K-12 Competency-Based Education Policy and Practice Resources
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What is K-12 Competency-Based Education?
A Note on Language Several terms are used to describe competency-based education, including performance-based, proficiency-based, and mastery-based. Competency-based or competency education is used most often in this wiki. However, we use the term used by specific states, districts, or schools when discussing their models, initiatives, and policies. The hope is that as long as a shared working definition is used to drive policy, the variations in the descriptive term will not be a barrier.
The term competency-based education used here describes a district- or school-wide structure. The term has also recently been used by vendors to describe adaptive software. We take the position that competency-based education empowers teachers to draw upon their professional knowledge in teaching and reaching every student. Drawing upon digital tools should be done appropriately based on the overall pedagogical philosophy of the school and the needs of the students. A classroom cannot be deemed to be competency-based simply because students are learning on adaptive software or have flexible pacing.
Across our country, schools, districts and states are transitioning to competency-based education in order to align resources in schools, the community, and online around student learning. Competency-based education is designed to help students be successful. As students get the help they need to reach proficiency on academic standards and demonstrating lifelong learning competencies, they progress upon mastery without gaps in their skills, ready for the next challenge.
A competency-based system, as defined below, starts with the simple commitment to teaching students based on where they are in building skills and ensuring that they are being challenged as they become proficient. Competency-based approaches require alignment around five key elements.
Competency-based education isn't a classroom practice or an add-on program. Building upon state standards, it is a re-engineering of our education system around learning—a re-engineering designed for success in which failure is no longer an option. |
Understanding K-12 Competency-Based Education
Competency-Based Schools and Districts
Designing Your Competency-Based School
Policy
Competency-Based Education in Higher Education
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