{"id":13514,"date":"2020-10-20T00:11:08","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T04:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/?p=13514"},"modified":"2022-11-07T13:05:15","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T18:05:15","slug":"states-can-support-blended-competency-based-learning-as-an-entry-point-for-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/states-can-support-blended-competency-based-learning-as-an-entry-point-for-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"States Can Support Blended, Competency-Based Learning as an Entry Point for Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Aurora Institute is launching a new blog series to highlight the recently released,\u00a0<\/span>Education Policy Issues for the COVID-19 Era: Policy Actions and Responses to Leverage the Moment for Future Readiness<\/a><\/em>. Across the United States, states face the challenge of providing access to ongoing and quality education for students during this unprecedented period of a national health emergency. We\u2019ve developed this report with strategic guidance on how to harness our current opportunity to transform K-12 education. This report offers insights and recommendations on 10 critical issues identified through our technical assistance in the field and our work with education policy decision-makers around the country. In this post, we explore how states can support blended learning as an entry point for innovation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, school leaders and education policymakers are grappling with unprecedented decision-making about closures and equitable continuity of learning. This historic event demonstrates the need to orient our school systems toward high quality,\u00a0<\/span>anytime, anywhere learning<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and to modernize our systems to meet students\u2019 individual needs. Districts the nation over are confronting the need to transition from face-to-face to different forms of learning experiences. States and districts would be well served to create space for engaging communities with real design challenges re-examining how schools traditionally use time and space.<\/span><\/p>\n

State and district leaders can support<\/span>\u00a0blended learning<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as an \u201centry point\u201d for innovation. States and districts are working to adopt a future-focused mindset for digital learning, planning, and implementation \u2014 one that reflects an understanding of the current trends and ensures appropriate strategic planning to address the inequitable access and use. Blended learning can help expand access and ensure teachers are familiar with personalized learning tools, digital content, and data-driven instruction. Although this can be a helpful first step, it is important to recognize blended learning is a \u201csustaining\u201d innovation focused on a delivery model rather than an ideological model focused on creating space to transform to student-centered, personalized learning through\u00a0<\/span>innovation zones<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or advancing the broader systems change through competency-based education.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

State education leaders should embrace the principles of a competency-based, learner-centered approach to all decisions relating to the investment in and use of blended learning. States can work with districts to build capacity for blended learning by:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf Conducting a needs assessment for readiness for continuity of learning and remote learning;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf Evaluating local education agency (LEA) and school needs for:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n