Competency-Based Education Across America
October 17, 2019 by Eliot LevineUpdated: October 2019.
iNACOL’s 2019 map shows the many states that have taken steps forward in enabling and investing in competency-based education. To highlight this progress, all of the CompetencyWorks blog posts from our site visits and interviews in 26 states are listed below. Schools, districts, and support organizations have used these inspirational accounts of local reforms to inform deeper competency-based learning and systems change in their own settings.
Alaska
Chugach School District (2019)
Part 1 – Rethinking Grade Levels and Age Groupings at the Whittier Community School
Part 2 – Bringing Parents Into Competency-Based Schools
Part 3 – Pathways, Pacing, and Agency Are Intertwined
Part 4 – Sustaining and Sharing Cultural Heritage at the Tatitlek Community School
Chugach School District (2015)
Report – 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 (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
Da Vinci Schools (2018)
Part 1 – Innovation in the Air at Da Vinci Schools
Part 2 – Conversations about Learning at Da Vinci
Part 3 – RISE (Revolutionary Individualized Student Experience)
Barack Obama Charter School (2013)
Ingenium Schools: A Big City Competency-Based School
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
Denver (2018)
Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design (DSISD): Competency-Based by Design
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
Thompson (2018)
Thompson School District: Student-Driven Learning at Work!
Westminster (2018)
Lessons from a Vanguard: A Look at Metz Elementary
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
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 (2016)
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 (2014)
Part 1 – Quick Update from RSU2 in 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
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?
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
Michigan
Schools for the Future (2012)
No One Graduates Before They Are Ready
Minnesota
Eastern Carver County Schools (2019)
Part 1 – District-wide Transformation to Personalized Learning in Eastern Carver County
Part 2 – Personalizing Learning in an Alternative Arts High School
Part 3 – It Takes a Village to Personalize Learning to Every Student
Part 4 – Flexible Scheduling, Supports, and Monitoring at Pioneer Ridge Middle School
Part 5 – Strategies for Building Student Ownership of Their Learning
Part 6 – Eastern Carver’s Framework for Lifelong Learning Skills
Eastern Carver County Schools (2016)
Part 1 – Moving from Islands of Innovation to a District of Distinction in Personalized Learning
Part 2 – Moving from Islands of Innovation to a District of Distinction in Personalized Learning
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
2019 School Visits
Part 1 – The Mastery Collaborative: Dozens of NYC Schools Support Each Other’s Reforms
Part 2 – Diversifying the Student Body and Personalizing Student Schedules at NYC iSchool
Part 3 – Mastery-Based Making: The Urban Assembly Maker Academy
Part 4 – Project Example: Mobile App Design at 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 (2016)
Part 3 – The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria
Flushing International (2016)
Part 4 – Flushing International’s Three Learning Outcomes: Habits, Language, and Academic Skills
KAPPA International (2016)
Part 5 – KAPPA International: The Story of Angelica
North Queens Community High School (2016)
Part 6 – North Queens Community High School: Blooming the Outcomes
EPIC North (2016)
Part 7 – High Expectations at EPIC North
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 (2014)
Part 3 – First Stop of the Magical Mastery Tour: Bronx International High School
Carrol Gardens School for Innovation (2014)
Part 4 – Carroll Gardens School for Innovation (MS 442): Intentional School Design
EPIC Schools (2014)
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 (2014)
Part 7 – Bronx Arena: Organizing Spaghetti (Part 1)
Part 8 – Bronx Arena: Innovating Until 100% of Students Graduate (Part 2)
Urban Assembly Maker Academy (2014)
Part 9 – Asking the Right Questions: 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 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)
Comment by Dave Richards 2:16 pm, July 6, 2016
Hi Chris,
One day – Fraser Public Schools will make your list of CBL districts.
Hope you are well,
Dave
Comment by Chris Sturgis 8:47 am, July 7, 2016
Dave — You just let me know when you are ready for an interview or formal site visit about your progress towards CBE. You all had so much happening on so many fronts — just a fountain of innovation — when I visited. I’ve just been waiting until things had settled a bit more — you just let me know!
Comment by Marsha Myles 10:47 am, July 9, 2016
I look forward to the two of you putting something together and showcasing the great work in Fraser!
Comment by Dr. Oliver Grenham 10:36 am, July 26, 2016
Chris – I sincerely hope you are planning to visit us in Westminster Public Schools (formerly Adams County School District 50) when in Colorado so you can catch up with our progress. CBE is beginning to expand across the state where we are continuing to serve as a mentor district both in the K12 and community college arenas. Over the past few years the state has also demonstrated active support in assisting districts to move in this direction although current politics is now beginning to obscure and derail innovative efforts. Thank you for continuing to publish remarkable examples of this work across the country.
Comment by Rose Colby 3:41 pm, August 31, 2016
Yes–Please do have that conversation with Dave and Carrie in Fraser!
Comment by Jenny Finn 8:25 pm, June 10, 2018
Hello! Please add us to this list! We are a 7th-12th grade private school, 501 (c) (3) in Floyd, VA that is engaged in competency-based learning. Thank you!
Comment by Chris Sturgis 6:22 am, June 11, 2018
Thanks Jenny for telling us about you. This list is only those that there has been an article written about the schools so people can learn. I will add you to the list on the wiki under Virginia. Thanks for letting us know about you.