<\/li>\n
  2. Flexible pathways<\/u> to high school completion and postsecondary readiness that include options such as dual enrollment, blended learning, career and techical education, and a variety of out-of-school learning opportunities;<\/li>\n
  3. Personalized learning plans<\/u> (PLPs, or learner profiles) that are developed collaboratively and document students\u2019 individual strengths, needs, motivations, goals, and progress;<\/li>\n
  4. Proficiency-based progression<\/u> aligned to the state\u2019s standards and focused on transferable skills, with clear standards, tiered supports, and progress based on demonstrating mastery; and<\/li>\n
  5. Student agency<\/u> in which students collaborate with teachers to co-design and take ownership over their learning process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Going beyond the basics, many resources support deeper understanding and practice. The Personalized Learning Planning Process<\/a> page includes an extensive PLPs Manual<\/a>, explanations of PLPs from both adult<\/a> and student<\/a> perspectives, and a glossary of terms. Six case studies<\/a> illustrates how PLPs, IEPs, and proficiency-based graduation requirements work together. The page ends with a series of self-paced courses<\/a> on key practices such as flexible pathways, student agency, portfolios, and student-designed learning projects.<\/p>\n

    \"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

    Pat Fitzsimmons, the leader of the state\u2019s proficiency-based learning team, kindly sent me two new Vermont AOE resources recently. The first is Essential Components for Ensuring Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems Are Culturally Relevant and Equitable<\/a>. It provides extensive materials that align with and advance the state\u2019s theory of action:<\/p>\n

    “If each supervisory union\/school district implements a local comprehensive assessment system with a balance of assessment types that provides information about student proficiency in a variety of ways, clearly communicates performance criteria, and identifies methods for communicating student progress, then Vermont\u2019s SUs\/SDs will enhance the effectiveness, availability, and equity of services provided to all students.”<\/p>\n

    One of the many useful resources is the Equity Lens Tool<\/a>, a protocol for evaluating equity of opportunities and outcomes when making decisions. A partial list of the questions the tool provides to inform policy and practice decisions includes:<\/p>\n