{"id":15283,"date":"2022-05-10T01:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/?post_type=cw_post&p=15283"},"modified":"2022-05-09T16:18:46","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T20:18:46","slug":"summing-up-the-competency-based-education-journey","status":"publish","type":"cw_post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/cw_post\/summing-up-the-competency-based-education-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Summing up the Competency-Based Education Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Teacher<\/p>\n

Photo: Allison Shelley<\/a><\/p>\n

While attending a recent education conference focused on innovation, I could not help but notice a pattern across many presentations and discussions. Panelists and attendees were talking about different experiences students were having outside of the school day\u2014in after-school programs, work and internship experiences, community service, place-based learning\u2014and how they wished there was a way for students to receive \u201ccredit\u201d for these experiences. Sentences that started with, \u201cIf only there was a way\u2026\u201d or, \u201cNo one has come up with a way yet\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, I hope that my recent series of blog posts<\/a> demonstrates clearly that THERE IS A WAY. Across eight blog posts, I have outlined the necessary shifts that I believe need to occur in mindsets, teaching and learning, structures, and systems in order to successfully transition to a more personalized and competency-based model. And yet, sitting in the audience at this conference, I could not help but wonder\u2026how do we better communicate the power and the possibilities that competency-based education (CBE) holds for unbundling learning from the traditional structures of school and allowing all learning experiences both in and out of school to \u201ccount\u201d for students?<\/p>\n

CBE enables \u201ccrediting\u201d or \u201ccounting\u201d all of the learning that students experience both within and outside of school. Transitioning to a CBE model is a big decision and requires commitment, but as these eight blog posts demonstrate, it is both doable and worth doing. Competency-based education opens up so many possibilities to engage students in meaningful learning experiences anywhere and everywhere. If you are interested in exploring how, let\u2019s talk<\/a>!<\/p>\n

I hope that the resources below\u2014a brief summary of the blog series\u2014help to spread the word about CBE, so that presenters and attendees of future conferences recognize the power and potential CBE holds in building personalized models of anytime, anywhere learning.<\/p>\n

1: Why Should Schools Transition to Competency-Based Education?<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you want to create personalized pathways through school for students? Do you want to create alternative pathways to graduation? Do you want to replace traditional structures of courses and grade levels but don\u2019t know how? Do you want to \u201ccredit\u201d learning experiences that happen outside of the school day? Is school not working for some (or all) of your students? If you answered yes to any of these questions, read this blog post and consider if CBE is the right solution for you.<\/p>\n

2: Preparing for Your Competency-Based Education Journey: A Process for Success<\/a><\/p>\n

You have decided to make the journey to a more personalized and competency-based model, but you don\u2019t know where to start. This blog post will help you think about a process to get you started on your CBE journey!<\/p>\n

3: Building 21\u2019s Teacher Competencies to Facilitate Competency-Based Learning<\/a><\/p>\n

If the goal for transitioning to CBE is to change outcomes for students, then\u2014working backwards\u2014what needs to change for the adults, and how do we clearly define and communicate those changes? In transitioning to personalized and competency-based learning, it is equally important to outline what we want the adults to know and be able to do as it is to define that for our students. Read this blog to learn more about Building 21\u2019s five Teacher Competencies<\/a>: Building Relationships, Personal and Professional Growth and Development, Mentoring Through Advisory, Designing for Engagement and Impact, and Facilitating Personalized Learning.<\/p>\n

4: Building 21\u2019s Leadership Competencies to Facilitate Competency-Based Learning<\/a><\/p>\n

Continuing with the backwards design process, if we know what outcomes we want for our students, and we have defined the skills, mindsets, practices, and beliefs that we want to develop in our teachers to achieve these desired student outcomes, what does that mean for our leaders? There are many qualities that all leaders need to be effective. But there are specific qualities that we are looking for in leaders of an innovative change process\u2014in this case, a journey to personalized and competency-based learning. Read this blog post to learn more about Building 21\u2019s six Leadership Competencies<\/a>: Create a Just, Equitable, and Caring Learning Environment; Commit to Personal and Professional Growth and Development; Foster a Cohesive Vision; Ensure High Quality Instruction and Learning Experiences; Build the Capacity of Others; and Continuous Improvement Through Data-Driven Decision Making.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

5: Building 21\u2019s Studio Model: Designing Learning Experiences for Engagement and Impact<\/a><\/p>\n

To realize the potential of competency-based learning, we must fundamentally shift how we design learning experiences to ensure that they:<\/p>\n