COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING

Competency

Independently: • Think of something you are competent at. • Now, think about how you know you are competent. • (We will share a few aloud.)

In Groups of 3: • Make a list of how you would know if someone is

competent at driving: what do competent drivers understand, what can they do, what behavior is observable?

• (We will share lists with each other, looking for trends.)

What is Competency?• …your definition…

What is Competency?

A combination of skills, knowledge, characteristics and traits which contribute to high performance on a particular task…

A competency is something one can do • often, • in many situations, and • with strong results

In a Competency-Based System…• Students advance upon mastery.• Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable

learning objectives that empower students.• Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning

experience.• Students receive timely, differentiated support.• Learning outcomes emphasize application and creation

of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

• --Chris Sturgis, CompetencyWorks• --Susan Patrick, iNACOL

Competencies Include…

• Aptitudes: natural ability that prepares the person to perform a task

• Attitudes: ways of thinking or behaving required to perform a task

• Skills: acquired ability or experience needed to perform a task

• Knowledge: Information and understanding needed to perform a task”

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE AT THE CLASSROOM LEVEL?

MASTERY

ENRICH-MENT

“CORRECT-IVES”

FORM-ATIVE

ASSESS-MENT

ENRICH-MENT

“CORRECT-IVES”

FORM-ATIVE

ASSESS-MENT

WHOLE GROUP

INSTRUCTION

The concept of Mastery Learning was first articulated by

Benjamin Bloom in 1974. Rejecting the notion of the Bell curve,

Bloom believed that 90% of students could achieve mastery of

challenging concepts if given 3 things: time, customized

curriculum, and 1:1 and small group support, all aligned to the

specific areas where students are struggling.

i.e. achievement is not about student intelligence and capacity, it’s about instruction, curriculum and assessment.

The Hope Foundation: All our Children Learning: Benjamin Bloom’s Mastery Learning http://www.hopefoundation.org/all-our-children-learning-benjamin-blooms-mastery-learning/

MASTERY BASED CLASSROOMS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmjjeqNyxMQ&feature=youtu.be

Jessica Addison, Todd County Kentucky

Bloom’s Mastery Learning in the 21st Century: Low-tech style

Before the VideoMake a list of 3 questions or concerns you have about organizing competency-based learning within a single classroom.

After the VideoReturn to your concerns / questions: are some answered? Do you have new ones? Revise your questions.

MASTERY BASED CLASSROOMS

Shane Donovan, Washington DC

https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-09-25-spotting-schools-version-of-bigfoot

Bloom’s Mastery Learning in the 21st Century: Low-tech style

Read the Blog PostCode the Text? = This answers question you have, or raises a new one.* = You’ve done or seen something like this. ! = You like this. = This is not for you.

After Reading• Return to your list of questions,

and revise one last time.• Turn to a partner and share

thoughts about and reactions to the video and blog post.

With the full group: Share a new insight or question.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION?Many things…

One essential feature: Standards- or Performance Based Grading

Examples of Competency-Based Learning from the “Real World”

• A Law School Graduate who fails the Bar Exam • 2 times before passing it.

• A Child learning to ride a bike.

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Traditional ScoringMastery-Based Scoring

Jose’s Quiz #1 on Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

6/10=60%D-

6RP1: 50%6.RP.2: 50%6NS2: 100%

6G3: 0%

Feedback: What might a teacher

say?Feedback:

What might a teacher say?

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Traditional ScoringMastery-Based Scoring

Jose’s Quiz #1 on Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

6/10=60%D-

6RP1: 50%6.RP.2: 50%6NS2: 100%

6G3: 0%

Feedback: You don’t seem to

understand the material very

well.

Feedback: Most of this quiz was on standard 6NS2, and you demonstrated a perfect

understanding of this. You need a bit more work on 6RP1 &2. Let’s

work on G3 together.

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

The “Grades” of 4 Students using the traditional average system

Traditional Feedback: 77%.

Too bad about the 2nd quiz: what happened?

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

Traditional Feedback: 77%.

Too bad about the 2nd quiz: what happened?

What might a teacher say here?

Here?

Here?

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

Traditional Feedback: 77%.

Too bad about the 2nd quiz: what happened?

You have a solid understanding of RP1 & 2.

Let’s look for patterns in the errors you are making to see if there is a way to consolidate your mastery.

We haven’t been working on G3 as long,

you need some additional opportunities to gain mastery here.

Your understanding here is actually strong. The error you made on the

test was computational, not conceptual.

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

Using a traditional averaging approach, what would Jose now think about his level of math proficiency?

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

Using a traditional averaging approach, what would Jose now think about his level of math proficiency? (1) an overall average

of 77%.(2) Little idea he has a

weak understanding of G3.

(3) Little idea of why he got a 40% on a quiz.

(4) Little idea he has to really work on NS2.

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

In a Competency-Based System, schools have to define:(1) What Proficiency is: In Jose’s school, 75% on a standard is considered proficient. (2) How many times and in how many contexts a student has to achieve a 75%. At Jose’s school, the answer is 3.

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

In a Competency-Based System, schools have to define:(1) What Proficiency is: In Jose’s school, 75% on a standard is considered proficient. (2) How many times and in how many contexts a student has to achieve a 75%. At Jose’s school, the answer is 3.

Using a competency-based approach, what would Jose now think about his level of math proficiency?

MASTERY-BASED ASSESSMENT

Jose’s “Grades:” Ratio/Proportions, Number Sense, & Geometry

In a Competency-Based System, schools have to define:(1) What Proficiency Is: At Jose’s school, 75% on a standard is considered proficient. (2) How many times and in how many contexts a student has to achieve a 75%. At Jose’s school, the answer is 3.

Using a competency-based approach, what would Jose now think about his level of math proficiency? (1) I have to show

proficiency on RP1, RP2 and NS2one more time.

(2) I I should be ready to show proficiency with RP1 & NS2.

(3) I still have to work on G3, but I understand more now than I did at first.

(4) I may be ready to show proficiency on RP2, since I hit proficiency on the final test.

DIGGING MORE DEEPLY INTO STANDARDS-BASED GRADING

MASTERY

Competency 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.

• http://competencyworks.pbworks.com/w/page/66734498/Welcome%20to%

20the%20CompetencyWorks%20Wiki• http://www.inacol.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iNACOL_Success

OnlyOptn_ExecSumm.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPUqKp-n_hs&list=PL9C489399B851C548

Video: Rick Wormelli (from Marzno’s group)

MASTERY BASED ASSESSMENT

“In a proficiency system, failure or poor performance may be part of the student’s learning curve, but it is not an outcome.”

– Proficiency-Based Instruction and Assessment, Oregon Education Roundtable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFHf7jAfJlg

Developing a culture of formative assessment: the role of immediate & concrete feed-back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jduiAnm-O3w

“What’s the point of school if you can’t learn from your mistakes?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkFWbC91PXQ

WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO CONSIDER AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL?The Key Features of a Competency-Based System

In a Competency-Based System…• Students advance upon mastery.• Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable

learning objectives that empower students.• Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning

experience.• Students receive timely, differentiated support.• Learning outcomes emphasize application and creation

of knowledge, along with the development of important skills and dispositions.

• --Chris Sturgis, CompetencyWorks• --Susan Patrick, iNACOL

Key Features of a Competency-Based System

Key Features

Look at the Glossary of Terms:• Mark the terms that are familiar with a *• Mark the terms you have a question about with a ?

• Write your questions on an index card.• We’ll collect the index cards, and as a group we’ll try to answer the questions together.

SCHOOL-BASED THINKING

In your School-Based Teams• Is Competency-based learning something you can

imagine in your school given what we’ve explored today?

• If yes, where might you begin? • With a small pilot of a few teachers?• What a design team working on several aspects of the system?• With some staff meetings to explore these ideas? • ??

• What steps would you need to take to move in this direction?

CLOSING REFLECTION3 Things I Learned

2 Things I need to think/learn more about.

1 Thing I plan to do in the coming weeks.

Antonia Rudenstineantonia@redesignu.org781.367.6457http://www.redesignu.org