This page lists cases studies written about schools and districts that have incorporated competency-based education.
We recently updated the map of competency education because so many states have taken steps forward for state policies to enable and invest in competency-based education. In reflecting upon how competency-based education is developing, we pulled together all the "case studies" we have done based on site visits and interviews in 26 states.
Some districts have used the case studies as discussion tools. Everyone reads about one school and then talks about what is challenging, how their understanding of the traditional system is changing, and what ideas they think might be valuable. It’s a way of understanding the values and assumptions that are the roots of competency-based education.
Alaska
Chugach School District (2015)
Chugach School District: A Personalized, Performance-Based System
Part 1 - Explorations in Competency Education
Part 2 - Driven by Student Empowerment: Chugach School District
Part 3 - Chugach School District’s Performance-Based Infrastructure
Part 4 - Chugach Teachers Talk about Teaching
Part 5 - Ownership, Not Buy-In: An Interview with Bob Crumley, Superintendent Chugach School District
Part 6 - Chugach School District: Performance-Based Education in a One-Room School House
Part 7 - Teaching through the Culture: Native Education in a Performance-Based System
Part 8 - Performance-Based Home Schooling
Highland Tech Charter School, Alaska (2014)
Part 1 - Highland Tech Charter School - Putting it All Together
Part 2 - Advice From Highland Tech Students
Arkansas
Springdale School District (2015)
Innovation Springing Up in Springdale
Student-Focused Learning in Springdale (2017)
Part 1 - Springdale, Arkansas: A Tradition of Innovation and Future of Opportunity
Part 2 - Building Learning Momentum at Springdale’s School of Innovation
Part 3 - Finding Time and Providing Support for Student-Driven Learning
Part 4 - Encouraging Learning Risks and Growth
California
Lindsay Unified High School (2015)
Part 1 - Six Trends at Lindsay Unified School District
Part 2 - Preparing Students for Life….Not Just College and Careers
Part 3 - An Interview with Principal Jaime Robles, Lindsay High School
Part 4 - An Interview with Brett Grimm: How Lindsay Unified Serves ELL Students
Part 5 - It Starts with Pedagogy: How Lindsay Unified is Integrating Blended Learning
Colorado
District 51 (2017)
Part 1 - Designing Performance-Based Learning at D51
Part 2 - Building Consensus for Change at D51
Part 3 - The Vision of Performance-Based Education at D51
Part 4 - Holacracy: Organizing for Change at D51
Part 5 - Growing into the Framework: D51’s Implementation Strategy
Part 6 - Laying the Foundation with Culture and Climate
Part 7 - Supporting Teachers at D51: A Conversation with the Professional Learning Facilitators
Part 8 - Creating a Transparent Performance-Based System at D51
Part 9 - New Emerson: Learning the Effective Practices of the Learner-Centered Classroom
Part 10 - Transparency and Trust
Part 11 - Lincoln Orchard Mesa: What Did You Notice?
Part 12 - Performance-Based Learning in a Dual Immersion School
Part 13 - R5 High School: Abuzz with Learning
Part 14 - The Teacher Association Perspective on Performance-Based Learning
Part 15 - A Journey of Discovery at Broadway Elementary
Other Colorado District
Connecticut
Overview
Superintendents Leading the Way in Connecticut
New Haven (2016)
Creating Meaningful Instruction through Mastery-Based Learning in New Haven, CT
New Haven Academy: Pedagogy Comes First
Windsor Locks Public Schools (2016)
Windsor Locks: Starting with Pedagogy
Naugatuck Public Schools (2016)
Naugatuck Public Schools: Making Meaning for Teachers with Mastery-Based Learning
Florida
Lake County Schools (2016)
Part 1 - Lake County Schools: Designing a Strategy to Bring Personalized Learning to Scale
Part 2 - Lake County Schools: Moving at the Speed of Trust at South Lake High School
Part 3 - Lake County Schools: Lost Lake Elementary is Putting the Fun Back into Teaching
Part 4 - Lake County Schools: Sawgrass Bay Elementary Increases Engagement with Personalized Learning
Part 5 - Lake County Schools: Windy Hill Middle School
Georgia
Henry County, Georgia (2016)
Part 1 - Henry County Schools: Four Big Takeaways
Part 2 - Henry County Schools: Ensuring Success for Each Student
Part 3 - Henry County Schools: Scaling Strategies for Mid-Size Districts
Part 4 - Henry County Schools: What All of This Means for Schools
Part 5 - Henry County Schools: Impact Academy
Fulton County Schools (2014)
Fulton County Schools: A Big District Approach to Competency Education
Idaho
Mastery-Based Learning in Idaho (2018)
Part 1 - Mastery-Based Learning in Idaho
Part 2 - Finding Synergy at Kuna Middle School
Part 3 - Moving Forward toward Mastery at Kuna School District
Part 4 - Increasing Credits Earned at Initial Point High School
Part 5 - Finding and Fixing the Missing Skills at Greenhurst Elementary School
Part 6 - Columbia High School: How a Comprehensive High School Becomes Mastery-Based
Part 7 - Gathering Insights on Mastery-Based Learning from Columbia High School
Part 8 - Slaying the Dragon: A Conversation with Cory Woolstenhulme on Mastery-Based Learning
Part 9 - Central Academy, West Ada School District
Part 10 - The Sharp Ones: A Few Takeaways from Idaho
Illinois
CBE in Chicago (2017)
Part 1 - CBE in Chicago
Part 2 - Leap Innovations – Learning Exponentially for Advancing Potential
Part 3 - Loving Learning at Lovett Elementary
Part 4 - Personalizing Learning at West Belden
Part 5 - Getting Results at Lindblom
Part 6 - Servant to Two Masters: Balancing Skills and Content at Lindblom
Part 7 - Juarez Community Academy: When Big Schools Become Competency-Based
Kentucky
Eminence School District (2015)
A Conversation with Buddy Berry in Eminence Kentucky
Maine
Road Trip to Maine (2015/2016)
See update on Maine’s proficiency-based diploma policy
Biddeford School District
Part 1 - Biddeford School District: Never Unpack Alone
Casco Bay High School
Part 2 - Casco Bay High School: Tips and Takeaways
Part 3 - Casco Bay High School: Learning as Exploration
Part 4 - Casco Bay High School: The What and HOW of Learning
Part 5 - Casco Bay High School: We Will Shape our School by our Learning
Noble High School
Part 6 - Noble High School: Creating Timely, Differentiated Supports
Deer Isle-Stonington High School
Part 7 - Deer Isle-Stonington High School: Turning Around the Culture
Part 8 - Deer Island-Stonington High School: Breathing Life into the Standards
Part 9 - Deer Isle-Stonington High School: Takeaways and Burning Questions
RSU2
Part 10 - RSU2: Entering a New Stage in Building a High Quality Proficiency-Based District
Part 11 - RSU2: Continuous Improvement at Richmond Middle and High School
Part 12 - RSU2: Moving Beyond Grade-Driven Learning
Part 13 - RSU2: Moving Beyond the Test Score with Hope
RSU2 (from 2014)
Part 1 - Quick Update from RSU2 Maine
Part 2 - Virgel Hammonds’ Six Insights into Leadership
Wells High School
Part 14 - Wells High School: The Timeline to Transformation
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Part 15 - University of Maine at Presque Isle: Moving at the Speed of Light
Part 16 - UMPI: Faculty Perspective
Part 17 - University of Maine at Presque Isle: Eliminating Remediation
Northern Maine Education Collaborative
Part 18 - Northern Maine Education Collaborative: High Aspirations
Massachusetts
Boston Day and Evening Academy (2012)
Part 1 - Reading the Pulse of Students at Boston Day and Evening Academy
Part 2 - Boston Day and Evening Academy: Where Competency Education is Good Teaching Practice
Part 3 - Boston Day and Evening Academy: A Learning Organization
Four Rivers Charter Public School (2019)
Part 1 - Building a Powerful School Culture at Four Rivers
Part 2 - Empowering Teachers as School Leaders at Four Rivers
Part 3 - Active Learning through Expeditions and Internships at Four Rivers
Melrose Public Schools (2016)
Can Melrose Go Deeper with Competency-Based Education?
Michigan
Schools for the Future (2012)
No One Graduates Before They Are Ready
Minnesota
Eastern Carver County Schools (2016)
Part 1 - Moving from Islands of Innovation to a District of Distinction in Personalized Learning (Part One)
Part 2 - Moving from Islands of Innovation to a District of Distinction in Personalized Learning (Part Two)
Farmington Area School District (2019)
Part 1 - “Radical Trust” and Teacher Agency Drive Deeper Change in Farmington
Part 2 - Shifting the English Department to Competency-Based Learning
Part 3 - Shifting the English Department to Competency-Based Assessment
Part 4 - Interstellar Time at Boeckman Middle School
Part 5 - Innovative Scheduling: Digital e-Learning Days and Academic Support Periods
Mississippi
McComb School District (2018)
Part 1 – Personalizing the Learning in McComb, Mississippi
Part 2 – McComb’s Six Pillars of Student-Centered Learning
Part 3 – McComb’s Strategic Planning Begins with the Community
Part 4 – Piloting Change in McComb
Part 5 – Empowering Scholars at McComb’s Summit Elementary
Part 6 – Starting with the Kindergarteners in McComb
Part 7 – Starting the Journey to CBE at Otken Elementary School
Part 8 – Supporting Practitioners in McComb
New Hampshire
Parker-Varney Elementary (2016)
Parker-Varney Elementary: Keepers of the Bar
Pittsfield School District (2014)
Part 1 - Redesign at Pittsfield School District
Part 2 - Hand in Hand: Pittsfield Integrates Personalized Learning and Competency Education
Part 3 - Pittsfield Rethinks Adult Roles
Part 4 - Implementation Insights from Pittsfield School District
Sanborn Regional School District (2014)
Part 1 - Sanborn Regional School District Flips District Reform
Part 2 - Addressing Root Causes at Memorial Elementary School
Part 3 - Raising the Bar at Sanborn Regional High School
Making Community Connections Charter School (2014)
Part 1 - Igniting Learning at the Making Community Connections Charter School
Part 2 - Gateways, Not Grades
New Jersey
Merit Prep (2015)
Part 1 - Merit Prep: Where Students Feel Safe to Learn
Part 2 - Non-Linear Progressions and Culture of Safety at Merit Prep
New York, New York City
Overview and Insights (2014)
Part 1 - Magical Mastery Tour
Part 2 - The Big Three Takeaways of the Magical Mastery Tour
Part 10 - All Together Now….the Magical Mastery Tour
Bronx International High School
Part 3 - First Stop of the Magical Mastery Tour: Bronx International High School
Carrol Gardens School for Innovation
Part 4 - Carroll Gardens School for Innovation (MS 442): Intentional School Design
EPIC Schools (See more in 2016)
Part 5 - EPIC Schools: Putting Young Men of Color in the Center of the Design (Part 1)
Part 6 - A Deeper Dive into the EPIC North Design (Part 2)
Bronx Arena
Part 7 - Bronx Arena: Organizing Spaghetti (Part 1)
Part 8 - Bronx Arena: Innovating Until 100% of Students Graduate (Part 2)
Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Part 9 - Asking the Right Questions: Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Overview and Insights (2016)
Part 1 - NYC Big Takeaways
Part 2 - Catalyzing Mastery-Based Learning: NYC’s Mastery Collaborative
Part 8 - Anchoring the Learning: A Discussion with Joel Rose at New Classrooms
Part 9 - Talking Equity with John Duval
The Young Women's Leadership School of Astoria
Part 3 - The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria
Flushing International
Part 4 - Flushing International’s Three Learning Outcomes: Habits, Language, and Academic Skills
KAPPA International
Part 5 - KAPPA International: The Story of Angelica
North Queens Community High School
Part 6 - North Queens Community High School: Blooming the Outcomes
EPIC North
Part 7 - High Expectations at EPIC North
Mastery Collaborative (2019)
Part 1 - The Mastery Collaborative: Dozens of NYC Schools Support Each Other’s Reforms
NYC iSchool
Part 2 - Diversifying the Student Body and Personalizing Student Schedules at NYC iSchool
Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Part 3 - Mastery-Based Making: The Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Part 4 - What’s College Like for Students from Mastery-Based High Schools?
Part 5 - Project Example: Mobile App Design at Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Ohio
Cleveland Metropolitan Schools (2017)
Part 1 - Cleveland: Where Pedagogy Comes First
Part 2 - Starting with Design Principles in Cleveland
Part 3 - Getting to Know Students’ Business: A Conversation at Lincoln-West’s Schools of Global Studies and Science & Health
Part 4 - E3agle and PACT: Insights from Two New Competency-Based Schools
Part 5 - A Conversation with Teachers in Cleveland
Oregon
West Albany High School (2013)
If Failure is Not an Option, Neither are Supports
Pennsylvania
Building 21 (2016)
Part 1 - Breaking out of the Boxes at Building 21
Part 2 - Building 21’s Competency Dashboard
Rhode Island
Laying the Groundwork for Proficiency-Based Learning in Rhode Island
South Carolina
Competency Education Takes Root in South Carolina
Red Bank Elementary (2016)
Part 1 - Red Bank Elementary: Five Big Takeaways
Part 2 - Red Bank Elementary School: Teaching Students, Not Standards
Part 3 - Red Bank Elementary School: Starting with the Pedagogy
Part 4 - Red Bank Elementary: What Students Have to Say about Personalized Learning
Part 5 - Red Bank Elementary: The Parent Perspective
Part 6 - Reflections on Learning
Part 7 - When Red Bank Went to Lindsay
Charleston County School District (2016)
Part 8 - Charleston County School District: Breaking Ground for Personalized Learning in Big Districts
Part 9 - Charleston: Progression of Implementation for Personalized Learning
Part 10 - Charleston: Personalized Learning at Pepperhill Elementary
Part 11 - Charleston: A Conversation with Teachers at Stall High School
Part 12 - Charleston: A Conversation with Teachers at Goodwin Elementary School
Part 13 - Charleston: Pinehurst Elementary School
South Dakota
Harrisburg School District (2019)
Part 1 - District-wide Transformation in Harrisburg, South Dakota
Part 2 - Littles, Middles, Molders, and Olders – Multi-age Learning at Journey Elementary
Part 3 - Habits of Mind and Learning New Ways of Learning at Journey Elementary
Vermont
Montpelier Public Schools (2016)
A Conversation with the Two Mikes from Montpelier
Wisconsin
Kettle-Moraine (2017)
Part 1 - Kettle Moraine: Where the Future of Education is Being Created Student by Student
Part 2 - Kettle Moraine: How They Got Here and Where They are Going
Part 3 - The Five Pillars of Teaching and Learning at KM Explore
Part 4 - The Sound of Learning at Create House at Kettle Moraine Middle School
Part 5 - KM Global: Pedagogy, Curriculum, and Learning Design
Part 6 - Chasing Competencies at KM Perform
Part 7 - Reaching Out into the Community at High School of Health Sciences
Part 8 - Practicing What They Preach: Micro-Credentialing at Kettle Moraine
Part 9 - Distributed Leadership at Kettle Moraine
Part 10 - A Quick Look at Kettle Moraine’s My Learning Collaborative
Waukesha (2017)
Part 1 - Blair Elementary
Part 2 - FLIGHT Academy
STEM Academy
Part 3 - Creating a Learner-Driven System in Waukesha (Part 1)
Part 4 - Personalizing Instruction and Learning Experiences (Part 2)
Part 5 - Waukesha STEM Academy: Rethinking Space, Time, and Reporting (Part 3)
Part 6 - Waukesha STEM Academy’s Journey from ABC to the Learner Continuum (Part 4)
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