{"id":4501,"date":"2017-06-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/cw_post\/nine-structural-domains-of-competency-education-part-i\/"},"modified":"2020-02-05T13:02:14","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T18:02:14","slug":"nine-structural-domains-of-competency-education-part-i","status":"publish","type":"cw_post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/cw_post\/nine-structural-domains-of-competency-education-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine Structural Domains of Competency Education, Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"This is the eighth blog in a series leading up to the <\/span><\/i>National Summit on K-12 Competency-Based Education<\/span><\/i><\/a>. We are focusing on four key areas: equity, quality, meeting students where they are, and policy. (Learn more about the Summit <\/span><\/i>here<\/span><\/i><\/a>.) We released a series of draft papers in early June to begin addressing these issues. This article is adapted from <\/span><\/i>In Search of Efficacy: Defining the Elements of Quality in a Competency-Based Education System<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>It is important to remember that all of these ideas can be further developed, revised, or combined \u2013\u00a0the papers are only a starting point for introducing these key issues and driving discussions at the Summit. We would love to hear your comments on which ideas are strong, which are wrong, and how we might be able to advance the field. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The contribution of the participants of the Technical Advisory Group on quality was so powerful that we ended up moving far beyond our expectations in terms of the development of defining competency-based structures and what high quality would look like. In this article we explore a a way to think about what structure in schools and districts mean. This afternoon\u2019s article will then highlight the features of quality we might look for. \u00a0As always, we really want your feedback on these ideas. We are particularly interested in ways that we might integrate the ideas introduced in the paper <\/span>In Pursuit of Equality: A Framework for Equity Strategies in Competency-Based Education<\/span><\/i><\/a> into the quality framework. <\/span><\/p>\n

—<\/span><\/p>\n

Developed by 100 innovators in 2011, the working definition of a high-quality competency-based education was designed to build a shared understanding of how a competency-based system functions. However, it does not precisely describe what the competency-based structure (beliefs, policies, and operational mechanisms) is that would replace the traditional structure. In this section, we hope to outline the specific structures that districts and schools should have in place while still highlighting the innovations and variations developed by districts and schools. At times, structures that are considered \u201cmust-haves\u201d or \u201cnon-negotiables\u201d are identified.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Structures that Make Up a Competency-Based District and School?<\/b><\/p>\n

Think of the structure as the architecture of a house. It\u2019s the foundation, frame, and load-bearing walls. This paper organizes the structure of a district and school into nine domains, with each domain made up of the beliefs, policies, and processes that support learning and teaching. The way that the structure operates is likely to be shaped by policies and funding established by outside entities, including state or federal government, as well and the broader education system, including accreditation bodies and vendors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Making the transition from the time-based system to a competency-based one requires the process of deconstructing the traditional structure and constructing a new one with great intentionality to ensure that it works effectively. To understand a structure, it is helpful to think about them as a mix of beliefs, policies, and operational processes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beliefs<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

The beliefs that people bring to their work will have a powerful impact on the entire organization. There will be a formal set of policies and processes based on espoused beliefs and an informal one based on the actual beliefs brought to bear. Thus, understanding the beliefs underlying each domain of the structure is important in identifying strengths and weaknesses in the competency-based structure. There are two beliefs that are absolutely essential to a quality structure for competency-based education: 1) that all students can and should learn to high standards and 2) the role of the growth mindset, with adults developing it within themselves as well as supporting it in students. These two beliefs demand that adults in the system challenge assumptions and unlearn habits and practices built upon sorting students and the fixed mindset.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other important beliefs include:<\/span><\/p>\n