Navigation Tool: Scale Personalized, Competency-Based Learning

Finding Your Path: A Navigation Tool for Scaling Personalized, Competency-Based Learning

Publication

August 9, 2021

By: Abbie Forbus Everett, Laura Hilger, Robin Kanaan, Lori Phillips

Topics: Systems Change

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Systems level reflection and action planning provides the foundation for learning communities to develop their own path toward aligned, sustainable transformation
Through research with districts across the country who are working to scale personalized learning systems, KnowledgeWorks has identified 12 conditions that must be refined and aligned toward the shared vision for teaching and learning
To effectively move systemic transformation forward, learning communities must prioritize work on their shared vision, learning community culture, collective and individual agency and transparency

The way teachers teach and students learn is changing.

As more learning communities embrace personalized, competency-based learning – learning that centers each students’ strengths, needs and interests and provides differentiated supports and ways to demonstrate what they know and know how to do – educators and leaders are also working to ensure the changes they are making are systemic, sustainable and prioritize equitable, future-ready outcomes for all learners.

Finding Your Path: A Navigation Tool for Scaling Personalized, Competency-Based Learning is designed to help learning communities understand the conditions for sustainable systems change and to develop and advance a strategic plan for district-wide transformation to personalized, competency-based learning.

The tool explores:

System-level competencies aligned to learning targets that inform strategic action planning, professional development and community engagement goals
Guiding questions for educators, administrators and learners to help uncover progress and areas of growth for alignment toward equitable, systemic transformation
Examples of progress to look for across all areas of the system, from the classroom- to the community-level