What It Isn't

The term competency-based and mastery-based have recently been used by vendors to describe adaptive software. We take the position that competency-based education is a structure that empowers teachers to draw upon their professional knowledge in teaching and reaching every student. Digital tools to personalize instruction should be used appropriately based on the overall pedagogical philosophy of the school and the needs of the students. A classroom cannot be deemed competency-based or personalized simply because students are learning with digital content, are using adaptive software, or have flexible pacing.

CompetencyWorks Working Definition (2011)

Background: Developed at the Competency-Based Pathways Summit sponsored by iNACOL and CCSSO

• Students advance upon demonstrated mastery.
• Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students.
• Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students.
• Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.
• Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

Click here for an in depth look at the working definition.

Education Reimagined (2016)

Background: Developed comprehensive learner-centered framework by national mixed stakeholders that includes competency-based.

COMPETENCY-BASED learning is an alternative to age- or grade-based learning. In competency-based learning, each learner works toward competency and strives for mastery in defined domains of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Learners’ trajectories toward mastery are guided

and managed, rather than placing the emphasis on their achievement of specific benchmarks in a fixed amount of time. Competency-based learning recognizes that all learners are unique and that different learners progress at different paces. It allows the system structure to support

variation of learning speeds in accordance with each learner’s specific challenges and needs. Assessments, both formative and summative, are utilized on a continuous basis to inform the learning and instructional strategy for each learner. Additional resources are provided to learners

who need help to accelerate the pace of competency development.

Great Schools Partnership

Background: GSP developed 10 Principles of Proficiency-Based Learning. 

Institute for Personalized Learning

Background: The Institute has developed a "honeycomb" with three core elements of personalized learning of which proficiency-based learning is one of them.

Proficiency-based progress and supporting standards represent what learners are asked to master. Standards provide clear targets for learning and help to drive intermediate learning targets and expected outcomes. This component articulates what learners will learn, how deep or broad the learning will be, and how it will be demonstrated and measured. Learner progress toward the standards is based on growing mastery, not seat time.

Importantly, learning progress does not have to follow a single path: where practical, students are given choices regarding the sequence of learning, specific standards-aligned content and skills to learn, methods and resources to employ, and even how to document and assess learning. Regardless of the approach learners take, standards are challenging and compelling, and meeting them will prepare students both for future learning and for later success in academic, professional, and personal life.

Achieve

Background: Achieve modified the CompetencyWorks definition to have six elements instead of five.

Foundation for Excellence in Education

Regional Education Lab New England and Islands

AIR