Competency-Based Education
Motivate Me with CBE: What Learners Want from School
How do we make school not just a place to learn, but a place to thrive? What are the key ingredients that truly motivate students to persist and excel in their learning journey? A recent Edweek survey attempted to answer these questions by asking students and teachers directly: what practices would be most powerful for…
Read MoreStudent-led Learning – The What and How
One of my early attempts at student-led learning was through an extracurricular program outside of the core classes I was responsible for teaching. The inspiration was rooted in introspection. I was experiencing more behavior issues in my core classes and, upon reflection, recognized why. I wasn’t involving students in the creation of our learning experience…
Read MoreCompetency-Based Education: Definition and Examples
In this blog, we will define Competency-Based Education (CBE) and discuss how the essential components of CBE work together to transform learning in K12 schools and districts. We will also examine some of the specific benefits CBE brings to learners, teachers, and communities. Finally, we will present two CBE classroom scenarios with examples. Defining Competency-Based…
Read MorePBL & CBE Rubrics: What You Need To Know
The creation of frameworks for planning, executing, and evaluating learning outcomes is a necessary part of the educational process. One of the more common ways to set and assess expectations is through the use of a rubric. Rubrics are tools that help guide learners through a task, skill, or project and assist in assessing their…
Read MoreLet the Revolution Begin!
We’re excited to announce that our partner, the Cohasset (MA) Center for Student Coastal Research (CSCR), was recently awarded a NOAA education grant that will help “build the bridge” between hands-on summertime learning and school-year programs. CSCR engages “Varsity Research” teams of middle and high school students in authentic, community-driven inquiries throughout the watershed, from…
Read MoreFrom Pandemic to Possibility: Now is the Time to Consider Competency-Based Education
By Ben Owens and Joey Lee This blog was originally featured on Getting Smart “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” From the time I first read this famous Stephen Covey quote in the late 1980s, I’ve always used it as my litmus test for deciding if an initiative I…
Read More4 Ways to Make Your Portrait of a Graduate System a Success
By David Lipkin A Portrait (or Profile) of a Graduate process is a wonderful way for school communities to build consensus about what matters most. The Portrait of a Graduate process is an opportunity to grow community, listen to diverse voices, affirm shared values, and take an honest look at how well our systems support…
Read More10 Step Primer for Competency-based Learning Design
By Josie Jordan As an educator on the design team of the Pathways program at Mt. Abraham Union High School, I got pretty good at designing and scaffolding personalized, competency-based projects for individual students. Back in the regular classroom, it was a challenge to transfer those same, powerful practices to larger groups of learners without…
Read MoreThe On-Ramp to Competency-based and Personalized Projects
By Josie Jordan The On-Ramp In our transition to CBE or personalized learning, we often go to the big picture, “How could I ever meet all the standards that way?”, or, “How could all my students be doing different things?” But going to questions like these is just like trying to merge onto the highway…
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