patricks7

= Competency-based Learning: Highlights of Promising Practices and Policy Frameworks = toc //Session 7: Friday, November 11 from 2:00 - 3:00pm//
 * //Susan Patrick,President and CEO,iNACOL// **
 * //Linda Pittenger,CCSSO// **
 * //Chris Sturgis,President and CEO,Metis Net// **

**Session Information**

 * **Location:** 201/202 //(Click Here to View the Session Map)//
 * **Track:** Advocacy
 * **Grade Level Focus:** K-5|6-8|9-12|High school to college transition
 * **Experience Level:** Level 101 - For beginners new to the field (0-1 years experience in K-12 Online Learning)|Level 201 - For intermediate level participants (2-4 years experience in K-12 Online Learning)|Level 301 - For advanced participants (5+ years of experience in K-12 Online Learning)
 * **Exhibitor:** No
 * **Requires Purchase of Product to Implement:** No

**Session Description**
//Speakers will provide an overview of two new reports on competency-based learning, provide a brief overview of the knowledge base of policy and practice, describe the five-part working definition, and share strategies for policymakers and innovators. The recommendations are to accelerate the transformation of the nation's K-12 educational system to one that is competency-based, highlighting lessons learned and best practices from innovators in the field.//

Session Twitter Hashtag: // #vss201s7 //
rss url="http://search.twitter.com/search.rss?q=%23vss201s7" link="true" number="10" date="true" author="true"

Presentation Materials and Contributions
Please add your contributions here.

Notes by Marcel Kielkucki, Director of HS Completion Programs, Kirkwood Community College

Session was also recorded Two states are leading—New Hampshire and Oregon—in competency based learning models. You don’t get credit for time in the seat, you have to demonstrate the competency to earn credit. Quote from Oregon Education Roundable—“In a proficiency system, failure or poor performance may be part of student’s learning curve, but is not an outcome.” A number of competency based resources are available at [|www.inacol.org] There is also a wiki there. There is a 5 part working definition:1) Students advance upon mastery2) competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students3) Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience for students4) Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs5)Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge, along with development of important skills and dispositions—demonstrate and create knowledge (analysis, problem solve, and create) Two types of competencies—lifelong learning skills (21st Century Skills) and academic skills Diploma Plus—one of the leading competencies based models Attendance is not as important for your academic skills in these models but for the 21st century learning skills. To make these work (competency based models,) you need a personalized learning plan for every student. Entry points for Competency Based Models:-Alternative Education-Home/Hospital-Credit Recovery-Insufficient supply or distribution problems-Students with high mobility Three good examples: Florida Virtual School, Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (New Hampshire,) and Carpe Diem (Arizona) Traditional School Models—Diploma Plus, Highland Tech, Lindsay School District (CA) There is also a partnership of schools in the Next Gen Learning Challenge that are working on these models. What are the tough issues? Equity, personalization, assessment (formative vs. summative,) revising the Carnegie Unit, management information systems, higher education, and accountability Other tough issues brought up by the audience—tracking tools (workflow for the teacher, student learning progressions, etc.) scheduling, end of course/end of year exams, awareness of stakeholders and others like NCAA, Any exam that is only offered once a year really defeats the purpose of competency-based concepts You could see more CTE in a competency-based model because it lends itself to those types of models. What are the state policy levers needed in a state? Level 1—seat-time waivers such as in Michigan Level 2—credit flexibility such as in Alabama and Ohio Level 3—Advanced competency-based policy such as Oregon and New Hampshire Iowa’s education chief asked for information on seat time and found there were no state policies in place yet most schools operated based on seat-time. What else needs to happen? Create innovation space, provide support and knowledge transfers, engage communities, protect high standards, and offer adaptive leadership. State policy recommendations:-redefine Carnegie unit into competencies-personalized learning plans for each student-redefine high quality teacher-support educators in the transition to a competency-based system Federal policy recommendations:-primarily a state policy-integrate into funding programs such as I3-integrate into efforts to improve traditional system-student-centered accountability means federal and state must be using an individual student growth model. They need to rethink accountability and assessment to modularized testing throughout year measuring individual progress regularly Competency is fundamental to personalized learning and it challenges almost all of our assumptions about the present system